Yup, you are reading that number correctly, recently the temperature outside my door was -14 degrees Fahrenheit!
Though by no means an average temperature for us in New England, even in the deepest part of winter, nonetheless, this year, we have had some VERY cold days.
We have also had quite a few snow days- days when the snow falls consistently throughout the day, leaving most of us gathered up in our houses until the roads clear.
Today is one of those days.
As an adult, historically snow days have been quite challenging for me.
As a biologically and psychologically restless person by nature, long periods of time when I am (or feel I am) restricted into a closed in space, I am called upon to use my toolbox of coping strategies in order to remain sane(ish) as I move throughout the day.
Some New Englanders might call this restlessness "cabin fever," and it is to a certain extent.
"Cabin fever" is a phrase we use in our neck of the woods to describe a growing sensation of frustration (we often say that we are beginning to "climb the walls") due to long periods of time spent inside over the course of the winter.
And I do get cabin fever, particularly several months into winter during those snow storms that come in late February and early March when I and everyone else in New England cannot stand the thought of shoveling our driveway even one more time.
But for me, it is not always about cabin fever.
It is about the difficulty I still come up against with stillness; it is the agitation I can experience when I have fewer distractions, and I am left with tolerating that which is myself.
Therefore, not unlike meditation, by way of the cold and snow of winter, nature offers me an occasion to practice learning to stay; which at times can feel beyond impossible for someone who can be as ill as ease as me.
I know I'm not alone in this though.
I've long taken to heart this particular passage from Western Buddhist teacher and author Pema Chodron who writes:
The pith instruction is, Stay. . . stay. . . just stay.
Learning to stay with ourselves in meditation is like training a dog...
So whenever we wander off, we gently encourage ourselves to "stay" and settle down.Are we experiencing restlessness? Stay! Discursive mind? Stay! Are fear and loathing out of control? Stay! Aching knees and throbbing back? Stay! What’s for lunch? Stay! What am I doing here? Stay! I can’t stand this another minute! Stay!
That is how to cultivate steadfastness.
(Oh, and keep in mind, she advises that we "stay" with kindness toward ourselves.)
So on this snowed in day, despite the abilities of my 4 Wheel Drive truck that is just sitting out there in my driveway, begging me to take her out for a spin, I will instead take this opportunity to remember that there is a time of stillness, there is a time to stay.
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