Compassion is the trait we struggle with the most. It doesn’t come easily to us.

We try, but it’s hard not to feel like slapping slow walkers on the sidewalk or resisting the urge to throw crying babies out of bus windows. We battle against our own selves to cultivate compassion, torn between the notion of « turning the other cheek » and confronting the violence that hampers our freedom, separates us from others, harms our well-being, exploits our bodies, and treats nature as both a warehouse and a dumping ground for the sake of others’ enrichment. We not only struggle but also reject abiding by this world’s illogical and absurd rationality, which undermines our humanity.

Indeed, we are not perpetually happy if happiness means constant satisfaction and acceptance. In fact, we are wary of people who claim to be happy.

Now, you might wonder why, despite not presenting ourselves as accomplished yogis, we have been practicing and studying yoga for the past few years. We posed this question to each other, and here are the insights we could agree upon.