Imagine you are walking in the woods and you see a small dog sitting by a tree.
As you approach it, it suddenly lunges at you, teeth bared. You are frightened and angry. But then you notice that one of its legs is caught in a trap.
Immediately your mood shifts from anger to concern: You see that the dog’s aggression is coming from a place of vulnerability and pain. This applies to all of us.
When we behave in hurtful ways, it is because we are caught in some kind of trap. The more we look through the eyes of wisdom at ourselves and one another, the more we cultivate a compassionate heart.
– Tara Brach

It seems like there’s an awful lot going on in the world at the moment. Whether we are directly affected by war, floods, poverty & other heavy happenings or not – we can feel it in the collective consciousness – we are not an island. So the idea shared in the story above about cultivating a compassionate heart is vital. Compassion for ourselves and all other beings.

Broadening our understanding and ability to see beyond surface behaviours and reactive states of others helps us to navigate our way through challenge with greater confidence, ease & flow. When we learn (through our practice) t0 keep our centre & loosen our tendency to be so judgmental, we are able to act with greater levels of clarity, wisdom & strength.

Our contribution to creating lasting peace & equity in our world, communities, and families has to start through cultivating our own inner peace. We nurture a compassionate heart through meditation and then being of service to others in a myriad of different ways…

Love
Cass & Marcus