Today marks the beginning of the second week of the #ThrivingMindfully Self-Care Challenge, a four-week experience that invites you to practice and reflect on loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Did you miss the first week? Go here to learn about it. Feel free to start the challenge at any time!
Each week during the Self-Care Challenge, you are invited to watch a video and participate in an exercise that includes breathing exercises, reflection questions, and journaling. See the schedule below.
Week 1, December 4-10: Loving Kindness
Week 2, December 11-17: Compassion
Week 3, December 18-24: Joy
Week 4, December 25-31: Equanimity
Week 2 of #ThrivingMindfully Self-Care Challenge: December 11-17
Theme/Video: Compassion
Compassion or karuna is the act of never giving up on yourself as you recognize and accept that anger, jealousy, arrogance, judgment, and other emotions you prefer to keep hidden exist within you. When you are able to do this for yourself, two things happen. You are able to see the connection you share with others. You are also able to put yourself in their shoes which strengthens your capacity to have compassion for them. Compassion helps you never give up on yourself and others.
Invitation: Slow down and take three deep breaths. Touch your heart with one or both of your hands as you enter into a moment of stillness.
Take three more deep breaths. Right where you are repeat the first prayer out loud or silently three times: May I embody and express compassion for myself.
Take three more deep breaths and repeat the second prayer. May I have compassion for others.
Inhale deeply and as you exhale thank yourself for showing up in the stillness.
Reflection Questions and Journaling Exercise: Take some time this week to reflect on and journal about one or more of the questions below.
- What does compassion mean?
- What does self-compassion look like in your life?
- What prevents you from embodying and expressing self-compassion? and compassion for others?
- What do you want your self-compassion and compassion for others to look like in 2018?
- How can you add more compassionate moments into your daily, weekly, and monthly routines?
Ananda Leeke 