I can offer you tools to acknowledge negativity and improve your wellbeing with self-compassion.

Next online course is Tuesdays May 14th to 2nd July 19.00 to 21.30

You can use the links to book a meeting, or sign up by filling in the form at the bottom of this page

How does MSC work?

We all experience emotions, which can appear to be negative and overwhelming. Mindful Self Compassion doesn't try to fix this, instead it offers tools to acknowledge the negative and with self-compassion cultivate the gold.

Mindfulness practices

This will help you handle stress and difficult emotions, increase kindness and acceptance of yourself and others, and build well-being.

Programme

The eight week programme combines mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness, develops awareness of emotions and experiences, and offers practices for self-compassion, compassion for others, and better relationships.

In this course you’ll learn:

  • How to stop being so hard on yourself

  • How to transform difficult relationships, both old and new

  • How to handle difficult emotions with greater ease

  • How to become your own best teacher

  • How to motivate yourself with encouragement rather than criticism

  • Mindfulness and self-compassion practices for home and everyday life

Comments from course participants

  • “I found this course amazing. It came at the right time for me as I had started to think that there was something more than how I was living”

  • “Thank you John for being so calm, kind, knowledgeable and insightful"

  • “John was a fantastic teacher offering not just the well thought out and delivered lessons but also that extra help individually when things were more difficult”

  • “Profound changes and my attitude to life... I have felt a significant 'shift' in my emotions, feeling, and wellbeing... I'm dealing with difficult emotions with ease and grace... an invaluable life-changing experience"... thanks for everything John, you are a rather wonderful man”

  • “I think everyone should choose to take this course. The re-framing from Self Critic to Self Compassion is life-changing”

Key takeaways

✓ Mindfulness

learning to notice what's happening and to be your own observer

✓ Self-Compassion

learning how to treat yourself with kindness, and from that grows kindness for others

✓ Common Humanity

learning that everyone struggles, which means you're not alone, and there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with you

Is MSC effective?

There’s a lot of research now that shows that a mindful and compassionate approach to life significantly improves wellbeing, healthy behaviour, personal responsibility and resilience, as well as decreased depression, anxiety and stress. Improvements are linked to how much a person practices mindfulness and self-compassion in their daily lives.

About the course

Mindful Self Compassion offers resources and the opportunity to take a fresh look at your life and learn many practices that will help you take care of yourself in a consciously kind way, and as a result have better relationships with those around you. It has its challenges, which is why it's great to do this with a group. It’s also online which means you don’t have to go anywhere.

To learn new skills takes time and practice; this is why the course is intensive, takes eight weeks at 2½ hours per session; there is some challenging material, and some wonderful practices to do together and to take away to use every day. I can support individuals between sessions to apply what the course teaches.

I plan to teach my 16th online course on Tuesdays from May 14th to July 2nd; there will also be an online retreat for half a day one weekend. The current fee, that includes any individual sessions that might help, is £315, and I’ll be asking you to spend about £15 on a Workbook. I don't want money to be a problem and I'm happy to discuss, without judgement, whether a lower fee would work for you.

You can read more here.

Better still make a booking to have a call or video conversation.

Here’s a poem I love that’s especially relevant

The Guesthouse by Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honourably.
He/she may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Interested?

If you’d like to join a course or learn more please fill this form to tell me who you are. Soon after the details arrive with me I’ll arrange to discuss your interest by phone or Zoom at a time that is convenient for us both. Thanks and good wishes.

John

Who teaches MSC

My name is John Quill. I’ve done a lot of work on myself throughout my life, and I now know what I wish I’d known when I was a much younger man!

I’m in my 70s with many years of life experience and I believe I bring the energy of an Elder to my support for others, whatever their age. Supporting others in turn supports me because it gives me a sense of purpose and makes my (older) life worthwhile.

I’ve worked on myself and with other men with the Mankind Project, I’m a Trained Teacher of Mindfulness in schools and a Trained Teacher of Mindful Self-compassion. I’m a husband, a dad, a grandad and a step-dad. You can read more on the About me page.