Taming Your Inner Critic: Developing Self-Compassion
Most of have an inner critic that often leaves us feeling depleted, tired or anxious. Research indicates that Self-Compassion offers a healthier and more sustainable approach to dealing with our difficulties including our self-critic and negative thought patterns.
This 8-week skills course is designed to teach different ways to approach our failures, struggles, and desire to achieve. These skills when practiced can lead to a greater sense of wellbeing and more flexibility in when we have difficult times.
Come learn and practice some supportive and effective practices to transform limiting beliefs and sabotaging habits. All inner critics are welcome!
This empirically supported program teaches core principles and practices that enable participates to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care and understanding as opposed to judgment and self criticism.
The 8-week course includes: short talks, experiential exercises, meditation, group discussion, and home practices. MSC is an opportunity to explore how we typically respond when difficulties arise in our lives and to learn tools for becoming a warm and supportive companion to ourselves. MSC participants are asked to practice mindfulness and self-compassion at home for up to 30 minutes per day during the course.
All are welcome! This program is designed for members of the general public. Meditation experience is not necessary to participate in the Mindful Self Compassion class.
Mindful Self-Compassion was developed by Christopher Germer, PhD, a leader in the integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy (www.MindfulSelfCompassion.org) and Kristin Neff, PhD, a pioneering researcher in the field of self-compassion. (www.Self-Compassion.org).
More information can also be found at: https://centerformsc.org
What is Self-Compassion?
Most of us experience compassion when a close friend is struggling. Consider how you respond when a friend tells you about some difficulty, disappointment, or failure. Generally, we recognize their pain and feel moved to offer support, understanding or encouragement. Compassion is an innate human response whose root meaning is “to suffer with”.
Self-compassion involves the capacity to comfort and soothe ourselves, and to motivate ourselves with encouragement when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate. Self-compassion is learned, in part, by connecting with our innate compassion for others. At the same time self-compassion also helps to grow and sustain our compassion for others.
However, often people associate compassion and self-compassion only with kindness, which can lead to a misunderstanding that it’s a weakness; leads to indulgence or makes a person “soft”. Actually, scientific study is revealing that a core component of self-compassion is courage. Recognizing our own suffering and that of others and taking a caring stance rather than ignoring, judging or criticizing takes strength. And it’s a natural ability we all have and can develop. Most importantly, research is showing that by developing and practicing self-compassion, we stimulate many physiological systems that benefit our health and wellbeing.
Link to Self-Compassion Tests:
https://centerformsc.org/learn-msc/take-the-self-compassion-test/
Learn More:
In MSC you'll learn to:
Practice minfulness and self-compassion in daily life
Understand the science of self-compassion
Use self-compassion to live in accord with your values
Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
Work with challenging relationships
Manage caregiver fatigue
Practice the art of savoring and self-appreciation
Teach simple self-compassion skills to others