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“How is Your Heart Today?”<br />Compassion at Angola Prison

Touched by the depth of caring and authentic brotherhood he found during a recent trip to Angola Prison in Louisiana, USA, Chris Germer discovered the power of self-compassion to support those suffering under the oppressive weight of shame for their crimes, their incarceration, and their inability to care for their families while in prison. So where must we go from here?

Taking Compassion into the World

Just the other day, I spent two hours partying with 80 inmates on one of the yards at R.J. Donovan Prison in San Diego. That’s a statement I never imagined I would write…

The Power of Wisdom and Compassion

I’ve noticed that when life gets really difficult – whether due to a natural disaster like the recent, devastating hurricanes and earthquakes, or due to more personal issues like the health crisis of a loved one or difficulty in our interpersonal relationships. We, humans, often react by going to extremes. On one end of the spectrum, we can fall into despair, becoming overwhelmed with pain and grief, unable to be present with things as they are. On the other end of the spectrum, we can bury our heads in the sand and push away any awareness of the suffering around us. Maybe we spend every waking hour at work, fixated on a project, or we drink or eat a little too much, or binge watch our favorite shows. Either extreme keeps us from being present with things as they are, just in different ways…

Circles of Practice Public Offering

The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (CMSC) invites you to experience the transformative practice of Mindful Self-Compassion. MSC public practice circles are live, online, and supported by your generous donations. CMSC offers…

Circles of Practice for MSC Graduates

As an MSC Graduate you are invited to join our free self-compassion practice circles created specifically for MSC Graduates (LOMSC 10-Week, MSC 8-Week, 5-Day Intensives). Current Schedule Current Schedule starting Sunday, March 10,…

Sydney Spears

Sydney Spears, Ph.D., LCSW is a certified Mindful-Self Compassion teacher and Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging for the Center of Mindful Self-Compassion. She also works part-time at the…

Marta Alonso

Marta Alonso is Licensed Clinical Psychologist specialized in mindfulness andcompassion treatments and European Expert in Psychotherapy by the EuropeanFederation of Psychologists Associations, having obtained Europsy certification. She isan MSC Teacher…

Natalie Bell

Natalie Bell (She/Her/Hers), PT, CMF is Associate Executive Director (AED) for public programs at CMSC. She works with the ED to provide planning, vision, development and direction of public programs…

When All Else Fails…

When your tried-and-true sources of connection, strength, and support disintegrate, how to you find your way back to inner stability? MSC Teacher, David Teitelman, reminds us of 4 simple powerful strategies we can use to steady ourselves — right here, right now.

Being Your Own Cheerleader

In my profession, I have a bird’s-eye view of the intense daily life struggles experienced by many teens who are overwhelmed by academic standards, social pressures, and familial stresses. This is a story about a courageous young woman, Malavika, and her journey out of despair and into self-compassion.

Making the Invisible Visible: Using Art to Deepen MSC Practice

Art is a valuable tool in expressing preverbal ideas that may otherwise remain trapped in the body. Here, Helga Luger-Schreiner inspires us to consider art as a tool when making contact with our own bodies, feelings, and emotion, allowing us to not only express unsaid truths, but also to appreciate ourselves for our creativity.

How is a Retreat Like Rock Music?

Written by Dr. Kimberly Sogge
After an evening of soaking in Pink Floyd’s iconoclastic sound, I came away convinced that their legendary rock music is the perfect metaphor for the processes of transformation at work in the human psyche on a meditation retreat. If you are considering making an extended retreat part of your practice, consider the following and then, as my first zen teacher used to say “believe nothing I tell you; go, and find out for yourself”.

Exciting Updates on CMSC Retreat Development

We’re happy to introduce two new CMSC-sponsored silent retreats! Our MSC colleagues in the USA, David Spound and Beth Sternlieb, are working with us to plan a retreat in California in early 2018. Internationally, our wonderful MSC colleagues in Iceland are organizing a teacher lead retreat the first week of October 2018 at the base of the Snaefellsjokull glacier in magical Western Iceland. If you’re interested in contributing your thoughts and ideas to our burgeoning retreat program, please take a few moments to share on our survey.

Cultivating a Good Life in 2024

Compassion for ourselves is the opposite of selfish. It enables us to flourish, to shine and to thrive, even as we get old, together or alone. Learn six ways to cultivate a good life.

Thank You

We are so grateful for you being a part of our community and look forward to continuing to share with you information and news about Mindful Self-Compassion. If you are…

The Wisdom of a Gratitude Practice During Challenging Times

Gratitude is noticing the good things that life has given us, both within us and around us. For some of us, we may say we’re grateful but we brush over the words and don’t stop to feel the grateful feelings, or like I did, slip into guilt and miss the benefits of gratitude. Those benefits, validated by research, include less stress, lower rates of depression, greater calm and resilience, better sleep, and healthier relationships.

Shame: The One Who Shall Not Be Named

Once we know shame is in the house, we can begin the journey of transforming this difficult human emotion with the alchemy of tender and fierce self-compassion.

MSC BENEFITS for EMPLOYEES 

How Mindful Self-Compassion in the workplace benefits employee health and productivity. How Mindful Self-Compassion Leads to Success Research consistently supports that mindful self-compassion has profound benefits for both the workplace…

CMSC Policies

Below please find different policies that reflect our standard practice and operations.

Spaces of Belonging

In the field of mindfulness and compassion, we need queer spaces alongside dominant spaces because we do not share the same suffering. We queer folks need to connect based on our shared experience, sexuality and identities to experience belonging.

Board Member Application

We are currently accepting applications for those interested in providing critical leadership as a CMSC board member*. Our governing board members provide fiduciary oversight, strategic planning, and resource development support….

MSC Teens

Monthly Featured Meditation by Certified MSC Teen Teacher Karen Bluth, PhD.“Compassionate Friend” If you would like to stay up to date on future offerings of this Course please sign up…

MSC Intensives

This in person offering is an intensive version of the 8-week, empirically-supported MSC program, developed by Christopher Germer, PhD, a leader in the integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy and Kristin…

MSC Course Practices and Meditations

The following meditations and exercises are drawn from the MSC program, and are presented in order of the particular MSC sessions in which they are taught.  Some exercises are in…

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