Hudson Valley Astrologer

Hahaha! How do I feel about cold weather? I feel fucking cold! But not always. The more cardio I do, the better my blood flow, the less cold weather bothers me.

Back when “PRs” were a thing and my wife and I participated in road racing, logging miles and recording our times, we were obsessed to see how fast we could go. It was probably an addiction. We were smitten by the same bug that infected Forrest Gump. The only rule we had was to not bother running if the temperature outside fell below – 20°. That was too cold. Above that we were fine. Above -20° I would even break a sweat!

As I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed the cold bothers me a little more, I am more sensitive to cold temperatures and it has even “hurt” in a way. But I’ve also noticed that with a better diet and exercise that my sensitivity drops.

There is the temperature outside but there is also my internal temperature. The internal temperature is apparently a choice. I’ve read about but never practiced the Tibetan meditation called Tummo. James Nestor writes about Tummo in his book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. He explores the science and history behind ancient breathing practices, including Tummo, and describes how it allows practitioners to generate inner heat and survive extreme cold. There are stories of monks who are able to dry wet sheets draped over them while sitting in a cold room, or monks sitting in freezing temperatures outside and melting the snow all around them using nothing but the heat generated by their internal temperature. I have had experiences of Tummo during various meditations but they were more spontaneous than practiced. My foray into running was a mini example of that I suppose but the breath work involved was more of an accompaniment to the movement than the movement itself.

I’d forgotten about Tummo, and wanted to go deeper into the practice to realize its other health benefits. Nestor lists numerous breathing practices in the back of his book, and there are plenty of YouTube videos. It was all the rage and trending for a brief time; We might even say that breath work was hot for spell.

HVA

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