True Kinship & Compassionate Witnessing For Yourself

First, what’s new in 2023!

I’m excited to tell you about a new service I’m launching in early 2023 — a communal space to sustain personal and collective practice as we move towards an embodied awareness of true kinship with animals.

This on-going subscription based service has monthly themes presented through workshops, written and audio offerings. You gain a deeper understanding of true kinship and how to practice it. To find out more, join my mailing list at janetroper.com

From an early age, I learned compassion is a must have quality that meant I needed to take on the sufferings of others as my own.

As a kid visiting my grandparents farm, one of my chores was to safely lock the dogs in a small out building at night.

One morning I discovered a dumped litter of kittens. I let the dogs out and the chaos that ensued was too much for me to manage. I was too small to handle the dogs and too afraid to help the kittens.

I judged myself with all the could’ves, would’ves and should’ves, carrying that incident with me for decades.

Now, I am able to be a compassionate witness for myself.

Compassionate witnessing is seeing yourself, the other being(s) and the situation gently and kind-heartedly. It’s creating an embracing cloud of compassion that is observing, not judging and is open to evolving as called for.

What’s one step you can take to develop compassionate witnessing for yourself?

Remember to observe, not judge and as you are able, accept you are changed by those observations.

As Pema Chodron says: “Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.”

Here’s an invitation for you to join me on this path of true kinship with animals. My work is devoted to helping you show up in the world for animals from the fullness of your authentic self. I hope this encourages you to look at your relationship with animals differently so that a new place of understanding begins to open for you.

Stay tuned for the latest on my new subscription based service beginning in early 2023! This communal space supports personal and collective practice as you move towards an embodied awareness of true kinship with animals. What a great way to start the year!

Just for today remember: We all do better when all creatures do better. Until next time, take good care!

Janet Roper is an animist, podcaster, intuitive practitioner, non-traditional animal communicator, mentor and educator who for 20+ years has helped people restructure their relationship with animals. Two of her most popular resources are her monthly newsletter and her 5 email introductory series to her signature program Deepen. Visit her website and give her podcast True Kinship With Animals a listen.