What exactly am I purchasing?

MriyaRun sells products for self-reflection, writing practices and psychological education, including journals, workbooks, books, planners, metaphorical associative cards and psychological games. The name, format, contents, number of pages or cards, language, price and availability are displayed on each product page. Please review the product description before placing an Order.

Are MriyaRun products psychotherapy or medical services?

No. You are purchasing a finished product, not a medical, psychiatric or psychotherapeutic service. The materials are not intended to diagnose or treat psychological or mental health conditions and do not replace an individual consultation with an appropriate professional. MriyaRun does not guarantee any particular psychological, medical or life outcome.

Can I use the products without a psychologist?

Yes. Most MriyaRun journals, workbooks, books and metaphorical cards can be used independently by following the instructions included with the relevant product. You may work at your own pace, skip exercises that are not suitable for you or stop the practice if it causes significant distress. If you require professional assistance, please contact a qualified professional.

Are the products suitable for psychologists and coaches?

Yes. Psychologists, psychotherapists, coaches and other professionals may use MriyaRun products as supplementary materials in their professional practice. The professional is responsible for determining whether a particular material is appropriate for a client and for how it is used. Copying, digitising, reselling or distributing the materials without the copyright holder’s permission is prohibited.

How do I place and pay for an Order?

Select a product, add it to your cart and provide your contact details. Three payment methods are available: Online payment through WayForPay. Payment using the Individual Entrepreneur’s bank details provided by our manager after the Order is placed. Cash on delivery at a Nova Poshta branch, subject to a mandatory guarantee payment of UAH 80 before dispatch. The guarantee payment forms part of the total Order price and reduces the cash-on-delivery amount by UAH 80. Nova Poshta’s money transfer fee is paid separately by the customer.

How is delivery arranged?

Orders within Ukraine are delivered by Nova Poshta. During checkout, provide your city and preferred Nova Poshta branch or parcel locker. Delivery costs are paid by the customer according to Nova Poshta’s rates unless free delivery is stated on the product page or in the promotion terms. International delivery must be agreed with our manager before payment.

When will my Order be dispatched?

Orders are processed and prepared for dispatch within 1–2 business days after confirmation or payment. Delivery by Nova Poshta usually takes 1–3 business days after dispatch. Once the parcel has been transferred to the carrier, you will receive a tracking number.

Can I return or exchange a product?

Goods may be returned or exchanged within 14 calendar days, excluding the day of receipt, provided that they have not been used and their saleable condition, consumer properties, packaging, labels and proof of payment have been preserved. Under Ukrainian law, printed publications of satisfactory quality are not subject to mandatory return. Nevertheless, MriyaRun voluntarily accepts books, journals and workbooks within 14 calendar days, provided that the conditions above are met. If the return is unrelated to a defect, damage or an error in the Order, the customer pays the return delivery costs. Refunds are processed within 7 business days after the returned Goods have been received and inspected.

What should I do if the product is damaged or incorrect?

Contact us and provide photographs or video of the product. After reviewing the request, we will offer a replacement, supply any missing items or issue a refund. MriyaRun will cover reasonable delivery costs in such cases.

How can I contact the Seller?

Seller of the products offered on the Website: Individual Entrepreneur Artem Dmytrovych Telushko Ukrainian taxpayer registration number: 3908614131 Telephone, Viber and Telegram: +380 67 581 60 90 Email: info@mriya.run Instagram: @mriya.run Office address: 2A Baseina Street, Zhytomyr, Ukraine. Visits are available by prior arrangement. Official correspondence address: 9 Kyivska Street, Zhytomyr, 10014, Ukraine. Please contact our manager before returning Goods. Do not send a return without prior approval.

Posts

15 August, 2023

How Compassion Affects the Brain and Nervous System

Dmytro Telushko

Dmytro Telushko is a psychologist and author of MriyaRun. He writes about emotions, boundaries, relationships, self-esteem, life scripts, and creates practical self-therapeutic tools for gentle self-exploration.

How safe connection and compassionate attention may shape stress responses, self-regulation, and behavior without promising instant calm.

This material is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or psychotherapeutic advice. If you are experiencing an acute psychological condition or need professional support, please contact a doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, or crisis service.

Empathy, compassion and loving kindness are different things and affect the brain in different ways.

Empathy is the ability to feel the suffering of other people. Areas of pain are activated in the brain, a person feels someone else's pain.
Compassion is the desire to relieve another person of pain. Areas of "action" are activated in the brain, which push for help.
Loving-kindness is the desire for another person to be happy. It is different from compassion and looks different in the brain too.

Helping professions include teachers, doctors, social workers, clergy, psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and coaches.

In psychology, the term "grief fatigue" has been used for a long time - it is the burnout of professionals who help professions. Dr. Davidson commented that there is no such thing at the neurophysiological level. That is, compassion does not lead to burnout.

Empathy, when a person feels someone else's pain, rather than compassion, which involves other areas of the brain, leads to burnout. A common reaction to photos of other people's suffering is avoidance. People look away and express disgust. But people who have trained compassion can look at the causes of suffering longer without burning out.

In Dr. Davidson's randomized controlled trial, participants were given 30 minutes of online meditation for 2 weeks. After the end of the experiment, changes were visible in the brain. This is only 7 hours of meditation in 2 weeks.

They had disturbed areas that are responsible for positive emotions and actions. These zones are also called "motivated or purposeful actions."

The more a person trains compassion, the more these areas of the brain become active, and the more often a person acts altruistically and prosocially. Studies have shown a connection in brain change and behavior.

We need to tune in to other people's suffering to practice compassion, not turn away from it.

Sympathy prompts to help, and a person who sympathizes can run into a burning house without the necessary equipment and experience, and expose himself to danger. We need to practice other qualities that help human flourishing.

Well-being consists of four pillars:

Awareness
A relationship is a healthy connection between people who need different qualities. One of them is compassion.
Insight or curiosity is a natural motivator
The goal, the mission is our true north. It's not about having a mission somewhere, but having a mission in whatever you do. You can take out the trash with an inner purpose and mission.

Being around practitioners of compassion can be contagious. When being around the Dalai Lama or Tit Nhat Khan, many described feeling different, as if infected by their inner warmth and kindness. This is confirmed by research.

Man is not the strongest and fastest animal in the wild. Therefore, he needs a tribe to survive. Compassion helped people coexist and thrive. Everything that helps life is "stitched" in DNA and passed on. We carry the DNA of surviving ancestors. We still need compassion for a happy life and well-being.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion, especially now, when there is so much suffering and hatred in the world.

Compassion involves recognizing suffering, emotional response, attention regulation, context appraisal, and motivation to help. It is inaccurate to propose one “compassion center” or promise that one practice rewires the brain.

A pause between threat and supportive action

Empathic distress may overwhelm and prompt withdrawal. Compassion adds caring intention and possible action while preserving the distinction between another person's experience and one's own.

Warm voice, predictability, and supportive contact may influence social-threat appraisal and autonomic regulation. Yet closeness can initially evoke vigilance when prior experience was unsafe.

Studies report changes in attention, emotional responses, and helping behavior, but methods and effects vary. Compassion is not a cure for every condition or an obligation to remain gentle at all times.