Are You Curious to See if Mindful Self-Compassion Might Be a Beneficial Program for You?
Do you find yourself….
Being overly critical of yourself?
Battling with an aggressive inner critic?
Frequently telling yourself you should feel differently, do differently, act differently?
Judging your emotions of rejection, sadness, anxiety, fear & doubt?
Feeling tired and worn out from caring for others?
“Pushing through” and believing you are unworthy of play and/or rest?
If so, Mindful Self Compassion might be a wonderful resource-building practice for you.
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an evidenced-based, 10-week training program based on the groundbreaking research of Dr. Kristin Neff and the clinical expertise of Dr. Christopher Germer. MSC teaches core principles and practices that enable us to respond to difficult moments in our lives with kindness, care, and understanding.
In this program, we will learn practices and exercises that help us connect with our innate sense of kindness and compassion - that quality we naturally demonstrate to others - and learn how to turn that to ourselves with this same sense of support, advocacy and kindness.
Discover how practicing Mindful Self-Compassion increases resilience, improves our overall well-being, and positively impacts how we relate to ourselves and others.
Here is how the program is structured:
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Live, Small Group Classes
10 weeks of live instruction in Mindful Self-Compassion, which includes carefully sequenced Self-Compassion exercises, guided meditations, written exercises, group discussions, and compassionate movement.
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Half Day Retreat
This program includes a half-day retreat, where we unplug from what others need of us and give ourselves a few hours to rest, reset and connect and more deeply with these practices.
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Program Resources & Support
Each week you will be supported with a summary of practices, inspiring poetry, guided meditations and home practices to help you build new ways of relating to and supporting yourself.
Week by Week Overview of the Mindful Self Compassion Program:
This program is based on a 10-week curriculum - each week introducing a new concept and multiple practices, meditations and discussions to help participants gain resources to turn to themselves, and in turn, others - with kindness and compassion.
For more detail on how the program unfolds, click on the week-by-week description.
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in this first session, we begin to form our community and shared space where we will practice and grow for the next 10 weeks. We set the tone for a gentle and supportive community where each is on their own journey and we learn that each of us is our own best teacher.
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This week, we will begin to dialogue on the research around self-compassion, including frequent misgivings that arise, the physiology underlying self criticism and start to introduce foundational in-the-moment practices we can turn to when life challenges us. We’ll also introduce the difference between fierce self compassion and soothing self compassion.
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In order to turn to ourselves with kindness, we must know what’s happening when it’s happening. This week, we’ll bring mindful awareness to our present moment experience, begin to notice when we cause ourselves unnecessary suffering and practice mindfulness in daily life.
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Each of us possess an innate quality of kindness in our own hearts. This week, we learn practices to cultivate and grow our natural state of kindness to others, as well as to ourselves.
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Many of us are quite familiar with the voice of the inner critic and the pain it causes. At this point in the program, we call upon our natural kindness to discover our inner compassionate voice as an alternative way (that’s not only more pleasant, but also more effective) to motivate ourselves.
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This week we explore the ways in which we are living, and those ways we are not living, in accordance with our most deeply held values. We explore how a life that is aligned with our values is one that is more rich and fulfilling.
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This week, we give ourselves the spaciousness of a longer session where we can savor the experience of mindfulness & self-compassion. During this at-home retreat, you will be invited to relax into and deepen those practices that have been introduced to-date. This retreat will be led by the instructors and the participants will participate in companionable silence - a powerful opportunity to slow down and savor practice time.
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Difficult emotions are those that cause us pain - such as anger, fear and grief. Many of us lack the resources to effectively work with our emotions so we stuff them or obsessively distract ourselves. We can also become overwhelmed by them. This week, we will explore various strategies for working with difficult emotions by meeting and holding them, and ourselves, with compassion.
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This week we’ll be shining a light on “relational” pain - that pain that naturally accompanies our relationship with others (those we care for, work with, live with and love). We’ll look at caregiver fatigue, pain that arises from disconnection with others and pain that can come from CONNECTION and introduce practices that can support us in these relationships.
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Much of the course thus far has been about supporting ourselves when things go differently that we would like and pain arises. This final session is about cultivating positive states of mind and heart including happiness, gratitude and self appreciation.
In addition, we close the program with reflection and sharing.
Registration Information
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The cost of the 10-week program is $595. if you are interested and cost is a barrier, please contact us through the contact form and explain your circumstances.
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There is so much value that is created through the intentional sequencing of the curriculum and the adventure of the cohort so it is best to wait to sign up for a program where you believe you can make all the classes. We also understand that life happens and that the pursuit of perfection can halt progress, so in that vein, classes will be recorded (and securely hosted) so participants have an opportunity to review a class if they have to miss one.
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Courses happen 2-3 times a year. If you would like to be notified of the next class cohort, please indicate your interest using the button.