Compassion’s Circle is a series of guided meditations created to ignite your spark of compassion. Developed and produced by Vanessa F. Hurst, ms. In additional to the guided meditation, Circles include a group compassion activity and a takeaway compassion tool. For more information, Contact Vanessa F Hurst.
So, how do we make compassion our lived experience? (By lived experience, I mean that each of us expresses compassion in our own unique way — in our actions.) How do we connect our intent to be compassionate with our actions? How do we weave our intent with the intents of others to form a compassionate community? Both our personal lived experience and the collective lived experience begins with awareness of the power of our freedom. The spark of our compassion powers our freedom to choose, to respond, and to change not just our self but others as well.
Questions for the Circle (or for yourself!):
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- How were you able to befriend your suffering?
- How did the suffering shift as you began to let it go?
- How do you view the situation at the root of your suffering differently?
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Compassion in Community
Every morning when we wake, we begin anew. We are filled with the power of choice. We can start our day without purpose, assume unconscious intent, or we can spend a few moment acknowledging our intent for the day. Those first moments have the potential to impact not only our days but also the days of those we connect with.
Spend a few moments reflecting upon your personal individual intent. (aim, purpose)
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- Name your intent and how it informs your lived experience.
- What is your vision of the intent (aim, purpose) of this community?
- How does your intent weave into the intent of this community?
- What is the intent of your community?
- How does this intent inform your community choice of respond?
- How would you change the process of choice to make responds more compassionate?
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Compassion in Community Action
Identify a circumstance in your community or in the greater community that causes harm. Brainstorm together how your intent to alleviate that suffering could become compassionate action. Remember small acts often have ongoing impact.
How can community members initiate this project? Please note: this is your lived experience. Your bridge of intent and action is limited only by what you feel you are able to accomplish as part of your individual and communal lived experience.)