This heartfelt guide provides practical exercises for readers to achieve the delicate balance between care of self and service to others.

Based on Gail Straub's critically acclaimed book The Rhythm of Compassion: Caring for Self, Connecting with Society, these short meditations are designed to help you learn to find and follow your own unique rhythm of compassion. Circle of Compassion uses the powerful metaphor of the rhythmic nature of breathing to show you how to help yourself while helping others. The series of meditations is an ongoing exercise for getting to the root of healing, developing compassion, and putting compassion into action-to heal ourselves, others, and the world around us.

Loving the Unloved of Society “I realize that God brought me into this world, blessed with skills and talents. The only thing that makes sense to me is to use them in the service of the poor. It is at their feet that I find myself.” For almost ten years, Gary Smith, S.J., lived and worked among the poor of Portland, Oregon. With this memoir, he invites us to walk with him and meet some of the abandoned, over-looked, and forgotten members of our society with whom he has shared his life. Just as Smith found a deeper, truer understanding of himself and of the heart of God through his work, these people and their stories stand to transform us. “Although its subject matter is bleak, the book is not. Smith has found love amid the despair. His book is touching, at times hopeful, and the kind of book that is hard to put down, that fascinates, horrifies, and rivets one’s attention.” —Booklist “Smith takes us where we would rather not go, the heart of the poor, the lonely, and the abandoned. In true Ignatian fashion, he finds God there. An unforgettable experience for those who have the courage to walk with him.” —Michael L. Cook, S.J. Professor of theology Gonzaga University “Smith performs modern-day miracles of compassion, and his book sets a new standard for writing about the rich faith of those who are materially poor. His stirring prose and utter honesty will change the hearts and minds of many readers.” —Gerald T. Cobb, S.J. Chair, department of English Seattle University

Learn to nurture yourself as you nurture others, develop greater compassion and self-confidence, and strike the perfect balance between caring for yourself and caring for your world. The companion to the best selling The Rhythm of Compassion, this pocketsize book of meditations is divided into four parts that provide practical exercises and affirmations to help you find balance in your life. These four sections include: - Learning to Follow Your Rhythm of Compassion - The In-Breath: Caring for Self - The Out-Breath: Caring for the World - Harmony with Your Rhythm of Compassion.

This heartfelt guide provides practical exercises for readers to achieve the delicate balance between care of self and service to others. From learning how to develop compassion to fostering introspection and calling for social and community action, Straub lays the groundwork for individual transformation and enlightenment. By offering insightful and encouraging advice that allows readers to take a realistic look inward, Straub taps into a healthy and balanced spirituality that will not only nourish the self, but will also benefit the outside world.

The inspiring true story of a young woman who became deaf at age 19 while pursuing a degree in music--and how she overcame adversity and found the courage to live out her dreams.