Karuna - Compassion

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. 
~Dalai Lama

I would have to say my cat practiced compassion in letting the squirrel eat his food while he sat by and watched ;)

I would also say I practiced compassion this morning when my body decided it wanted an extra hour of sleep, a salt water gargle and a honey lemon tea to soothe a sore throat and what could have turned into something more had I pushed myself to go to the yoga class I had planned on attending. My friend practiced compassion in understanding and being open to me visiting with her later in the day when I felt more up to it. She's a fellow yoga teacher and I love her.

Compassion is definitely a practice. Like yoga. The mat can be a great place to practice both. Meaning "co-suffering," there is love in compassion. Not that we literally suffer with another (although perhaps in some way), but that we feel empathy for their suffering and wish to alleviate it in some way. Sometimes that is in simply being with them in their suffering until they alleviate it. Same goes for ourselves. I find compassion for myself by giving myself room to heal, rest, breathe, experience, feel and live... all the while being there for myself. Compassion for another would be holding that same space for them. So, though I may want to alleviate their suffering, in certain instances it is only them who can truly do so and be empowered in that doing. I feel that holding a space for that is often the best that I can offer rather than thinking I know what is best for them or how to alleviate their suffering. Of course, if it were someone needing to be fed or there was something I could share that would benefit them or they simply needed someone to listen to them, I could offer  that with compassion as well.  


It seems we all suffer at some time or another in our lives (sometimes by our own hands or mind) and so the more I find or practice compassion for myself, the more I can find or practice it for another and vice versa. 


How would you practice compassion for yourself or another?


Core asset... compassion and knowing the difference between that and care-taking in a way that takes someones power or acts as if they don't have the capacity to care for themselves (unless they actually don't).