The Beauty in Compassion
Practicing Compassion
Compassion is an emotion. It is practiced when you share another person's suffering and then have the desire to alleviate it.
When you practice compassion, you will notice improved relationships, a clearer mind and intuition, experience less anxiety and depression, and your body, mind, and spirit will also greatly benefit.
By practicing compassion, your body not only produces less cortisol (stress hormones) which dramatically counteracts the signs of aging but also provides a very important emotional and spiritual benefit; happiness.
When you are happy, those around you become happier, and an outward spiral of happiness is set in motion.
Begin with intention. Start your morning with a ritual that sets the intention to practice compassion. This can be done by saying aloud, writing down or meditating on your intention.
Practicing self-love, appreciation and compassion. Tap into your nurturing inner voice and leave the judgemental one behind. By practicing self-love and compassion you will become better aligned with and appreciate who you are.
Be Present. Be aware and present with everyone you encounter. When in conversation, read the other person's body language, tone of voice, and listen to what they are saying and make eye contact.
Notice similarities in others. We are all living, breathing and having a human experience, and therefore we are rooted in the same needs. We all need food, shelter, love, attention, recognition, affection, and happiness. Set aside the differences you have with others and instead recognize what similarities you have.
Practice empathy and relieving others of suffering. These two must be practiced in order to develop compassion. Empathy is our ability to feel the emotions of another. To practice this, envision and feel the suffering that someone else is going through. It doesn't matter if it is a loved one, friend or stranger, just imagine it with as much detail as possible. Once empathy is felt, you can practice relieving them of suffering. To practice this, open your heart to that person by reflecting on how deeply you wish their suffering to end.
Act of kindness. Do something kind to heal the suffering of another. It can be as simple as a smile, a kind word or gesture, listening to another with your full attention, holding a door open for someone or helping to lift or carry something. Big or small, acts of kindness are so very important in this world.
End with Reflection. In the evening, reflect on how you met your morning's intention.
These practices can be performed throughout life, any time and anywhere. By practicing compassion we can bring more joy, happiness, and beauty to this world.
How have you experienced compassion? Leave your comment below!