Compassion At The Source

Our divine spark, a piece of the extraordinary lies deep in the core of our being. At our conception, the winds of Ruah blow gently on this ember. With each successive puff is glows brighter, becomes more alive. Ruah, the great animator, gifts each of us with wisps of compassion. We wake to the knowing that were born with the ability to be compassionate presence. Sometimes we just forget.

The world is a hard place. It is tough not to lose sight of our open flame of compassion when we are being battered by the gale force winds of suffering. It is equally difficult to believe that those winds have not extinguished the flame. But, no matter how much that spark may appear to be diminished, we never totally lose the glow of compassion’s presence. It waits right where we left it — in the center of our being. This place of compassionate presence can be accessed through our breath.

Our breath is powerful. Through it we ground deeply in the present moment. Our breath guides us to compassion’s transponder. In this place we can hear the ping of compassion given and received. Through the breath we become alive to the soothing nature of this fiery source.
Andy Caponigo in The Miracle of the Breath writes about the “breath behind the breath.” The energy behind the breath is Ruah, the part of the sacred that travels with us in every moment. Every thought, word, and action we share is tinged with it.  On the winds of Ruah ride divine compassion, the originator of all compassion. Our compassion echoes in its fiery kiss. Each time we share compassion with our self and others, we strengthen our connection to this sacred force. 

Our compassion is not some magical affair nor is our connection to the sacred magical. It is what connects us to the extraordinary that exists in the mundane world. Through conscious breathing, we connect with the extraordinary. Try this:

Gentle your breathing…follow it as it flows in and out of your body…feel the rhythm of your breath as it connects with the air around you…notice your exchange…sharing a part of yourself…taking in particles of the air around you…look closely with the eye of your heart…see the twinkling of small iridescent flames of compassion…breath them in…watch as they flow through your being intuitively drawn to your spark of compassion…the twinkles draw closer and closer…feel their gentle caress…feel the puffs of Ruah…the fiery, etheric embrace of compassion surrounds you…your compassion flares as it reaches out to Ruah…recognize the kindred spirit…allow your mind to wander…to be drawn to the compassionate acts given…to embrace the compassionate acts received…to those acts you may not have named as compassionate…remember in gratitude…continue to breathe compassion as you return to your daily life…

The gift of compassion is not a special occurrence. The potential to receive compassion exists in every moment, with each breath. From birth to beyond compassion is our constant companion whether we are aware or not.

Vanessa is Compassion Officer at Intent & Action.  She is an Intuitive Coach, Community Builder, and Author of Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action.
More from Vanessa: www.intentandaction.com