Love and Compassion

It’s easy to forget to feel love and compassion, especially for yourself. I went to a free wellness circle today in Austin where you sit in a circle of strangers with your eyes closed as paper-thin needles are inserted into your ears (it’s called NADA – a non-verbal way to deal with emotional trauma, stress and conflict, and often used for addiction). After meditating for about 45 minutes or so, I found myself drop into a deep space of love and compassion for myself. Earlier I had felt pulled in many directions, going into the familiar pattern of self-flagellation, or beating myself up for not doing or saying x, y, or z. The familiar tug of shame and guilt. As we went around the circle, a few others in the group remarked that they, too, had been too hard on themselves as of late, and when we left, when the circle was no longer intact, I felt immense gratitude. To know that you’re not alone, to know that others struggle with what you struggle with, is truly a gift.