Greetings, friends. We are approaching the longest night of the year, which also means we are approaching the return of the light. 

With this meditation I invite you to explore the warmth that you can generate, the warmth that your mind, your hands, and your heart can create. 

Find yourself a comfortable seated position. As you settle in, notice how your legs rest on the chair or cushion. Allow yourself to rest–really rest in that position. 

If you wear glasses, you will likely want to set them aside. 

Bring your palms together in front of you and rub your hands, generating heat between your palms. Continue to do this for a moment or two. Now bring your hands up to your face and cup your palms over your eyes, so your fingers rest on your forehead. Allow your eyes to bask in the darkness and warmth. 

Our eyes take in so much in our waking hours. Until we close them for sleep, we often do not allow them intentional rest. 

Bring your hands down, and repeat this. Rub your palms together. Then bring them up to your eyes. This time, as your eyes appreciate the darkness and warmth, notice your breath. Allow yourself to breathe in that warmth. 

Now bring your hands back together in front of you. Generate heat between them one more time. 

I invite you to bring one palm on your chest, perhaps near your heart, and place the other hand on top of that one. Notice the warmth and gentle pressure from your hands on your chest. You might try switching which hand is on top and which one is closest to the chest, to notice which feels more comfortable. 

Imagine this warmth radiating throughout your chest, all the way to the sides and back of your ribs. Imagine the warmth extending down into your torso. Perhaps this warmth comes with a kind of light… maybe a particular color comes to mind. 

Now try bringing your attention to your heart, inside the rib cage, underneath your hands. Imagine that there is a soft glow that begins to shine like the flame of a candle when we hold our hands around it, protecting it from the wind. 

This glow from your heart expands outward into your chest, meeting the warmth generated from your hands. Maybe it is a different color, merging with that first color. Imagine these two sources of warmth and light, from your hands and your heart, swirling through your torso. 

That combined glow begins to spread down your arms and legs, and up your neck and into your head. Perhaps this glow even shines forth into the air immediately surrounding your body, like a blanket. 

Take a moment or two to bask in this glow, this warmth.

Imagine carrying that warmth with you as you go about your day. When you are out in the cold wind, you can try bringing a hand to your heart to remind you of the warmth you can generate from your heart as well as your hands.

When you are ready, feel free to open your eyes, if they were closed, drop your hands, and come back to your surroundings. 

Thank you for taking this pause in your day. May you find warmth in the winter, rest in the darkness, and joy in the rhythm of the seasons.