The Importance of Compassion

In our world today, people are often unkind to each other.  There is a lot of violence in our world, even in the Western world.  Often it is not physical violence, but the energy of fight, of combativeness.  Many people come from broken families with deep emotional wounds that have never been healed.  Most of us have these wounds even if we grew up with very loving families.  Everyone has experienced unkindness, being judged, and many have directly experienced physical violence.
How do we create a world where that no longer has to happen?  There will always be conflicts, but I believe that cruelty is unnecessary to solve problems.
The hurts that exist are there, and healing them can only come about by recognizing them and giving them unjudged space to be felt.  This quality - compassion - is so important for healing and for creating that better world.
It is what I want to bring to my work and what I want my practice to stand for.  To hold each person in compassion, whatever experiences have happened.  Wherever you are right now, this is where compassion happens.
To go with this intention in the world, for others, and for ourselves - I think this is the only way to create healing and the only way out of violence, both direct and subtle.
This is the power that holds all things, all emotional movements, all thoughts, stress, wounds and memories.  This is the power that allows all things to be without judgement, without trying to change them, just a simple recognition that what is, is.
It requires looking and not looking away.  It requires being with.
Healing begins when we see what is, without judgement or explanations.
In massage, this intention is far more powerful than touch itself.
A massage therapist who has unkind thoughts while giving a massage can cause harm instead of helping to heal.
However, when a massage therapist holds the intention of compassion in her touch, this can create more healing - to physically experience that compassion through touch in the body.  All trauma is stored in the body, and it can be greatly healing for the intention of compassion to hold old emotions directly through physical touch.
This is the essence of healing and massage.