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This chapter introduces compassion as the acknowledgment of and desire to relieve suffering, whether in oneself or others. We discuss how compassion practice connects us to our own suffering, in ways that allow us to more fully connect with others. In this way, compassion has the potential to help us navigate our interdependence with others. The inherent relational quality to compassion is the basis for how we teach and train compassion throughout the book. In this manual, we first learn mindfulness, training the mind to be present to all that arises. With this heightened awareness comes greater awareness of suffering, which naturally invites us into compassion. However, in order to navigate the difficult parts of life, compassion practice must be integrated with our mindfulness. Part of this integration comes from understanding that compassion is distinct from empathy, such that compassion fatigue would be better …