compassion

Let’s not pretend that there are not hard times.
Let’s be real that we all go through them, are going through them, and will go through them again.

Sandalwood, to me, smells like the inside of a temple, like deep meditation, like prayer. It is the scent of a third eye chakra open and aware, peering into the cave of darkness to access wealths of insight and divine inspiration.

This is an article on non-medicinal ways to combat the symptoms of depression and anxiety.  As always, if you’re having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (in the U.S.), or your local mental health hotline.

I was three years old the first time I sat upon a horse and five years old when I was given a pony of my own. Rosa, a miniature pony/Shetland cross was eager to please as I learned to brush her mane, curry her soft sides, and pick her hooves. I loved caring for her, and especially loved getting to ride her in the riding arena or along the dirt track at our farm. It turns out that I wasn’t just having a good time, but actually receiving benefits that have likely lasted into adulthood. Have you ever wondered why anyone would sit upon a horse?

If you’ve recently spent any times traveling on planes and through airports, you might have seen dogs lying at their owner’s feet, secured with little more than a leash and a vest reading “Therapy Animal.” Therapy Animals have become popular in recent years: pigs at the San Francisco International Airport, 

The other week I posted a news story on Facebook with commentary that I have compassion for robbers and the robbed, and was met with so much vitriol it astounded me. People I didn’t know called me a moron (and worse), told me to get off of Facebook, and more. What I heard over and over again was, “I’m poor and I’ve never robbed anyone.” That’s great! I’m glad there are poor people that don’t rob others. Keep not robbing.

I would say the prevailing sentiment for me right now is disillusionment. I’m seeing things as they are, not how I’d like them to be. I read an article the other day about the presence of white supremacists growing faster on twitter than ISIS. The number of accounts has grown by 600 percent since 2012. What’s interesting is instead of feeling scared, I feel relieved.

The Four Immeasurables may seem like insurmountable idealism, but don’t be fooled by your own ego. There are four easy ways to cultivate and nurture compassion, loving-kindness, sympathetic joy and equanimity.

In the past three years, I have moved several times. And as I settle in to each new space, I always end up adopting various plants to scatter around my place. I have always tended toward ivy or spider plants, since I can’t kill them easily, and most recently I have taken some new succulents under wing. For me, having plants is partially for the aesthetic; a little green in my living space is refreshing and reminds me of being in nature, a place I enjoy very much. However, keeping indoor plants has just as many physical benefits as it does psychological.

The primary definition of jealousy is “an unhappy or angry feeling of wanting to have what someone else has.” This cannot be a good thing, right? As by definition, it means you are harboring three negative energy emotions in your vibration, often for an extended period. What good could come of something such as anger, unhappiness, and resentment?

Well, nothing and everything. There’s also a second definition of jealousy, which we’ll get to shortly.