The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion

What would happen if you were kind to yourselfat least as kind as you are to otherswhen you notice the ways you are less-than-perfect? How do you respond to life' s problemswork pressure, illness, rejection? It' s easy to become overwhelmed with emotion in tough situations and to start battling against what we' re feelingand against ourselves. What if you developed a new habit of comforting and soothing yourself instead?

This workshop will provide simple tools for responding in a kind and compassionate way whenever you suffer, fail, or feel inadequate. You will learn how to

• Stop being so hard on yourself
• Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
• Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
• Transform your relationships, both old and new
• Use mindfulness and self-compassion exercises in everyday life.

This weekend is a condensed adaptation of the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion training program developed by psychologists Christopher Germer and Kristin Neff. It is a weekend journey that will include meditation, talks, personal stories, research, and discussion. Special emphasis will be given to the art of loving-kindness (metta) meditation.

The workshop is set on June 10-12, 2011 at the Kripalu Center, Stockbridge, Massachussets. For more information, visit www.mindfulselfcompassion.org.