Lessons from a Mouse at 14,179 Feet

Recently I climbed up to the top of Mt Shasta Summit at 14,179 feet in Northern California with a great group of previous and now, new friends.

The climb to the top was a total of 7000 ft in elevation gain over 7 miles. It was a very steep climb and took about 18 hours of trekking up and down in total. It’s not a lot of miles but very strenuous and challenging indeed!

The mountain is believed to be the root chakra of the Earth and holds deep spiritual significance. The root chakra (muladhara) is the first chakra at the base of the spine. It represents our foundation and is associated with the feelings of safety, security and stability. It governs basic survival needs and our connection to the physical world. 

As much as this is a physically demanding climb, it is also a mental and spiritual purification journey. When I meditated before and after reaching the summit, I could really feel the intensity of the spiritual energy that’s present in this region. 

The ten of us hiked up through the lower pine forest with our ~40lb backpacks, through Horse Camp to Lake Helen on Day 1. At Lake Helen, which is really just a flat frozen area covered with snow, we set up our tents where we would have to bare the snow under us and acclimatize for the next day’s climb to the summit.  The right equipment like a zero degree sleeping bag and a good insulating pad makes all the difference! 

Then began the long arduous climb of “Misery Hill”. Despite the hard climb getting to this point already, this hill has earned its name. If the steep slopes you have to climb to get here aren’t enough, it’s the wind that really demands every last ounce of you. At one point with both hands on the ice axe planted in the snow and 50 mph+ gusts, I felt as if I was holding onto the Earth itself! It was a surreal moment. Breathing was heavy and difficult. Every 5 steps required 5 deep breaths to keep going. It physically and mentally demanded every cell in my body to be with the moment.

We took a good breather after that truly unforgiving climb and made our way towards the final summit ascent. As we climbed up through a mix of snow and loose rock, we came upon the final narrow ridge with thousand foot drops on both sides. It demanded all of our courage to cross it knowing full well that we also had to come back the same way. 

We did it! We made it to the top of the summit and celebrated. High fives were going all around, not just within our group but with everyone present in and around the summit. It was a true community celebration knowing full well that everyone there had gone through quite an ordeal to get there. We were victorious and thanks to the weather Gods, we had enough of a break to make it through the unforgiving misery hill. At the summit visitor notebook held in a heavy metal case, I left a note thanking Guru and God for the strength to make it this far! 🙏This was definitely a big one for the life book! 

What was the first thing we saw when we made it to the top of the summit?

A mouse. Yes, a mouse.

A teeny tiny mouse was scurrying around the rocks on Mt Shasta summit at 14,000 feet! No gear, no helmet, no crampons, no ice axe. No water, no food. Just a mouse at the top of the summit.

Later that night, when I was back in our lodge, the image of the mouse scurrying around the rocks came back to me. As I reflected, it became clear to me that life is simple, adaptable and most enduring even in the harshest of conditions.

This image of the mouse also held a deeply spiritual meaning. In hinduism, the mouse holds the place of the restless wandering human mind and ego. The deity Ganesha riding the mouse represents true wisdom and disciplined intellect to control these desires and the ego to attain self-realization.

So the reminder I received at the top of the mountain was to watch my wandering mind and ego and overcome it with wisdom and discipline.

As I was climbing down the mountain and exhausted from the trek, my mind started to complain about everything. The long descent, the wind, the pain in my hip, “my slow pace”, other people. My mind even went as far as to find five different reasons for each complaint and five ways to respond to those complaints when all that was needed was being grateful, patient and perseverance.

Later that night, as I entered deep meditation, my mind decided to play a whole another set of tricks. Deep in meditation, I found my mind creating scene after scene of delightful creations - everything from candy factory to rainbow lands to delightful beach paradises. The mouse in my mind was working overtime to keep me entertained and attached. This time I was able to observe all the wanderings instead of getting swept away by them. I wasn’t having any of it. No longer attached. No longer amused.

This ability to observe and realize the wanderings of the mind in a heightened state was a gift from the mountain. I realized that my mind is an expert at creating drama and fake plots. If my mind was a movie director, it would probably win the Oscar.

So the question I want to leave you with is this - 

• What movie is your mind directing and wanting you to play?

• Are you enjoying this movie? If you can answer yes truthfully, keep going! 

• If not, let’s change the movie! 

This physical and spiritual trek was amazing in more than one way and it's something I truly wanted to experience. I’m grateful that the people, the timing and the weather aligned to give us a window to actually make it a reality!

It also served as a good reminder that no matter how many mountains we climb externally, we must also climb the one within.

Special thanks to Prairna for supporting me going on the trip, Peter for organizing the trip itself and Sherpa Joe who guided our every step along the way. This trip wouldn’t have been possible without them! ❤️

VICTORY!

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about the subconscious patterns of your mind, take this free 2 minute assessment. You’ll get tons of great insights immediately. If you’d like to dive in deeper, reach out to me here.