“We are all different. Don’t judge, understand instead.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Weekly Focus: Compassion
While with empathy we work to find the ability to understand and relate to another persons’s feelings or pain, compassion goes beyond to include the desire to help within those thoughts and feelings. Many of us have hidden pain, trauma, underlying hurdles that make “doing our best” a struggle, perhaps occasionally or daily. In turn, can we “do our best” to not only recognize these hidden pains but find the willingness to open our hearts and offer our help?
Align/Flow: Utthita Tadasana (5-Pointed Star Pose)
Utthita – extended, Tadasana – Mountain Pose. In Star Pose we literally extend our Mountain Pose. Stepping the feet 3-4 feet apart, arms reach overhead and away from each other. Let this pose stretch the chest, the armpits and your compassion! This is often a pass-through pose — what happens if we ground ourselves here and breathe for several breaths. Feel your feet connected to the floor as you lift the body out of the hips. With a firm connection to the earth, we can expand ourselves outwards and take up space!
Stretch/Restore: Prasarita Padottanasana (Standing Wide-Legged Fold)
Prasarita – expand, Padottanasana – intense foot pose. Step legs 3-4 feet apart, fold forward with hands towards the ground. A natural transition from your 5-Pointed Star Pose, it can be lovely to create a mini flow from standing to fold. As you fold forward into this stance, take a full inhale, and use your long exhale to help you extend your spine forward as you fold. This extension helps create length in the spine and space to fold deeper. Bow forward in honor of yourself, bow forward in honor of others, and bow forward to offer your help where it is needed.