Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive
Dalai Lama
Mindful Self-Compassion
Mindful Self-Compassion is the key that unlocks the door to self-love, kindness and compassion. It is a research based program designed to cultivate the skills of self-compassion based on the research and work of Kristin Neff, ph.D and Christopher Germer, Ph.D, both of whom I have had the honour of training with. MSC teaches you how to respond to yourself with kindness during difficult moments in your life and is strongly associated with creating emotional wellbeing. In order to understand what self-compassion is, it is important to first understand what compassion is. “Compassion is the response to the suffering of others that motivates a desire to help.” (Wikipedia) Empathy, understanding, care, concern, gentleness, warmth, sympathy and love are all synonymous with compassion. When you are compassionate you are driven to help and support others with a desire to relieve suffering in a kind way.
When someone suffers, irrespective of how they are suffering, you offer that person understanding and kindness instead of harsh judgement and criticism because no one is perfect. Imperfection is part of the human experience. Self-compassion is compassion for yourself and involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are suffering or having a difficult time. It involves being able to comfort yourself with love and kindness through action and words instead of harsh judgement and criticism. You are able to tenderly care for yourself which will ultimately lead to a better you.
CREATING EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is the combination of mindfulness and self-compassion to create emotional wellbeing. In order to create emotional wellbeing there are three important components:
- Mindfulness (not mindlessness) – being mindful allows you to experience your emotions from a place of awareness, acceptance and non-judgment. It prevents you from running away or burying your emotions or needs. Acceptance (rather than resistance) allows you to turn towards your emotions and feelings which is the starting point of healing. Resisting your emotions and feeling creates further suffering because what you resists persists. Layer upon layer you add to your physical and emotional distress.
- Common humanity (not thinking you are all alone) – recognizing that everyone suffers, everyone struggles and that this is a human experience.
- Self-kindness (not self-judgment) – treating and motivating yourself with kindness in the same way you would treat your best friend. Not treating yourself with harsh, critical, judging words.
I work from a place of compassion and incorporate this into all of my programmes.
THE BENEFITS OF SELF-COMPASSION ARE:
- Increases your sense of self-worth and value – when you are kinder to yourself you blossom
- Increases emotional wellbeing and builds emotional resilience
- Brings loving awareness to oneself and opens your heart
- Helps you to move through difficult periods in your life with warmth, kindness and understanding
- Helps with emotional healing
- Contributes to healthier relationships
- An understanding of inner critic and self-judgement harm
- Reduces anxiety, stress and depression
- Fosters positive mindsets and optimism
- Helps you to recognise that your problems are also important and worthy of being attended to
- Increases happiness thanks to the release of oxytocin
- Increases self-love
- Motivates you from a place of kindness rather than from a place of fear (fear being a negative emotion) and helps you to avoid destructive patterns of negativity
- Helps with care-giver exhaustion
My Mindful Self-Compassion workshop and Coaching is designed to strengthen your feelings of kindness and love for self and others. I will show you how to greet your inner critic, harsh self-judgement, negative thinking and negative emotions with compassion and understanding. You will learn how to ask yourself ‘what do I need’ and follow through with those needs with compassion. This will empower you with the motivation needed to move forward in life with kindness. When you care about yourself, others will notice and this will have a ripple effect on all of your relationships. Love starts with you and compassion is at the heart of this.
If you are interested in learning more, I look forward to hearing from you and working with you on your journey to emotional wellbeing.