New Hampshire, 2-day Mindful Self-Compassion Workshop

Wonderwell Mountain Refuge

Teacher: Kristy Arbon

Join us in at the beautiful Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in New Hampshire for a weekend of mindfulness, self-compassion, lovingkindness and community! This workshop retreat covers the core skills from the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Chris Germer and Kristin Neff.

Self-compassion: What is It?

Self-compassion is the emotional attitude of bringing kindness to ourselves when things go wrong in our lives. Most of us easily treat our friends and loved ones with warmth, tenderness and patience when they struggle, fall short or fail at times in their lives, but we have a much harder time bringing those same qualities of compassion to our own selves in the same situations. Self-compassion is directed to the one who is suffering, and encourages us to consider the fundamental question of “What do I need?” By recognizing that difficulty is here (mindfulness), that these things are a part of every human life (common humanity), and connecting with our natural capacity for kindness toward suffering (self-kindness), we can develop healthy and enduring patterns of relating to all the circumstances of life.

Self-compassion: How to Learn It

Self-compassion can be learned by anyone, even those who didn’t receive enough affection in childhood or who find it embarrassing to be kind to oneself. It’s a courageous mental attitude that stands up to harm, including the discomfort that we unwittingly inflict on ourselves through self-criticism, self-isolation, and self-rumination when things go wrong. Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, forgive ourselves, and respond to ourselves and others with care and respect, and be fully human.

After participating in this workshop, you will be able to:

• – Understand the physiology of self-compassion
• – Practice self-compassion in daily life
• – Find your own personalized lovingkindness and self-compassion phrases
• – Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
• – Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
• – Practice the art of savoring and self-appreciation
• – Teach simple self-compassion exercises to 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.

(Thanks for the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion for most of the wording for this workshop description.)