Learn to respond to difficult moments in your life with kindness*care*understanding

After participating in this workshop, you’ll be able to:

• Practice self-compassion in daily life
• Understand the empirically-supported benefits of self-compassion
• Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
• Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
• Transform challenging relationships, old and new
• Manage caregiver fatigue
• Practice the art of savoring and self-appreciation

Because Trish' program contains all required elements (orientation, 8 group classes of at least 2 1/2 hours each, and a 4 hour retreat), it fulfills one of the prerequisites for becoming a MSC teacher. Please note that shorter courses do not qualify as a pre-requisite. If you are interested in teacher training, Trish also offers silent retreats specifically designed to meet the Teacher Training retreat requirement. See here.

For more information on MSC and/or MSC Teacher Training, please visit www.CenterForMSC.org.



Based on the groundbreaking research of Kristin Neff and the clinical expertise of Christopher Germer, Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically-supported, 8-week, training program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. The three key components of self-compassion are self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and balanced, mindful awareness. Kindness opens our hearts to suffering, so we can give ourselves what we need. Common humanity opens us to our essential interrelatedness, so that we know we aren't alone. Mindfulness opens us to the present moment, so we can accept our experience with greater ease. Together they comprise a state of warm-hearted, connected presence.

Rapidly expanding 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.  Although mindfulness is the foundation of self-compassion and previous mindfulness/MBSR experience is helpful, MSC is primarily a compassion training program rather than a mindfulness training.

What To Expect

Program activities include mindfulness, lovingkindness and compassion meditations, short talks, 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.

Self-compassion can be learned by anyone, even those who didn't receive enough affection in childhood or who feel uncomfortable when they are good 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. Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, motivate ourselves with kindness, forgive ourselves when needed, relate wholeheartedly to others, and be more authentically ourselves.

MSC is not therapy per se, it is designed to be therapeutic. The emphasis of MSC is on building emotional resources rather than addressing old wounds.   Positive change occurs naturally as we develop the capacity to be with ourselves in a kinder, more compassionate way.It is said that “love reveals everything unlike itself.” While some difficult emotions may arise when practicing self-compassion, MSC teachers are committed to providing a safe, supportive environment for this process to unfold, and to making the journey interesting and enjoyable for everyone.

MSC includes 8 weekly sessions of 2 ½-3 hours each, in addition to a 4-hour retreat.  Prior to registering, participants should plan to attend every session and practice mindfulness and self-compassion at least 30 minutes per day throughout the program.

Prerequisites

While previous experience with mindfulness or meditation is not required to attend MSC, prior introduction to mindfulness training, any meditation practice or an MBSR class is helpful. To insure safety, participants are asked to provide background information when they register for the program. It is recommended that participants read one or both of following books before or during the program (both available at Amazon.com and also local libraries).

• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristin Neff
• The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, by Christopher Germer

Registration