compassion as a path to relaxation

While our brain's interpretation of sensation may be fooled into perceiving seperateness, there is a part of our being that knows and can sense that everything is interconnected and moving in relation to everything else. We may not always be aware of the interconnection between everything in the universe, but we have this wisdom inside of us.

"Wisdom by itself is not enough. Compassion by itself is not enough. You have to have both." - author unknown

One way to develop awareness of this interconnection is to develop the skill of compassion. Compassion involves the willingness to feel pain and fear, to move beyond it to a state of wholeness. When you practice generating compassion, you can expect to feel discomfort.

"When your fear touches someone's pain, it becomes pity. When your love touches someone's pain, it becomes compassion." - Stephen Levine

Compassion practice involves learning to relax and allow yourself to move gently towards what scares you. The trick is to stay with the emotional distress without judging or resisting it. Let the fear and discomfort soften rather than harden you.

"The mind which is in the heart" is the source of all compassion

By developing compassion first for yourself, and then for others, you become more able to sense the interconnection between all living things on the planet. Through compassion you develop the capacity to be open to difference and things outside of your control because you no longer need to avoid things which make you fearful or uncomfortable.

When you are no longer using your energy to avoid fear or discomfort, you are free to relax deeply and enjoy life fully.