Live Online Mindful Self-Compassion 8-week Course with Imagine
Co-taught by Ela Compton and Jon Walker
This course is full. To stay updated on courses offered by Imagine, you can sign up for their newsletter here. If you have any questions, you can email me at modestlymindful@gmail.com. Thanks for your interest in this!
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is a research-proven program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. MSC teaches practices that enable participants to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care, and understanding.
Self-compassion can be learned by anyone, even those who didn't receive enough affection in childhood or who feel uncomfortable when they are kind to themselves. It's a courageous attitude that stands up to harm, including the harm that we unwittingly inflict on ourselves through self-criticism, self-isolation, or self-absorption. Research demonstrates that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, less anxiety, depression and stress, maintenance of healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and satisfying personal relationships. And it’s easier than you think.
This course is designed to enhance your ability to:
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Practice self-compassion and mindfulness in daily life
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Understand the empirically-supported benefits of self-compassion
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Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
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Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
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Transform challenging relationships, old and new
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Manage caregiver fatigue
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Explore the role of self-compassion in meeting your core values
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Embrace the art of savoring and self-appreciation
What To Expect:
Program activities include meditation, short teachings, experiential exercises, group discussion, and home practices. The goal is for participants to directly experience self-compassion and learn practices that evoke self-compassion in daily life.
MSC is not psychotherapy insofar as the emphasis is on building emotional resources rather than addressing old wounds. Beneficial change occurs naturally as we develop the capacity to be with ourselves in a kinder, more compassionate way.
Compassion is a positive, energizing emotion. However, it is said that “love reveals everything unlike itself.” While learning self-compassion, sometimes difficult emotions may arise. MSC teachers are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for this process to unfold, and to making the journey enjoyable for everyone. If you are going through a particularly difficult time, it may be better to take this course at a later date when you can reap the full benefit.
This course takes a definite time commitment. There will be an introductory session followed by 8 weekly sessions of 2 hours each, and a 4-hour retreat midway through the course that is usually on a weekend. The classes build on each other, so please try to attend every session, and be willing to practice mindfulness and self-compassion formally or informally at least 30 minutes per day throughout the program as best you can.
Prerequisites:
Everyone is welcome, including people of all backgrounds and identities. No previous experience with mindfulness or meditation is required to attend MSC. Participants will be asked to provide some personal information when they register for this course to help teachers determine their safety and readiness for this kind of emotional work.
The following book is recommended as a companion to the MSC course:
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer (2018)
Fee:
The course fee is US $50 and all proceeds go to Imagine. Please note that you need to register at their site--if you have any questions about registration please contact them. If cost is an issue for you, please contact me at modestlymindful@gmail.com to work something out.
Registration:
You can review the waiver and register for the course here, or use the button below.
If you have any questions please email me at modestlymindful@gmail.com.