What is compassion?

Compassion is the capacity to be sensitive to the suffering of ourselves and others and the willingness to relieve and prevent it (Paul Gilbert, 2014). It is a capacity inherent in all of us but for many reasons does not always come to flourish. Fortunately, it can be trained, developed, and deepened through practice. Compassion is characterised by kindness and receptivity as well as courage and responsibility. Many believe compassion should be directed towards others rather than ourselves but self-compassion is not selfish. Research increasingly shows that self-compassion is – like mindfulness – key to mental health and goes hand in hand with greater openness and empathy towards others.

What is Mindful Self-Compassion?

Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically-supported training programme 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 practice of MSC fosters 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. It’s a courageous attitude that stands up to harm, including the harm that we unwittingly inflict on ourselves through self-criticism, negative self-talk, and ‘pushing’ ourselves through times of difficulty.

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.

What does the online MSC programme offer?

In this online course, participants will experience the full MSC curriculum (offered elsewhere over 8 weekly classes + retreat sessions or over 5 days of intensive residential training). Each session includes meditations, daily life practices, self-reflective exercises, and group sharing. With the support of highly experienced teachers and an evidenced-based curriculum, participants will experience self-compassion directly and learn resourcing practices for greater ease and wellbeing in all aspects of life.

The emphasis of MSC is on building emotional resources as we develop the capacity to be with our difficulties, and with ourselves, in a loving, compassionate way. Each session we will explore a theme to deepen our understanding and capacity for self-compassion, whilst applying it to many aspects of our lives.

Please note that this MSC course meets the pre-requisite for MSC Teacher Training.

What to expect

MSC is primarily a compassion training programme rather than mindfulness training like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), although mindfulness is the foundation of self-compassion. MSC is therapeutic, but it’s not therapy insofar as the emphasis 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. This capacity develops during the course as we explore guided practices and experiential exercises, share conceptual frameworks, and engage in group discussions and in-home practice between the classes.

Compassion has the effect of soothing and comforting us as it paradoxically opens us to emotional discomfort. While some difficult emotions may therefore arise when practicing self-compassion, our highly experienced teachers are committed to providing a safe, supportive environment for this process to unfold, and to making the journey interesting and enjoyable for everyone.

Learning objectives

The course will support you in learning to:

· practice self-compassion in daily life

· understand the empirically-supported benefits of self-compassion

· motivate yourself with encouragement rather than criticism

· handle difficult emotions with greater ease

· transform challenging relationships, old and new

· manage caregiver fatigue

· practice the art of savouring and self-appreciation

Participant Requirements

This course is open to all. No previous mindfulness experience is required though it can be very helpful. So you may be new to mindfulness, or maybe you have been practising or teaching mindfulness for a while. A key motivation is the wish to explore elements of the approach that directly address the experience of inner criticism and struggle in relationship with ourselves, and with others.

Please ensure you are able to attend the entire event. If this is not possible, please contact us to discuss before submitting an application.

MSC teacher training

This course serves as a pre-requisite to MSC Teacher Training which can be taken online via the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion www.centerformsc.org or in the UK in a residential format over six days hosted by Sussex Mindfulness Centre www.sussexmindfulnesscentre.nhs.uk