With each chapter we will study an aspect of the concept of compassion. Some chapters will help you rethink negative influences, whatever is drawing you away from joy. Other chapters will help you learn more about what is drawing you closer to joy. The chapters are intended to be studied for approximately one month. We will pull out a small idea to work on for the month. Small changes can be quite dramatic. In an article in Yoga International, Jon Kabit-Zinn wrote about the “Butterfly Effect”. He wrote, “It is said that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in China can trigger storm systems weeks later in New England. By the same token, small but profound shifts in the body or the mind can, over time, lead to profound healing.”
Awareness and Focus: This Chapter is free to anyone and can be done at any time. This unit is designed to help you begin to better understand the role compassion can play in your life. You will also work on designing a narrow focus for your program to simplify the work. Although the focus may be narrow, the growth you experience will affect every area of your life. Download for free!
Part One: Transforming the Negative
Anger: When we are disconnected from our compassionate nature, our negativity takes control of our lives. What is the evolution of our negativity and its most extreme expression, anger? You’ll spend the month becoming more aware of the stream of negativity. How can you access other options?
Fear: We all have fear in our lives. And, although fear can lead us to act in negative ways, it is much more dangerous when it is unconscious. Bringing it to our conscious mind helps diminish the negative hold it has on us.
Unmet Needs: Unmet needs leave us feeling drained and negative. Making them conscious helps us be able to consciously fill them.
Judgment/Self-Judgment: This chapter invites us to investigate the negative thoughts we have about others and ourselves. Often our worst form of judgment is turned back on ourselves. That hurts our spirit and affects how we show up in the world. How do you judge yourself? When we judge others, we limit our capacity for compassion by feeling that our ideas are the only acceptable ones and judge others for not conforming. How else can we see (or think we see)? (You can receive this Chapter separately. Order it here.)
People: The people we choose to have in our lives can greatly affect how we communicate, how we interact, and our overall outlook on life. Do all of the people in your life bring more joy and compassion to you? For those that do not, what can you do to ensure they do not bring your consciousness down when you are with them?
Eating: Food fits in with our study in compassion in a few ways. Food affects us. Some foods can affect whether we feel good. Do refined food products, sugars, caffeine, or alcohol affect your ability to express your compassion fully? Also, how we feel about what we are eating affects our level of joy. Judging our food choices can harm us more thant he food choices themselves.
Media: All forms of media affect us whether it is watching television, listening to the radio, reading the newspaper, going to the movies, or reading books. During this month you will focus on the effect of media in your own life.
Language/Choice of words: What words do you choose? We have many idioms that provoke negative thoughts. This month will be about being more mindful about your choice of words and becoming more conscious about how others’ words affect you.
Communication: Learning to communicate from the heart includes both listening and speaking from the heart. When we speak defensively or offensively, it shuts down the heart.
Part Three: Becoming Aware and Better Utilizing the Positive
Our personal spiritual practice: What do you do to help you feel connected to yourself and all life? Do you do anything? If you do practice something, does it come from fear or love? This month is focused on creating a practice to help you maintain more mindfulness on compassion in your life. Yoga, meditation, inspirational reading, even gardening or cooking can be used as long as it is done consciously as your work for connection.
Gratitude: Feeling grateful for all around you, seeing the miracles that abound is the ultimate way to open your heart even more.
Filling with love and Being present: Finally, we look at other ways to help you keep your consciousness around compassion. Do you know how to bring on a feeling of love consciously? Do you know how to practice being fully present and not feeling guilty about the past or anxious about the future?
