A Conversation with Sydney Spears, Ph.D., CMSC Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Blog
Quick Six: Practices or reminders to pay attention to what it is you really need
Lisa Baylis, Certified MSC Teacher and CMSC Director of Education talks about reminders of what you could offer yourself to help you feel better in a moment of struggle.
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.
Empower Your Self-Compassion Practice for Inspired Personal and Professional Growth this New Year
It’s that time of year again, for new beginnings, a fresh start, a healthier, more intentional outlook. Oh yes, that again! So often in January we feel the need, and the pressure, to improve our lives by getting rid of bad habits and adopting new routines to feel better about ourselves. But so many of us have mixed feelings about this, or even a cynical view, because we know that new year’s resolutions usually fail after the first few months of the year. Also, if we are to be compassionate with ourselves, we would like to approach this transition without the trap of thinking we need to be someone brand new just to be acceptable. So how do we commit to personal growth while still holding values of self-acceptance and kindness?
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.
She’s Going to Be Okay: Four Steps to Help Children Grow Self-Compassion
The process of helping children grow self-compassion involves four steps, which are built upon the foundation of a caregiver’s self-compassion.
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.
Part 2: The Story of Hanna: How Self-Compassion Can Foster Healthy Relationships
In this post (Part 2) we will look at the results of using mindfulness—the first component of self-compassion, and how the other two components of self-compassion—common humanity and kindness—also played a role in how self-compassion led to a healthier relationship for Hanna.
The Story of Hanna: How Self-Compassion Can Foster Healthy Relationships
Healthy relationships are central to our physical and emotional health. Whether a relationship is familial, romantic, plutonic, collegial, or that of a patient and therapist, self-compassion benefits everyone involved.
MSC Teacher Karen Bluth Wins Award for Teen Self-Compassion Research
Join us in celebrating Certified MSC teacher, teacher trainer, author, and co-creator of the curriculum for CMSC’s Mindful Self-Compassion Teen Program, Dr. Karen Bluth!
MSC Teacher Sema Demirkan Opens School of Compassion in Turkey
Sema Demirkan (MSC Teacher) opens School of Compassion in Turkey, partners with international NGO’s to build culture of compassion.
A Personal Message from New CMSC Executive Director Elijah Zimmerman
Executive Director Elijah Zimmerman, Ph.D introduces himself and shares his background in inclusive leadership and community projects.
Research: Self-Compassion in Friendships
Three research studies of adolescents and college students show that Self-Compassion has a positive impact on friendships.
Gifts of Service They Won’t Forget
A contemplation on the gift of service, giving ourselves self-compassion amidst the holidays and sharing that gift with others.
The Effects of Self-Compassion on Gratitude & Prosocial Behavior
A study of students in five different chinese middle schools over three consecutive years showed the more self-compassionate the adolescents were, the more prosocial and grateful they were.
Falling Asleep in the Arms of Gratitude
MSC teacher Kathryn Lovewell reflects on her journey of gratitude and self-compassion and how she invites her compassionate voice into daily life.
Research: Self-Compassion Applied to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
By Center for Mindful Self-Compassion Does self-compassion buffer against the adverse effects of racial discrimination and is it protective among sexual-and gender-minority adolescents across racial groups? These are questions researchers…
Research: Self-Compassion As An Antidote To Shame
A growing body of research shows self-compassion is uniquely helpful for dealing with shame, perhaps the most difficult of human emotions.
Self-Compassion and the Three Paradoxes of Shame
Dr. Chris Germer discusses how each component of Self-Compassion lays beneath the three paradoxes of shame.
Research: The Role of Self-Compassion in Creativity
Research shows that self-compassion can support the creative process. One study found self-compassion to be positively associated with artistic achievement and another study found self-compassion to support creative originality in self-critical individuals.
Mindful Self-Compassion Practices for Creatives
MSC Teacher Lorelei Loveridge discusses how mindful self-compassion can alleviate the pressure creatives face to produce by allowing them permission to feel, express, and connect.
Self-Compassion And Quality Of Life Research
Self-Compassion And Quality Of Life
How Self-Compassion Transforms Queer Shame into Pride
MSC Teacher Markus Bohlmann describes the interplay between self-compassion, and pride through the queer experience.
Self-Compassion Research on LGBTQIA+ Wellbeing
Self-Compassion research shows that not only does it support well-being in the LGBTQIA+ community, it buffers against the negative psychological impact of stress on sexual minorities.
Self-Compassion Research in Organizations: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Outcomes
Self-Compassion has a place within modern organizations and research has shown that it positively impacts both individual levels of burnout and empathy fatigue between groups.
Acknowledging Our Many Names: My Experience of Bearing Witness in Auschwitz
MSC Teacher Mirjam Luthe reflects on how she used loving touch and other self-compassion techniques to calm herself during a week of self discovery during a Bearing Witness retreat at Auschwitz.
10 Self-Compassion Practices for the Crisis in Ukraine
Kristin Neff and Chris Germer, CMSC co-founders discuss how core components of MSC can assist with dealing with the devastating news of the war in Ukraine.
Commemorating Black History Month: Black History is Everyone’s History
Sydney Spears, Ph.D, LCSW, MSC Teacher, reflects on the shared humanity present in the black experience and drawls parallels to her deepening understanding of her ancestral history.
The Benefits of a Silent Retreat
MSC Teacher Laila Narsi breaks down the benefits of experiencing a silent retreat, to include reducing stress and anxiety, improving relationships, accelerating personal development, and boosting resilience.