Compassion does not allow for the projection of an outcome.
~ Shelley Adelle
As I study people and listen to the way they interact, as I work at dissecting their reaction, as I look to others from whom to mirror my personal development, I discover a belief in the Buddhist teaching of the Middle Path. At the heart of the middle path lies compassion.
COMPASSION AND THE MIDDLE PATH
Compassion exists in the sweet spot – The Middle Path – between a non-judgmental, rational understanding of a given situation and a fully present emotional investment in the situation. It allows a person to see things clearly without over-emphasizing either the rational or the emotional.
The sweet spot of The Middle Path also does not allow for the projection of a particular outcome. Thus, it is a place of self-compassion. It frees a person from the worry brought on by the “what-ifs” of projecting into the future.
COMPASSION AND MINDFULNESS
Once I am in a space of being totally present in a moment, and with the clarity that comes from a daily mediation practice, I find it particularly easy to slip into a frame of mind where Compassion is my default setting.
Mindfulness makes practicing compassion easy.
A life undertaken with too much emphasis on the rational mind creates an overblown Yang Nature, one that is sharp and unforgiving and unable to accommodate that which is Yin Nature. Yin nature is more subtle and malleable and that which is inherently emotional. Whether one is too far into Yang Nature or too far into Yin Nature, one can become imbalanced in their approach to life. This can render a person overwhelmed and reactive.
COMPASSION THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
I invite you to sit in meditation during this holiday season, a time of year in which we give thanks, and invite The Middle Path into your hearts. Pass the sides at your holiday table and see if you might find a way to make room for a cornucopia of acceptance and gratitude – red/blue, him/her, right/wrong, old/young – or any other divisions we’ve been conditioned to believe.
Instead breathe deep and see where we might all meet in the Middle with compassion.
With Love & Light!
Shelley
Yoga Teacher, Spiritual Enthusiast, Experimental Human: With a passion for Yoga and Energy work that is accessible Shelley brings joy to each class and encourages you to connect to the voice of the great teacher within! A former military brat, farm girl from Texas, soap store goddess & actress Shelley spent almost ten years in NYC where she studied with the top teachers in the industry including Shiva Rea, Dharma Mitra, Anna Forest, Jonathan Fields, Schuyler Grant, and many others. Currently residing in Florida, Shelley opened The Yoga Paogda as a physical studio and after seven years she closed the doors in order to travel teach and work with one on one clients. She co-founded the Treasure Coasts only LGBTQ+ Non-Profit (Vero Pride), has trained over sixty yoga teachers, is an artist, reiki practitioner, writer, blogger, lover of champange/dancing/exploring, & is on the Happiness Team for The Good Life Project. Follow her on IG, FB, Twitter: @shelleyadelle @yogapagodaconcierge #86bs #vinyasablend #sexyhallucination
