(1 credit) Many Buddhists dedicate themselves to practicing kindness and compassion for others, and inadvertently leave themselves out. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” In this class, we will learn to include ourselves in the circle of compassion – not above other sentient beings, but also not below.
This class is based on and draws heavily from the 8-week course in Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. In this class we will learn core principles and practices that enable students to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care and understanding. Self-Compassion can be learned by anyone and is a key ingredient in healthy self- Care. MSC has been studied for over two decades, and there is now a significant field of research into compassion and self-compassion which shows that these practices are strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, lessened anxiety, depression and stress, maintenance of healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and satisfying personal relationships.
