warmth of the sun

I am in the foothills of the Himalaya. The nights are cold. But now it is the morning. I am sitting outside, enjoying the tranquil view down the valley. The sun has risen over the hills and is warming my back.

And as I sit here, with nothing to do, my awareness rests on this warmth. The warmth is seeping into me, welcoming my body into a new day. It feels like such a gift: without me doing anything, the sun is warming me, bringing life into my body, awakening every cell with pure warmth.

And this reminds me of the feeling I have when I'm at peace in the world and not feeling myself separate from it. The whole of existence is there, warming me from the inside outwards.

This is why some say that god is love. This feeling – when we are in touch with the essential part of life, with the core of our being, with who we really are – this feeling is one of pure nourishment, support, warmth. It is as if one is being held by such a caring mother. Or indeed, as if one is still in the womb, all one's needs being provided for, without any demands for something in return, just given.

So it feels to me this morning, as the sun warms my back, and with it warms my whole being.