When we pay mindful attention to ourselves we can bring awareness to our own experiences of discomfort and suffering. By taking time to listen mindfully to these experiences, we can invite understanding of our own suffering, and with understanding we discover that we can also understand the suffering of other people, of society, of our ancestors, and of our planet. When we listen and develop understanding in this way we help love and compassion to arise, and when compassion arises we in turn suffer less right away.
We may not like to listen to our own pain, but the practice of doing so allows the chance for self compassion to unfold. When we sit and listen with awareness we can greet our suffering kindly: “My dear pain and sorrow- I know you are there and I embrace you” (Thich Nhat Hanh). When compassion arises, transformation takes place:- with self compassion we can better take care of ourselves; with compassion we show empathy to those around us; we tune-in to our sense of altruism, lending our support and care to others both near and far. One precious gift we can offer each other is our presence; being in the here and the now with another person, deeply listening to one another with care and compassion.
When we are mindfully present we can treat ourselves with respect and kindness, and compassionately we can extend the same treatment to those around us.
Here you can find resources and mindfulness practices that talk about compassion, towards yourself and others.
Grade 6 - Grade 12 Where Does Compassion Really Come From? By Happify Loving Kindness Meditation for Self Compassion By Memorial Hermann |
Staff and Parent Personal Practice Compassionate Mess (Self Compassion) By Move Mindfully By Joy Reynolds |
Kindly, The Mindfulness Team Susie, Lola, Indira
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