Day 4

Durga and Compassion

Empathy vs. Compassion

Often these two qualities are mixed up or believed to be the same, but there is a clear difference, which leads to invoking the quality of love and compassion that resides in Durga energy.

Empathy is when you deeply FEEL what the other person is feeling. You know in your heart their experience and in turn those feelings can arise within you. The ability to empathise with those around you is incredibly important, but can be crippling if we don’t have the capacity to know when to turn it on and off. This is where compassion comes in. A compassionate person combines empathy with wisdom. Wisdom is knowing the right thing to say in the unique moment; knowing when to offer a gentle and soft mothering or when to be stern and strong. 

This is Durga Compassion: empathy and wisdom that leads to compassionate action. 

 
 

How to move through Day 4

  • Begin your day doing the Heart Opening Flow

  • Do the 30 minute Daily Practice of Mantra and Meditation.

  • Take 5-10 minutes to journal, find the journalling prompts under the Daily Practice.

Additional Practices

  • How can you be more compassionate to yourself today?

  • Can you take compassionate action for someone else who needs support?

Heart Opening Flow

Vinyasa Flow - 30 mins

Empathy with Wisdom

Like the mother, Durga Maa is deeply compassionate and loving but her compassion is not necessarily always gentle and sweet. Durga has been said to embody an attitude of “compassion with a sword”; the energy of the protective mother who acts quickly to stop their child from running blindly across the road, or burn themselves on the stove. But behind this tough love, there is a deep and unconditional love.

 

“With compassion in our heart, every thought, word, and deed can bring about a miracle.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

In this practice we connect to our own loving heart through movement and intention.

 

What you’ll need

Yoga Mat and cushion

We'll be working with

Vinyasa

 

Daily Practice

Mantra and Meditation - 30 mins

 

Connect to the vibration of Durga Maa through this Mantra and Meditation practice. We will be working with this practice daily to start to embody the energy of Durga.

Journal Prompts

  • Do you ever feel exhausted from taking on other people’s pain and suffering?

  • When was the last time you took compassionate action?