Road to Compassion

Road to Compassion is me, CNVC Certified Trainer Eric Bowers, and my trusty van Rosa (not yet certified).  Road to Compassion headquarters is in Vancouver, BC, but I enjoy traveling to share Compassionate Communication with whomever is inspired to learn about how to co-create a needs-based culture of shared power.

I named my company Road to Compassion because I travel regularly teaching Nonviolent Communication and Restorative Circles, but the name Road to Compassion continues to grow in meaning.  For many the word compassion includes a quality of presence that wants to relieve suffering. For me Compassion means full-hearted presence that has no agenda, presence that is simply there to be with what is, even if it’s pain or suffering or loss or joy.  Interesting things happen when we give things space to be just as they are.  Some of the most profound moments of my life have happened in this space. 

This is quality of compassion is not always easy for me to find in myself or with others; it is often lost or buried beneath judgements and beliefs about myself or others, attachments and expectations, and stories of how things should be.  Nonetheless, the road to compassion is always there when I'm ready dust myself off and step back on the ground that supports us all.

The Road to Compassion is about the work I share with others and the work I do in myself.  The work I do in myself is mostly covered in my blog Where the Heart Meets the Road and perhaps in some of the photos throughout the site.  Most of the photos on this website were taken by me, including the background photo of each page (a smaller version is at the top of this page), which was taken while driving up the Columbia Valley on my way to offer Compassionate Communication workshops in Invermere and Golden as part of my BC Road to Compassion trip in the summer of 2009.  At the end of that trip I decided to name my business Road to Compassion as it seemed that my work involved lots of travel--out in the world and within myself.  The photos on this site that weren’t taken by me were taken by friends, and I’m grateful for their support.

I put my heart and hours of time into this website in hopes that visitors will enjoy their time here and find something valuable.  I love to get feedback as I’m interested in knowing what’s working and what could be improved.  To offer feedback or to contact me for any other reason, please email me at eric(at)roadtocompassion.com or call (604) 442-8811.