Expert Guidance Compassion and Awareness

Compassion and Awareness

When we’re present, free from judgment, we uncover two different qualities that are also one and the same.

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Since you've been meditating a little while now, you may well have experienced a quiet mind at some stage. But have you ever wondered why that quiet mind feels so good? Perhaps it even feels warm, kind in some way. It's helpful to remember that in meditation we say that awareness and compassion are actually one in the same thing. The best analogy, or the easiest way to think about this, is to consider the sun. Let's say that the sun is awareness. It provides us with light, enabling us to see more clearly, and thereby changing our perspective. At the same time though, the sun also has the undeniable quality of warmth. This warmth could be said to be the warmth of a compassionate and open mind. So when the sun shines, we have both the light and warmth. Sure, they're different qualities, and yet they're not separate. In the same way, when we're present, free from judgment in our meditation, we're uncovering both awareness and compassion at the same time. Because ultimately, they're one in the same thing....

Details

TypeExpert Guidance

Duration1 min

About your teachers

A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.
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Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.
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As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.
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Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.
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Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.
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