Self-Compassion Retreats

Retreats

Self-Compassion Retreats

CMSC 5-Day Silent Retreats

CMSC’s retreats are based on the research and teachings of Drs. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, the co-developers of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Program, as well as ancient wisdom practices from several traditions. The retreats offer an opportunity to renew and deepen our practice within an environment enhanced by silence. The retreats are led by experienced teachers who have been invited by CMSC to teach their retreats. CMSC’s retreats also serve as an opportunity for MSC teachers to continue to build their affect tolerance and equanimity so that they may hold their steady seat while teaching MSC.

Benefits of 5-Day Silent Retreat

A silent retreat is a vital way to go inward and nourish our personal meditation practice. It is life-enhancing for everyone who attends (virtual or in-person) and particularly important for those who work with mindfulness-based interventions. Silent retreats offer long-term benefits and a way to be in community with other human beings, honoring the varying degrees of our diverse backgrounds and lived experience. Our attention during this retreat will be on how we can build our resilience and enhance our capacity to meet our challenges with equanimity, strength, and compassionate awareness.

Upcoming Retreats or Intensives

Silent retreats are designed to support participants in:

Nurturing a deeper and more embodied meditation practice.
Developing greater awareness and compassion for what it means to be fully human.
Discovering practices that can enrich and support our lives well beyond the time of the retreat.
Coping with the stresses and challenges of life.
Embracing who we are and releasing harsh judgments, self-criticism, and shame.
Opening to experiences of calmness, clarity, insight, kindness, acceptance, and love.
Preparing oneself to teach and (especially important for teachers) allowing yourself to be a student of the practices.
Benefitting from the richness that arises from practicing mindfulness and self-compassion in a safe and supportive community and with experienced teachers.

Retreats are open to:

- Anyone who wishes to train to teach MSC, MBSR, and similar programs. This retreat meets the teacher training prerequisite of most mindfulness-based teacher training programs including those from CMSC, USCD, and Brown University.
- Anyone who is already teaching such courses and would like the opportunity to deepen their personal practices in an environment that many teachers have called restorative. We strongly encourage all MSC and MBSR teachers to participate in retreats on a regular basis.
- Any graduates of MSC, MBSR, and similar courses who do not aspire to teach but wish to deepen and strengthen their practices.
- Anyone who wishes to experience the proven power of self-compassion through companionable silence in community.
The practices in this retreat are inspired by, and drawn from, the MSC and MBSR programs. Participants will engage in full days of mindfulness and compassion meditation practices, including periods of sitting, walking, and gentle yoga. There will be some instructional and inspirational talks as well as opportunities to meet with the teachers in small groups to explore any questions that arise. There is also time set aside each day for self-care and for informal practices.