Join us for an in-person Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) course at the Finnish Hall in Berkeley, CA. Starting April 12th, 2023 from 6-8:30pm PST and lasting for 8 consecutive Wednesdays, the course will finish on May 31st and have a mini-retreat on May 13th from 10am-2pm.
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an eight-week program that combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to enhance our resilience and overall wellbeing.
The MSC program teaches skills for practicing self-compassion in daily life, enabling participants to respond to difficult moments, challenging emotions, and relationship issues with kindness, authenticity, and courage.
By combining the practices of mindfulness and self-compassion, MSC provides a powerful tool for emotional resilience. The program, based on empirically validated research in clinical settings, is highly experiential and practical (featuring mini-lectures, dyadic and group exercises, group discussion, and home practices) for those who wish to deepen their practice of self-compassion.
Class meets for 2.5 hours, once a week for 8 weeks on Wednesdays, plus a single four-hour mini-retreat during week 5.
WHAT IS MINDFUL SELF-COMPASSION?
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically supported 8-week training program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. Based on the groundbreaking 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. Attending the MSC program can assist in transforming your relationship with yourself through the notion of “attending and befriending”. The formal and informal practices taught in the MSC program are intended as a way of developing a mindful, warm and kind friendliness to one’s self.
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 in those difficult times. Common humanity opens us to our essential interrelatedness, so that we know we aren’t alone, and we understand the fact that being human means making mistakes and having our glitches. Mindfulness opens us to the present moment, so we can get a more clear picture of our experience, thus learning to accept it 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.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Program activities include meditation, 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.
The 8-week format consists of 8 weekly, 2.5-hour sessions in a classroom/discussion group format, plus a 4-hour mini-retreat during week 5. Participants should plan to attend every session and practice mindful self-compassion at least 30 minutes per day throughout the program. This class is often most easily integrated into our lives and offers an extended opportunity to deepen and solidify our practice.
- Practice self-compassion in daily life
- Understand the empirically-supported benefits of self-compassion
- Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
- Meet difficult emotions with greater ease
- Begin to transform challenging relationships, old and new, with self-validation
- Manage empathy fatigue
- Practice the art of savoring and self-appreciation
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This program is designed for members of the general public, as well as for professionals who wish to integrate self-compassion into their work.
This includes:
- Parents and caregivers
- Educators
- Healthcare professionals and therapists
- Executives and managers
- Public service leaders and employees
- Individuals seeking to increase self-compassion and mindfulness
Participating in an 8 week MSC program satisfies a prerequisite for becoming a MSC program teacher. No meditation experience is required. All are welcome!
WHY ENROLL?
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.
Self-compassion is strongly associated with:
- emotional wellbeing
- coping with life challenges
- lower levels of anxiety and depression
- healthy habits such as diet and exercise
- more satisfying personal relationships.
A randomized, controlled study found that MSC significantly increased self-compassion, compassion for others, mindfulness, and life satisfaction, as well as decreased depression, anxiety, and stress.
TIME, PLACE AND PRICE
This course will be LIVE and IN PERSON from 6:00-8:30pm PST, eight Wednesdays April 12th – May 31st, 2023. There will also be a four hour mini-retreat on May 13th from 10:00am-2:00pm.
We know our current times are challenging for everyone, and we know self-compassion is needed now more than ever. So we are offering this training on a sliding scale of $400-$600. If you are financially able, we encourage you to select the $600 option to help support those in need right now. If the pandemic has put a strain on your finances, then feel free to choose the $400 option.
Full details
Date: Eight Wednesdays, April 12th – May 31st, 2023, Mini-retreat May 13th, 10am-2pm
Time : 6:00-8:30pm PST
Location: The Finnish Hall, 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley, CA 94702
Price: $400-600 Sliding Scale
Course participants will be provided with a free copy of the course guide: The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook.
We have one scholarship opportunity for those with financial need. Send an email to info@the-heart-center.com with your interest.
MEET YOUR TEACHERS
Denis Udall
Zach Beach
HISTORY OF THE COURSE
MSC was developed by Kristin Neff, Ph.D. and Christopher K. Germer, PhD. Kristin is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin, and a pioneering researcher in the field of self-compassion who developed the landmark Self-Compassion Scale. Chris is a clinical psychologist, part-time Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance, and a leader in the integration of mindfulness and compassion-based psychotherapy.
After Chris and Kristin met at a meditation retreat co-sponsored by the Mind and Life Institute, they decided to create a program to teach self-compassion. They held the first MSC workshop in 2010 at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Afterwards, they developed the 8-week MSC curriculum and empirically tested the training program in randomized controlled research. Later, they founded the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion and, in 2014, initiated the MSC teacher training program at the Center for Mindfulness, University of California, San Diego.
To date, the Mindful Self Compassion Program has been taught by more than 1000 teachers to over 100,000 people in dozens of countries. It has been offered to healthcare providers, therapists, social workers, educators, executives and managers in business and industry, parents, and the general public.
The MSC program is a journey—an adventure in self-discovery and self-kindness. Compassion has the paradoxical effect of both soothing and comforting as well as opening us to emotional distress that we may have been unconsciously holding inside, often for many years. Therefore, some difficult emotions are likely to surface during the program as we grow in our capacity to embrace and heal them. The teachers are committed to providing an environment of safety, support, privacy, individual responsibility, and a common commitment to developing compassion for oneself and others.
It is recommended, but not required, that participants read the following:
- Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristin Neff
- The Mindful path to Self-Compassion, by Christopher Germer
- The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, by Kristin Neff & Christopher Germer
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“What a gift! I came to the Mindful Self-Compassion course intending to learn better ways to teach compassion in the addiction recovery field. I did. Most importantly I had many deeply moving experiences and I was profoundly changed. The tools will stay with me, my skills in self-compassion are growing and my contentment is deepening.” -Andy L.
“The MSC course has transformed the way I treat myself and as a result, treat others. I am kinder, more accepting, more mindful and compassionate. And, I look forward to continuing to incorporate these life altering skills into my everyday life.” -Anonymous
“I loved the whole MSC class. I learned a lot about my very loud critical voice in my head, and how to balance it out with my compassionate voice. And I actually am doing it! Real and applicable.” – Anonymous