What if every decision you made came from compassion? What is compassion?
Definition:
Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.
Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. While empathy refers more generally to our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help. Altruism, in turn, is the kind, selfless behavior often prompted by feelings of compassion, though one can feel compassion without acting on it, and altruism isn’t always motivated by compassion.
While cynics may dismiss compassion as touchy-feely or irrational, scientists have started to map the biological basis of compassion, suggesting its deep evolutionary purpose. This research has shown that when we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the “bonding hormone” oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care for other people.
Does compassion always extend to people? The answer is no- it extends to every aspect of Mother Earth including the food we eat. When food is ethically sourced and animals are treated with dignity they have good positive vibrations. When we eat this food we absorb those vibrations. By the same right, when plants and animals are treated with disrespect and a lack of love and ethics, the vibrations are very negative which we also absorb. Most of us never consider how our food is sourced which can have very detrimental to our health- physically as well as emotionally.
I challenges all of you to eat clean and ethical for 2 weeks. Find out where your food comes from and how it is raised- plant or animal. At Cuisine for Healing we take this very seriously because there is only one Mother earth and we want to cherish this planet and all its inhabitants.
Happy Healthy Eating! Dana
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/compassion/definition
