Workshop Resources

Agenda subject to slight changes on the day of the event to best support the group. Thanks for your understanding.

Workshop Schedule

May 30th: Day One Schedule

Check in starts at 8:30

Self-Compassion – Core Concepts   9:00 am

  • Introduction  
  • Exercise: How would I treat a friend? 
  • Self-Compassion Theory 
  • Gestures of Self-Compassion  
  • Self-Compassion Research 
  • Q&A 
  • Exercise: Soothing Touch/ Self-Compassion Break  

Break 10:30 – 10:45 am

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion 

  • Meditation: Affectionate Breathing 
  • Mindfulness and Self-Compassion 
  • Backdraft 
  • Exercise: Soles of Feet 

Lunch Break 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Loving-Kindness and Compassion

  • Meditation: Loving-kindness for a loved one Exercise: Compassionate Movement 
  • Practicing with phrases 
  • Exercise: Finding loving-kindness phrases

Break 3:00 – 3:15 pm

Finding our Inner Compassionate Voice 

  • Arriving Meditation 
  • Why do we criticize ourselves? 
  • Exercise: Compassionate Motivation 
  • Stages of progress

Program ends at 4:30 pm

May 31st: Day Two Schedule

Check in begins at 8:30 am

Living Deeply  9:00 am

  • Meditation: Giving and Receiving Compassion Finding Hidden Value in Suffering 
  • Exercise: Silver Linings 
  • Exercise: Compassionate Listening 

Break 10:30 - 10:45 am

Working with Difficult Emotions 

  • Arriving Meditation 
  • Stages of acceptance 
  • Exercise: Soften, soothe, allow 
  • Shame 

Lunch Break 12:15 – 1:30 pm

Self-Compassion for Caregivers 

  • Arriving Meditation 
  • Empathetic Resonance 
  • Caregiver Fatigue 
  • Exercise: Self-Compassion with equanimity Self-Compassion in Clinical Contexts 

Break 3:00 – 3:15 pm

Embracing Your Life 

  • Arriving Meditation 
  • Negativity Bias 
  • Cultivating Happiness: Savoring and Gratitude Exercise: Gratitude 
  • Self-appreciation 
  • Exercise: Appreciating What’s Good about Ourselves Exercise: What would you like to remember?

Program ends at 4:30 pm

What should I bring?

  • Please wear comfortable clothes.
  • Bring a pencil/paper/journal of some kind. A way to jot down your thoughts, as needed and wanted.
  • Please feel free to bring a water bottle and any personal snacks. There is no food allowed in the main venue, but should you need a blood sugar boost or break, you may eat in the entry area/outside as needed.
  • Lunch will be on your own and there are many places available around the venue.

Your Instructors

Dr. Neff and Dr. Germer are pioneers who created the empirically-supported Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, which teaches the skills needed to cultivate self-compassion and enhance emotional well-being.

Dr. Kristin Neff's Bio

Dr. Chris Germer's Bio

MSC Core Skills Learning Objectives

At the completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:

  • Identify the three key components of self-compassion
  • Describe key research that supports the benefits of self-compassion
  • Apply techniques to increase self-compassion in everyday life
  • Use self-compassion to alleviate caregiver burnout
  • Implement self-compassion practice to motivate behavior change
  • Develop and apply self-compassion practices to respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness
  • Assess and manage difficult situations and emotions with greater moment-to-moment acceptance

Additionally participants may:

  • Begin to transform difficult relationships, old and new, through self-validation
  • Practice the art of savoring and self-appreciation
  • Integrate core mindfulness and self-compassion exercises into daily life
  • Teach simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients

Program activities include talks, meditation, experiential exercises, and group discussion. Participants will directly experience self-compassion and learn practices that evoke self-compassion in daily life. No previous experience with mindfulness or meditation is required to attend the program.

Books and References

  • The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook

    Published in 2018, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook (Neff & Germer) was designed as a companion to the MSC course and to introduce the general public to MSC. It includes much of the theory and practices taught in MSC, plus additional material on research and special topics. 

    The workbook contains writing exercises for home study and  vivid stories of people using the techniques to address relationship stress, weight and body image issues, health concerns, anxiety, and other common problems.  People who purchase the book have access to recorded meditations from the publisher’s website.

  • Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals

    Published in 2019, Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals [Germer and Neff] is the authoritative guide to conducting the MSC program. Germer and Neff review relevant theory and research and describe the program’s unique pedagogy. Detailed vignettes illustrate not only how to teach the course’s didactic and experiential content, but also how to engage with participants, manage group processes, and overcome common obstacles. The final section of the book describes how to integrate self-compassion into psychotherapy. Purchasers get access to the publisher’s companion website with downloadable audio recordings of the guided meditations. 

    Note: This book is not intended to replace formal training for teaching the MSC program.

  • Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout

    Tools to Help You Heal and Recharge When You’re Wrung Out by Stress

    Over years of developing and teaching their renowned Mindful Self-Compassion program, Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer have found MSC to be uniquely helpful for people struggling with the soul-draining depletion of burnout, from health professionals, teachers, and caregivers, to shift workers and entrepreneurs. Each chapter in this engaging book offers an empathic story of someone stretched to their limits and an easily digestible bite of self-compassion, culminating in a simple anti-burnout tool based on MSC practices. Readers learn quick and powerful ways to recharge their batteries, de-stress, and, above all, be kind to themselves–so they can be there for others.

    Published in 2024

Area Information

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Donate and give the gift of self-compassion.

Workshop Sponsors

  • Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

  • Insight LA

Upcoming Course of Interest

July 20-25: 5 Day MSC Intensive for Caregivers at Big Bear with Megan Prager and Guest Teacher

More Information