
“Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers heat.” – Lao Tzu
***
My mind wakes up first. The ticker tape of to-dos float across it. Activity conquers cold.
My heart wakes up second. It races. I inhale. I exhale. Stillness conquers heat.
My body wakes up third. I move quickly. I put on my training clothes. I make coffee. Activity conquers cold.
I train. I sweat. I rest. Stillness conquers heat.
I prepare. I cook. I plan. Activity conquers cold.
I think. I act. I speak. Activity conquers cold.
My body stays warm. My mind is on fire. Stillness conquers heat.
***
The tension between stillness and activity is a struggle when the temperature drops. How do I still my mind and not my body? How do I find warmth without overheating? Can I still myself without getting swallowed by the depths of the winter blues?
***
“I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.”
-T.S. Eliot
***
And the stillness the dancing. Stillness conquers the cold.
***
Trying to survive the February blues by getting my write on with writealm:

Oh, I love your “Be Still” post! I’m also finding that balance between activity and stillness, in the throes of mid-winter. I enjoyed reading- I’m doing the February Prompts also. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! It is ALWAYS a balancing act, no? And it’s always an extra challenge when the elements are affecting one side or the other.
Love that Eliot quote!
I know 🙂 Stillness as a less passive activity. Who would have thought?