MINDFUL Self-compassion
As human beings, it is inevitable to make mistakes or feel a sense of inadequacy. When we are going through difficult times, we may notice we tend to be more critical of ourselves versus how we would treat other people in similar situations.
The Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program is an empirically-supported, 8-week training program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. Based on the ground-breaking research of Kristin Neff and the clinical expertise of Christopher Germer, MSC teaches core principles and practices that enable participants to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care and understanding.
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 inter-relatedness, 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.
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 primarily a compassion-based training rather than mindfulness-based training, although mindfulness is the foundation of self-compassion.
Rapidly expanding research demonstrates that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional well-being, less anxiety, depression and stress, maintenance of healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and satisfying personal relationships.
COURSE FORMAT
The original MSC course consists of 8 weekly sessions of 2.5 to 2.75 hours each, in addition to a Day of Retreat held usually between the fifth and the sixth sessions on a weekend, and approximately 30 minutes of daily home practice. An Orientation Session will usually be held before the course commences. Prospective participants are encouraged to attend the Orientation Session to explore if the course fits their needs before they make a commitment to enroll in the course. Participants will be provided with course materials such as audio-guided meditation practices and handouts (included in the course fee).
A shortened version of the MSC course is also available for institutions to offer to their employees. It is typically run over 6 weekly sessions of 75-90 minutes each. Please visit the Workplace Page for more details, or contact us directly.
WHAT IS TAUGHT IN THE 8-WEEK COURSE
Program activities include meditations, short talks, experiential exercises, group discussion, and discussion of home practices.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Practice self-compassion in daily life
Motivate themselves with kindness rather than criticism
Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
Manage caregiver fatigue (including all those in the helping professions such as social workers, counsellors, nurses, psychologists, etc.)
Transform challenging relationships, old and new
Practice the art of savouring and self-appreciation
Compassion is a positive, energizing emotion. However, it is said that “love reveals everything unlike itself”. While learning self-compassion, some 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.
Explore the MSC Course with us
What Participants are Saying
“A course on self-compassion to feel pity for myself? That was the first thing that came into my mind when I first saw the title of the course. It felt weird because self- compassion is not something that ever came across to my mind, having grown up in a traditional Chinese family where I am supposed to compare myself with 别人家的孩子 (that wonderful kid from my neighborhood). Constantly judging myself by comparing with others has always been the right thing to do. Until one day I realized that is giving me a lot of stress that I don’t deserve. So, pause here, take one minute and think about your own experiences: Did you ever feel stressed and miserable because you were judging yourself to match other people’s expectations? Or even your own imagination of other people’s expectations? If you said yes just like I did, I highly encourage you to have a chat with the instructor of Mindfulness Self-Compassion. When I stepped into the course, a whole new world opened in front of me. I loved how it made me realize the reasons behind the constant judging of myself and feeling miserable about it. And I loved the tools, the practices that came with it that can truly help me. Hope you too have a good journey here as I did.”
“The 8-week MSC course has been an eye-opening experience for me. At the end of the 8-week class, I have emerged a better person for my family, my colleagues, and myself. I will keep practicing the exercises we learned in class.
Carmen has put together a well-balanced program that flowed and progressed naturally over the course of 8 weeks. Carmen’s dedication, knowledge, and enthusiasm was a fundamental part of the success of the course.
The small-group sharing sessions were invaluable moments to understand my journey through mindfulness and self-compassion as well as better grasp the importance of the concept of common humanity.
Thank you for the wonderful experience. I will keep fond memories of the experience and knowledge acquired during class.”