Compassion can be viewed as the foundation for emotional healing, and can be used when we're struggling with feelings of inadequacy, despair, confusion, and other forms of stress. Mindful compassion means responding with kindness and understanding to all circumstances. Mindfulness means holding difficult emotions, such as fear, anger, sadness, shame and self-doubt, without judgment or the obligation to act upon them. Compassion involves using negative emotions as fodder for transformation.