January 2021
Happy New Year to each of you,
Already this year has shown us how much compassion must be involved in the unfolding of 2021. Among the many doors to compassion that await our opening, there are the thousands of persons continuing to be infected and die from Covid-19 along with the grief of those who are missing them, and the country’s political dismay and division that continues to seethe and will not quickly be healed. Thank you for your compassionate presence and the loving kindness you bring into each day.
Joyce
and now for the news….
The Boundless Compassion Journal
Today I received word that the book “has just arrived in the warehouse.” It is scheduled for release on Feb. 5th. The journal can be used for personal or group use. Please think about this as a resource for Lent, both because of the six-week format and the topic of compassion—a component of spiritual transformation. Please encourage using the journal for those who’ve been with you for study groups, Circles of Compassion, church faith sharing groups, etc. and any staff you might know (such as Hospice, social workers, etc.) who would benefit from using this as a reflection tool.
Events
BCF Zoom First Circle of Compassion
Thursday, Feb 18, 2021 5 – 6 PM PST (8-9 PM EST)
Mark your calendars! All BCF’s are invited to join Wendy Mospan & Colleen Shepard who are coordinating and leading the first facilitators’ Circle of Compassion. This informal one-hour Zoom will include a self-compassion meditation, a brief presentation on one aspect of compassion, and time for personal sharing. No advance preparation is needed – please just come as you are! The plan is to gather quarterly, and rotate the brief compassion presentation time each quarter among interested group members.
Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 856 1944 0669 Passcode: 747432
Please RSVP to Colleen Shepard
Cultivating Compassion: Four Spiritual Qualities
Feb. 24; March 3, 10 and 17
Virtual Series: Wednesdays
9:00 – 10:00 am CST
Facilitators:
Mary Ann Anichini and Wendy Mospan
Information/Registration
Yoga Classes and Compassion
For those who practice or teach Yoga… encouragement and some ideas from Heather Smith in San Diego ([email protected])
“I took the plunge last May and started to learn Zoom… I’ve been teaching yoga classes online ever since and what a blessing it has been. The month of July was especially meaningful as I used the Seeds of Compassion as my themes each week. I used various quotes and meditations to supplement our asana practice. This fall I’ve also used some BCF materials for self-compassion and compassion for creation to supplement my yoga teachings. I’m looking forward to and hopeful for what 2021 will bring. Many of the students who attend my classes are seniors and we’ve built a little community that cares deeply for one another. Not only are we caring for our bodies but our souls are deeply enriched as well. I’m considering hosting mini “workshops” this coming year incorporating the Boundless Compassion teachings and yoga.”
Website additions
New events for 2021 by BCF have been posted under Events 2021 on the homepage. (On the BCF section of the website “BCF Resources”)
(1) BCF Programs
Contemplative Retreat: A Day of Silence and Renewal
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM An outline and guidelines for this type of day.
You can locate this under BCF Resources/BCF programs/ Contemplative Living)
(2) Annotated Bibliography (Two additions)
Awakening Compassion at Work – The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations. Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton, 2017. (Reviewed by Core Team member, Kevin Pokorny; a shorter version is on the website biblio. Because there are so few resources connecting work/compassion, the complete review below may be helpful for gaining further insights into this area.)
Even if we know that people suffer, should businesses or work organizations care?”
This quote from Awakening Compassion at Work presents a provocative question posed by the author. Professor Paul Gilbert at Derby University describes compassion as “being sensitive to the suffering of self and others with a deep commitment to try to prevent or relieve it.” Compassion for a person’s suffering makes no distinction whether it is from outside work or work itself. The experience of suffering in the workplace is mostly responded to by silence from co-workers, managers and executives. How often are people told to not bring their personal troubles to work?
Work itself gives rise to suffering through downsizing, constant change, dysfunctional work teams, unreasonable workloads, and meaningless work. The authors research identified a number of workplace sources of suffering, which include: Lack of appreciation for one’s talents and skills; Being at the whim of supervisors who didn’t understand the difficulties of their work; Pressure of unreasonable deadlines and demands; Feeling consistently devalued and disengaged when they wanted their work to be meaningful.
Over my 29 years of consulting, I’ve heard all these sources of suffering from employees and managers. At times, they would plead with me to make their voices heard to upper management because their voices were either met with disdain, disregard, or silence. Their workplace suffering is then carried home where there is more suffering.
Questions for your consideration:
Why does compassion at work really matter?
How does one lead with compassion?
What does compassion look like in your work culture?
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, Resmaa Menakem. Central Recovery Press, 2017.
(Brought to my attention by Core Team member, Erin Matteson)
Robin Diangelo, author of White Fragility describes the focus and content of Menakem’s significant book on systemic racism: “The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee or freeze. (This book) is a call to action for Americans to recognize that racism is not only about the head, but also about the body. Menakem introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide and takes readers through a step-by-step healing process based on the latest neuroscience and somatic healing methods.” What makes this book especially insightful and helpful is the author’s recognition that trauma resides in the cells of our bodies. If we are ever to move beyond systemic racism we must tend the trauma in the physical bodies of all Americans whose history shows that each one carries generational trauma related to racism.
Resources
TED Talks
“A Strategy for Supporting and Listening to Others”, Jeremy Brewer. Dec. 11, 2020. An honest and moving talk by a policeman—he relates how he learned to be a compassionate presence with a personal story. (This would be an excellent video to use with any compassion program, whether a study group, circle of compassion, workshop, or retreat. It is 7 minutes and it’s very doable for getting across what it means to be a compassionate presence and the vulnerability it requires.)
“Three Ways Companies Can Support grieving employees”, Tilak Mandadi. The 19 year old daughter of Tilak Mandadi, a CEO, was sexually assaulted and murdered. Mandadi speaks of his deep grief and what did and did not help him with his grief as he went back to work. (This could be a resource for any BCF connected to organizations with employees grieving from loss—this provides a vulnerable presentation regarding the need for empathy and a listening presence. A good discussion starter for a Circle of Compassion or for the “Compassionate Presence” section of the BC four day retreat.)
Other Videos
“This is What Was Bequeathed to us.” A poem read by Gregory Orr – so much is presented within the space of two minutes. An opener for Compassion for Creation
“Kindness” – the poem is read by the author Naomi Shihab Nye. I find the graphics distracting instead of helpful but you could play as audio.
To My People: An Ode to Humanity /Empty Hands Music written by Nimo
So good to remember the joy and beauty in people.
Heal Us Now: Yom Kippur at Congregation Micah, Could accompany any aspect of grief and suffering. The complete service is also available.
Song: “My Heart is Full” by Norah Jones (Acknowledges brokenness and ends with the hope of being able to be with it in an active, healing way)
Advertising Book Studies
I will gladly post on my website any book studies by BCF. However, you must send the information in the exact format below. (I will not be taking the extra time to rearrange the information.)
Boundless Compassion Book Study
the location and if online
dates and time (including the time zone)
name of host
contact information (email, website, phone, etc)
(I do not post fees for events on the website. This information is found upon contacting the facilitator of the book study.)
It is in finding the courage to utter the first word of truth in public that takes all the strength we can muster. It is learning to say, quietly, unequivocally, “I think differently about that,” and then explain why. It is stepping up to the issue and claiming the right to think differently about it that turns heads and opens hearts. It in not an attack on anyone; it is simply a declaration that there is something missing in the God-life we claim to live. It is the call to consciousness and conscience.
The Time is Now, Joan Chittister
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Here is how you can locate BCF files: www.joycerupp.com
Boundless Compassion Facilitators, click on this and log in.
Go to: BCF Resources and click on it; this takes you to: BCF Programs
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When we stand on the high ridge of respect, we express the best of the human heart. We can free others and ourselves from inner and outer oppression, while nourishing the roots of civility, safety, and sanity. We can look deeply into things and beings as they are, with all their virtues and failings, and hold them with compassion and insight.
(Standing at the Edge, Joan Halifax)
