Feeling warm is essential to enjoying the full bliss of being still. When we’re shivering it’s practically impossible to relax enough. There are lots of reasons why being cold isn’t good for us—it uses up a lot of our energy, for example, and cold decreases our immunity. Warmth, on the other hand, engenders well-being. It expands and relaxes us. Our sense of warmth is not only physical but emotional. Just as a cold blast of wind makes our bodies contract, so does a cold glare or harsh word make our souls contract. A warm, encouraging voice or touch makes us relax and expand. Stillness doesn’t happen by withdrawing fearfully into ourselves, but by allowing ourselves to expand outwardly into stillness. By letting stillness imbue us with its warmth. By engaging with it and loving it. Radiate outward and let stillness embrace you. Cover yourself with a soft blanket, create coziness around you, snuggle up. Or dive into warm ocean water or lie in the shade of a palm tree and bask in a warm breeze. Imagine warmth inside you. A warm feeling toward someone else creates reciprocal warmth back. The greatest mantle of warmth is love. Warmth—stillness—love … how beautiful that is!
