Let’s Talk About Compassion

Have you noticed that compassion seems to be lacking in the world today?  Yes, certain people have compassion.  In a wide sweep of the population on Earth, however, there seems to be little compassion for fellow humans.  We have more compassion and more energy for saving/rescuing/feeding animals.

This picture – compassion and caring – comes from www.proteuscoven.org

  

 

 

 

Lisa Beachy (www.lisabeachy.com) sent out her weekly angel message quite a while ago.  It was:

"Dearest friend, Living in compassion with those that you share this physical experience with is so key to your spiritual growth.  Compassion for their fear, compassion for the way they view certain issues and compassion for how they formed their beliefs in the first place. Compassion is needed from you for their decisions and the ability to give that compassion without judgement. Compassion for others, as well as YOURSELF will walk you further down your spiritual path quicker than any book or class.  - With Love, The Angels "

It was Lisa’s message that set me thinking about this issue of compassion and whether we feel it or not. At www.thefreedictionary.com, compassion is defined as “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.”  Often, with people close to us, we do not see their suffering as truly suffering because we compare it to other things like a starving child in Africa, or being a street person at –30 C, or living in the slums of India.  What we are doing then, is making a judgement about the degree of suffering that the other person is doing.  If we do not think that they are really suffering, we have little compassion for them.  Sometimes we simply see them in the role of “victim”, and sometimes we have little patience for that. 

The Angels’ message is quite timely for me.  I have been wrestling with how to work with a friend who keeps expressing how much they are suffering, and yet I do not see it. I realise from Lisa’s message that I simply have to hold space for that person, and let them have their experience, whether it seems significant to me, or not.  And, in my compassion, I need to hold a space for my self, to let me work out my judgements around what I observe in others.

I am grateful for Lisa’s message.  I had an “aha” moment.  May you feel the truth of this message as well.

Blessings,

Judy

Purification

 

Sacred Geometry Purification Mandela from www.freewebs.com/body-n-soul/

 

Today, when I started my meditation, the word that popped up for consideration was “purification”.  I thought that the word was an odd one to show up just before two sessions with clients.  I asked my guides and Great Spirit for clarification.  Nothing!  I looked up the meaning at Merriam-Webster online, and found this definition of purify.

Main Entry: pu·ri·fy  Pronunciation: \ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī\  Function: verb   Inflected Form(s): pu·ri·fied; pu·ri·fy·ing  Etymology: Middle English purifien, from Anglo-French purifier, from Latin purificare, from Latin purus + -ificare –ify  Date: 14th century

transitive verb : to make pure: as a : to clear from material defilement or imperfection b : to free from guilt or moral or ceremonial blemish c : to free from undesirable elements intransitive verb : to grow or become pure or clean 

I read the definition and I still did not get it.  So, I went and did my two sessions, and then came back to the puzzle of the word.  I then had an “Aha!” moment.  In both sessions, one of the issues was around being angry at a situation, or a person, or at life, and then feeling guilty about feeling angry.  The guilt then played on the person’s mind, and caused a moral dilemma. Cognitive dissonance (meaning - psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously) resulted as the person struggled with past teachings and current behaviour.  The outcome is illness.

I realized the synchronicity of the word “purification” in this situation because of what we know about contaminated water.  

 

Picture of Brita water filter jug from www.dealseekingmom.com

 

 

When we drink water that is contaminated, whether that be by fertilizer, pesticides, manufacturing sludge run off, or even a dead animal, we will more than likely become ill. To avoid that outcome, we work very hard to ensure our water is pure.  

We also need to take those same actions in our daily life, and purify our minds.  If we continue to let harmful thoughts build up, they create a toxic environment in our body, similar to if we had been drinking toxic water, or eating toxic food.   

Let go of all of the negative things that you have heard and that you have said.  Wipe it clean, as though you were cleaning a window. Let it go!  Purify!

Blessings,

Judy

Relaxing by Stressing

Meditation picture from www.ehow.com

 

 

 

One of the things that I have learned about meditation is – there are many more ways to meditate than one could practice in this lifetime.  I quite enjoy the Buddhist meditations.  Here is one that I thought would be a good one for these times that seem to be creating a lot of stress for people.

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RELAXING BY STRESSING 

A very effective method to relax the body by stressing all the muscles, holding that 5 to 10 seconds, and then releasing the tension.

1.  Sit or lie in a relaxed way.  
2.  Put an extremely tense expression on the face, straining as many face muscles as possible. (If you practise Yoga, then you might use the Lion’s Pose here.)

3. Take a deep breath and forcefully hold it. (Use a count of three to start with, and then, as you practice, increase the count for holding the breath to ten.)  
4. Now slowly release the breath and the tension of all the face muscles, feel as if you breathe out all stress.  
5.  Inhale deeply again and stress all neck and shoulder muscles, and then let go. (If you feel slightly dizzy, simply keep breathing until the feeling passes.)  
6. Inhale, make fists and stress the arms, and then let go.  
7.  Inhale, stress chest, belly and back and then let go. 

8.  Inhale, stress buttocks, legs and feet and then let go.  
9.  If you still feel tension at some places, just stay relaxed. Don't hold the breath now and slowly breath out, and release all the tension while breathing out. 

Now, sit in this moment of relaxation, and ask your body to enjoy the feeling, and to remember the feeling, so that your body can recall it at will. Note that this will take some practice.  

Let me know how this meditation worked for you! 

Blessings,

Judy