Mindful Self-compassion
A Toolkit for the Mind and the Heart
Mindful Self-compassion provides resources that can help you be the best possible version of yourself by embracing the heart as well as the mind.
“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”
“This course was even better than I thought it would be and at an excellent price point. John is so caring and makes time to really listen to you. He guides the course beautifully and I particularly enjoy the meditations and poems John includes in every session. The MSC retreat at the end of the course was great as it gives you time to reflect on what you've learnt on the course and just be”
The Mindful Self-compassion course (MSC) was devised by and based on the groundbreaking work of Kristin Neff and Chris Germer. I’ve taught it eighteen times, I love teaching it and I love seeing how participants really benefit from taking part. They’ve given a 92% satisfaction rating, 98% satisfaction for my teaching and 95% recommend the course as worth joining.
I’ll run my autumn online Mindful Self-compassion course for eight sessions on Tuesday evenings between September 30th and December 2nd from 7pm to 9.30pm; it’s okay to miss a session or two if necessary. The fee is £310, though I don’t want money to be an issue so please let me know if it is and we can discuss the fee; the fee includes up to four individual sessions if you want to go a bit deeper.
If you want to register you can use the form below.
If you’d like to ask any questions or tell me anything, you can use the same form to arrange to meet me online to talk about what you need and how I can help. Or simply send me an email! An initial meeting is free and without obligation.John x
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
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.
And here’s a bit more detail
Course intention
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.
Course content
Here’s what the course covers over the eight weeks. Sessions are a mix of teaching, exercises, group discussion, and meditation practices.
This is not group therapy, no one has to speak about anything they do not wish to speak about, and I am available in between sessions to use the learning to go as deep as is helpful for the individual.
There’s an additional Retreat (half a day for the online course) to take some time out for you and to savour the experience of mindfulness and self-compassion; it’s also a chance to experience the power of a silent meditation retreat.
Session 1: Discovering Mindful Self-compassion
Introductions, agreements, guiding principles
What is self-compassion?
Session 2: Practising Mindfulness
What is mindfulness?
How do we cause ourselves unnecessary suffering?
Putting a mindful approach into practice
Session 3: Practising Loving-Kindness
Loving-kindness and compassion
How do we treat a friend?
Putting kindness and compassion into practice
Session 4: Discovering your Compassionate Voice
Stages of progress as the course unfolds
The self-critic
Motivating ourselves with compassion
Session 5: Living Deeply
Core Values
Finding hidden value in suffering
Compassionate listening
Session 6: Meeting Difficult Emotions
Working with difficult emotions
Guilt and shame
Working with shame
Session 7: Exploring Challenging Relationships
Pain of disconnection when relationships go wrong
Meeting unmet needs
Pain of connection and caregiving fatigue
Session 8: Embracing Your Life
Cultivating happiness, gratitude and self-appreciation
What would I like to remember?
Tips for maintaining a practice
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.
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.
