I had put aside preparations for my Winter meditation retreat and I was curled up on my sofa, Bella purring beside me, both of us nestled in the warmth of my heated blanket. You never know how a retreat week will unfold, but in that moment my intentions felt so clear. I needed nurturing, warmth, cosiness and space. I needed to wrap myself up in care and compassion. I needed to gently hold my experiences, both pleasurable and painful, whilst allowing the retreat space and community to gently hold me. I could pull back a little; rest, restore, let things settle and fill myself up with compassion and courage, topping up my levels of resilience.

I often find images as powerful as words. They can capture a string of intentions in one single frame. I found a beautiful illustration that caught just what I needed. Looking at ‘Bedtime Stories’ by Jessica Boehman, I wasn’t just reminded of my intentions, I was feeling them. The girl reading, a little companion by her side. The bear and fox curled up in sleepy contentment. Soft, glowing light and warmth radiating within each burrow; vibrant, even within the peaceful, restful states. Even the night sky above has a kindness to it. Little stars of light and hope. Soft, wintery branches. Each glance brought to life the feelings of nurturing, warmth, cosiness and space. An opening of my body. A warming of my heart. A softening of my mind and a sigh of relief to have a peaceful inner space to rest in.

The image and feelings it evoked became a theme for my retreat week. During a loving kindness practice, I found myself imagining I was in the cosy cocoon of the tree roots, gradually welcoming others in one by one, making sure they were warm and comfortable and wrapping us all up in love and care. We sat around a fire, bright and glowing. We curled up on beanbags, wrapped up in soft blankets. We drank hot chocolate, sweet and comforting.

It was a lazy retreat, although I soon realised I was using the word lazy when I really meant letting go. Sleepy meditations. Cosy layers. Naps. Feeling no need to fill every space with activity. My Burrow has continued to be a place of refuge. Unlike the unhelpful avoidance and shutting down that I have swung towards in the past, it has given me a comforting place of respite from where I can continue to meet each moment with gentle, compassionate acceptance.

With thanks to Jessica at Hans My Hedgehog for her beautiful artwork and her permission to share.