Traversing Mountains, Leaving the Stone Untouched

Traversing Mountains, Leaving the Stone Untouched: The Paradox of Transformational Strength

A Morning Prayer and Its Quiet Wisdom

It came to me this morning—words that found me before the day’s noise began and after a very stormy night:

May I have the strength to traverse or move mountains
while leaving the stone untouched.
For it is the stone that gives me solitude, and serenity and constance,
even when the mountain appears to stand in my way.

How often do we, as humans, wake to the weight of our own mountains? Sometimes that mountain is a difficult diagnosis, a relationship in distress, a career crossroads, the burden of loss, or simply the daily press of anxiety and uncertainty. And sometimes, especially lately, our mountain is the tension and turbulence we witness on the larger stage—our communities fractured, our nation’s politics growing ever more destructive, pulling us apart rather than guiding us toward understanding. Instinctively, we want to “fix,” to conquer, to obliterate what stands in our way. But in my decades as a psychology professional and as someone journeying alongside my own mountains, I’ve come to understand that the true path to traversing mountains and leaving the stone untouched is not about crushing obstacles. Instead, the most profound transformation comes from moving through life’s challenges with intention, allowing the stone—the very essence of our difficulty—to remain.

Why? Because the stone, paradoxically, offers us unexpected gifts: solitude to reflect, serenity in stillness, and constance in a changing world. It is often the very thing we resist that contains our greatest source of wisdom and peace.

Why Do We Want to Move Mountains?

Our modern culture celebrates those who “overcome.” We admire stories of victory, of challenges conquered and obstacles vanquished. But if we listen deeply to our lives—and the lives of those we serve—we find that the mountain is not just an obstacle. It is also a teacher.

Sometimes, the mountain is personal: illness, grief, persistent worry, or a sense of being stuck or lost. And sometimes, the mountain looms much larger—manifesting as societal conflict, deep divisions in our communities, or the relentless noise and polarization of political life in the United States of America. We watch as those around us dig in, seeking to demolish rather than understand, and we may feel compelled to do the same.

Yet the harder we push against what is, the more exhausted we become. The more we can learn to pause, to allow, and to inquire, the more space we find for something new to emerge—for ourselves, and, perhaps, for our country and our world.

Think for a moment: What is your current mountain? Is it illness? Grief? A persistent worry? A sense of being stuck or lost? Maybe it’s simply the feeling that life is too much right now. It’s natural to want to change or eliminate these challenges. Yet, the harder we push against what is, the more exhausted we become. The more we can learn to pause, to allow, and to inquire, the more space we find for something new to emerge.

As I share in A Life Aligned, living in harmony with our challenges doesn’t mean resignation. It means we’re invited to bring our whole selves—body, mind, and spirit—into relationship with what’s before us. Transformation, then, is not a single act of force, but a process of aligning ourselves with the possibility for change, even as we honor what remains unchanged.

The Power of Allowing
What does it mean to “move mountains while leaving the stone untouched”? It means living intentionally, with presence and acceptance. It’s the subtle but powerful act of meeting our life as it is, even as we take steps to grow and evolve.

True strength, I’ve come to believe, is the ability to move through adversity while holding compassion for the parts of us—and our lives—that cannot change, or do not need to change. In that act of allowing, we discover serenity and even joy, right in the middle of the mess.

How to Traverse Your Own Mountain—A Step-by-Step Mind-Body-Spirit Guide
Let’s get practical. Here are specific steps—mind, body, and spirit—rooted in both psychological science and the timeless wisdom of lived experience, to help you traverse your own mountains with grace and intention.

1. Mind: Cultivating Awareness and Acceptance

Pause and Name Your Mountain
Begin with mindful awareness. Settle into a quiet space, place your hand over your heart, and breathe deeply for a minute or two.

Ask yourself:
What is the mountain in my life right now?
It could be a tangible problem or a persistent feeling.
Write it down. Give it a name.

Practice Radical Acceptance
Acceptance is not giving up—it’s saying, “This is here, and I see it.”
Try this short affirmation:

“I acknowledge this challenge, and I accept that it is part of my journey right now.”

Notice any resistance that arises—thoughts like “This shouldn’t be happening” or “I must get rid of this.” Gently bring your attention back to your breath and your affirmation.

Cognitive Reframing
With your mountain named and accepted, reflect on the stories you tell yourself about it. Are you blaming yourself, catastrophizing, or feeling hopeless?
Ask: Is there another way to view this?
For example:

• • • “This challenge is shaping me into someone stronger.”
    • “I can learn from this, even if I don’t like it.”
    • “I’m more resilient than I realize.”

Write down one new, empowering perspective.

2. Body: Engaging the Physical to Support the Emotional

Grounding Practices
The body is our anchor. When challenges arise, the nervous system is often in “fight or flight.” To traverse the mountain with steadiness, practice grounding.

Try this simple grounding exercise:

• • • Stand or sit comfortably.
    • Press your feet into the floor.
    • Imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet deep into the earth.
    • With each exhale, release tension.
    • With each inhale, imagine drawing up strength and stability.

Repeat for a few minutes. Notice the shift in your state.

Gentle Movement as Medicine
Mountains can create physical tension—tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, headaches. Allow movement to become your ally.

Try:

• • • A gentle walk in nature (even ten minutes around the block)
    • Stretching or yoga (focus on slow, mindful movements)
    • Mindful breathing: Inhale for four counts, exhale for six, and repeat for 2–3 minutes.

The goal is not to “run away” from the mountain but to move with it—letting your body remind you that you are not stuck.

3. Spirit: Inviting Meaning and Connection

Seek the Gifts of the Stone
Ask yourself:
What might this stone (unchangeable aspect) be teaching me?
Sometimes our greatest pain brings unexpected gifts:

• • • Compassion for others
    • Deeper spirituality
    • Humility or patience
    • Clarity about our true values

Write a gratitude list—not for the pain itself, but for what it has helped you discover.

Create a Personal Ritual of Allowance
Rituals are powerful for the spirit.
Each morning, light a candle, hold a favorite stone or crystal, or simply sit quietly with your prayer:

“May I have the strength to traverse or move mountains while leaving the stone untouched.”

Let this be your daily spiritual anchor—a reminder that you are both strong and tender, capable and accepting.

Connect to Something Greater
Isolation makes the mountain feel heavier. Reach out for connection—to a trusted friend, a faith community, or simply the greater wisdom of nature or the universe.

Practice loving-kindness meditation:

• • • Silently repeat:

“May I be safe. May I be strong. May I find peace, even here.”
Then, extend the wish to others in your life, even to those who are part of your mountain.

4. Integration: Living the Paradox in Daily Life

Set an Intention for Movement
Write your own version of this:

“I am willing to move forward, even when I cannot change everything. I allow myself to grow, while respecting what must remain.”

Repeat it throughout your day, especially when you feel stuck or frustrated.

Practice the Art of Small Steps
Big changes rarely happen overnight. Instead of waiting for a dramatic breakthrough, notice and celebrate the tiny steps:

• • • Getting out of bed on a hard day
    • Making a nourishing meal
    • Reaching out for support
    • Pausing before reacting

Each is a step across the mountain.

Reflection and Journaling
At the end of the day, take five minutes to reflect:

• • • What “stones” did I encounter?
    • How did I move with or around them?
    • What did I learn about myself today?
    • Where did I find moments of serenity or acceptance?

Journaling helps integrate the experience and reveals progress you might otherwise miss.

5. Mind-Body-Spirit Integration Practices

Breathwork for Emotional Balance
The breath bridges mind, body, and spirit.
Try the “4-7-8” breath (a favorite in mind-body medicine):

1. 1. 1. Inhale for 4 counts
      2. Hold for 7 counts
      3. Exhale slowly for 8 counts
      4. Repeat for 4 cycles

This calms the nervous system and creates space to respond, not react.

Mindful Self-Compassion
Place a hand over your heart. Whisper to yourself:

“This is hard, but I am here for myself. I am learning. I am growing.”

Self-compassion is the secret ingredient that makes mountain-traversing possible.

Affirmative Visualization
Each day, visualize yourself walking a winding mountain path. Notice the stones, but also the beauty around you—the light, the air, the vastness. See yourself moving steadily, gracefully, step by step, feeling supported by your own inner strength.

A Call to Your Own Transformational Moment

What if, beginning today, you choose to stop fighting against your mountain and start walking with it? What might shift if you allowed the stone to remain—serene, constant, a quiet companion—rather than something to be defeated?

This practice of traversing mountains while leaving the stone untouched is not just for our personal struggles. It is needed now, perhaps more than ever, in how we relate to one another as citizens, neighbors, and fellow humans—especially when the world around us seems intent on tearing down rather than building bridges of understanding.

I invite you to embrace this paradox:

Strength is not measured by the mountains we demolish, but by our willingness to journey through them, with humility, grace, and respect for what we cannot change. In our collective life, as in our personal life, the path of healing begins with honoring the stone—finding wisdom in what endures, even as we take gentle, intentional steps forward together.

You do not need to be “fixed.” You do not need to conquer every obstacle. Instead, allow yourself the dignity of your own journey—one that honors both the movement and the stillness, the striving and the surrender.

Begin Today—Your Transformational Action Steps

1. Name your mountain and the stone within it.
2. Practice daily acceptance and grounding—body, mind, and spirit.
3. Set a gentle intention for movement, not conquest.
4. Celebrate small, steady steps.
5. Reflect each evening and notice the gifts that appear, even amid challenge.

Transformation is not something that happens to “other people.” It is available to you, right now, in the living of your own life.

May you have the strength to traverse or move mountains
while leaving the stone untouched.
May you find, in that stone, the peace and wisdom you seek.
May your journey inspire not only your own transformation,
but gently light the way for others.

Blessings and abundance, always,
Dr. Mark A. Arcuri

If you’d like more step-by-step guidance, practices, or encouragement, visit drmarkarcuri.com for free resources and community support. Your story matters, and you are not alone.

Want to go even deeper?
Try starting a “Mountain and Stone Journal.”
Each week, choose one challenge to observe with curiosity.
Name what you wish to move, and what you wish to allow.
Record your daily actions, insights, and surprises.
Share your journey with a trusted friend or in the comments below—you never know whose mountain you might help them traverse.