Compassion & Mindfulness
Compassion is not about being soft or too easy on someone.
It’s not about crying at anything that is touching.
It’s not just empathy.
Compassion is having a level of understanding AND feeling moved to help in some way.
Compassion comes from being aware; Becoming more aware of your body sensations, emotional reactions, and thoughts.
With awareness comes choice. When we don’t have choices, we feel stuck.
Our work together can help access the compassion inside you to help you determine what’s most important to you and move you toward a life that follows those values.
Compassion is what is needed during turbulent times. It helps us find common humanity and connect with what is important to us.
The most powerful and effective way to access awareness is through Mindfulness.
Compassion is what is needed during turbulent times. It helps us find common humanity and connect with what is important to us.
Mindfulness is a way to understand yourself better. Even if you think you know yourself inside and out-- there is always more to learn.
Mindfulness is being present:
Present for your life,
Present for your loved ones,
Present for amazing moments,
and present for challenging moments.
This last one becomes easier when you practice being present during more enjoyable moments. While distraction and staying active is one way to keep difficult emotions and thoughts at a distance, it may not always work--and it definitely won’t last forever. Mindfulness is one way to manage these difficulties.
If you find it hard or even impossible to be quiet with your thoughts and emotions, then mindfulness needs to be a skill you learn. With mindfulness, unwanted emotions and thoughts lose their power over you.
With mindfulness, unwanted emotions and thoughts lose their power over you.
Mindfulness is not a form of distraction; it’s not just another coping skill to keep unwanted things away. It is a skill in practicing how to NOT respond to unwanted thoughts, emotions, or body sensations. If we can’t get rid of something, we need to learn to live with it—befriend it, in a way—so it does not affect us in unhelpful ways. We can allow difficulties to remain without putting as much energy into them.
It is possible to have unwanted thoughts, emotions, and/or body sensations without them telling you what to do! Take back control over your life!
Resources
Compassion It: Meditations
Sara Schairer recorded the following meditation practices. They aim to help you be more mindful, to expand your circle of compassion, and to remember that you, too, deserve compassion.What is Self-Compassion?
Article and Video by Dr. Kristin Neff.Mindfulness Meditation Audio Guides from UCLA (Scroll down or get app, multiple languages)
See how mindfulness helps you live in the moment.Military Meditation Coach Podcast
First several mindfulness episodes by Dr. Genelle Weits.3-Minute Breathing Space
A short breathing space meditation exercise lead by Dr. Genelle Weits.
Recommended Books
Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition)
By Jon Kabat-Zinn. Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and IllnessWherever you go, there you are : mindfulness meditation in everyday life
by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Free download, borrow, and streaming