Compassion

During a hike at a  nearby reservoir yesterday afternoon, we saw smoke in the hills but didn´t pay a lot of attention.  In the evening, Facebook was already full of reports of a fire that spread rapidly. Somehow the whole thing still felt far away and unrealistic. At 9 pm, a yoga teacher
reached out per email in need of help. She needed her classes covered because her house might get evacuated.
She has a husband, 3 kids, and 6 dogs.
So far 300 houses got evacuated.

Today we went on a hike. As we left in the early morning, we could smell the smoke while driving up the Canyon. Up on the mountaintop, the fire looked small, but after the hike, as we stopped to get lunch in a town nearby, we noticed that the smoke had grown into a dense dark cloud. Helicopters and even airplanes flew forth and back between reservoirs and the fire. I probably do not need to describe how we felt when suddenly two cars with booming music stopped right in front of the small terrace where we had our lunch. Three ladies got out and started to yell and dance for whatever reason. It felt so out of place, so ignorant. Didn´t they notice what was going on? They didn´t eve show a single sign of being moved by what was happening.

On our ride home, I couldn´t help myself but think about what I just had seen. It took me a while to reflect on it but I finally found my answer:
Moments like these happen every day all around the world. It happens every hour, every minute, ... While some celebrate, others are experiencing a severe blow. Somewhere someone wins the lottery, elsewhere someone loses his house. A child is born during the same time someone has to say a final good-bye to a loved one.
Does this mean that we should remind ourselves constantly that somewhere in this world someone suffers right at this moment? Shall we stop to celebrate, to laugh, to live joyfully when we feel like it? Probably not.
Life is a constant interplay of ups and downs, winning and losing, laughter and tears.
As I thought about it, I remembered a practice that I use once in a while to start my Yoga classes:

I tell my students to close their eyes and simply observe how they feel in the present moment. I ask them to notice if they feel full of energy, lively, cheerful or if they experience a feeling of emptiness, maybe even exhaustion. For some of them, it´s the first time of consciously tuning in with how they feel during their day. Then I ask them to widen their perception, include the people around them and make a conscious choice based on how they feel:
Who feels full of energy starts to focus on the exhalation and shares a little bit of any supporting quality (love, peace, trust, happiness,...) with the people around him. Who feels tired and empty focuses on the inspiration and starts to breathe in energy and any quality that serves them.
This exercise seems very simple, but it has so much to offer. For some students, it´s the first time of consciously tuning in with how they feel, the first time of finding presence in the moment. And once the start to spread their awareness and connect with the people around them, they make a choice. They decide, based on their sense of self, if they have something to offer, or if it´s time to allow themselves to receive.

The point is not to feel bad because the person next to you might undergo a difficult time. The point is to be aware of it and to act upon.

These days, some people will probably lose their livelihood in the raging fire. To take on their suffering and fear won´t help anyone. For me, compassion, in any form whatsoever, seems like the only way we can support them. And compassion can have countless faces. There are pilots out there flying their helicopters and airplanes 24/7, neighbors and friends offer a helping hand or accommodation. People are sending thoughts and prayers to those who need them those days.
Compassion has so many forms and finds countless ways to support. I think that´s what we have to trust in.


"Use your voice for kindness, your ears for compassion, your hands for charity, your mind for truth, and your heart for Love." unknown