Mindful Self-Compassion for BIAPOC
September 24 - December 2, 2023
A 9 week course online for healing and resilience for
Black, Indigenous, Asian, or People of Color
Mindful Self-Compassion
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is a neuroscience-driven, research-backed and evidence-based eight-week course with an additional half-day retreat, developed by Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer. MSC focuses on cultivating self-compassion, i.e. including ourselves in the circle of compassion, and treating ourselves with the same level of love and care we often offer so easily to others. Depending on the context, self-compassion can also be fierce and have a protective, caring force.
MSC combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to enhance our capacity for emotional well-being. Growing research demonstrates that self-compassion is strongly associated with better relationships, as well as reduced anxiety and depression. Cultivating self-compassion can fundamentally shift how we relate to ourselves as well as challenging people, situations and experiences (including those caused by institutional oppression) by moving away from self-blame and criticism. With practice, we can strengthen our relationships and lean into more effective communication; boosting happiness, optimism, curiosity and creativity while also reducing shame, anxiety and fear of failure; resulting in an overall increased satisfaction in life.
Why BIAPOC?
MSC facilitated within the context of the BIAPOC experience makes us more aware of the subconscious beliefs we may hold (internalized racism or internalized colonialist attitudes, feeling “not good enough” or questioning our sense of belonging because of harmful messages internalized as beliefs) that may be unconsciously informing our decisions and the way we show up in the world. MSC invites us to show up, together, more powerfully for ourselves which also strengthens our individual and collective emotional resilience.
Together, we will engage in meditation practice, reflective exercises, and interactive discussions in both large and small groups, exploring our life experiences deeply. We seek to co-create a safe refuge, where participants can contemplate, share authentically, listen deeply, and compassionately receive each other and everyone’s whole selves with loving kindness. Practicing compassion in community this way can powerfully insulate us from a sense of separation and help heal grief and trauma caused by systemic oppression.
What's Included
Schedule
Sept 23 - Dec 2, 2023 (online)
Saturdays
11am EST - 2 pm EST
Zoom link will be shared after confirmations are finalized
Mindful Self-Compassion 9 -Week Course ONLINE (plus additional retreat day):
Week 1 23 Sept
Introduction - before break of Session 1
Week 2 30 Sept
Introduction - after break of Session 1
Week 3 7 Oct
Practicing Mindfulness
Week 4 14 Oct
Practicing Kindness
Week 5 21 Oct
Discovering your Compassionate Voice
Week 6 28 Oct
Living Deeply
Week 7 4 Nov
Retreat 10am - 2pm
Week 8 11 Nov
Meeting Difficult Emotions
Week 9 18 Nov
ExploringChallenging Relationships
HOLIDAY 25 Nov
Thanksgiving Break
Week 10 2 Dec
Embracing Your Life
*Time changes for the Fall: 5th Nov in the US, 29th Oct in the UK
Why Mindful Self Compassion?
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Grow and sustain compassion for self
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Improve Relationships
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Explore how self-compassion helps bring in ease to situations that lead to burnout (work or personal)
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Strengthen your voice and feel comfortable claiming your space in various settings
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Live in Deeper Alignment with your values
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Notice and reduce unfavorable comparisons with others
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Face and befriend our shortcomings
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Forgive ourselves where we needed when it feels comfortable to do so
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Gain tools to manage difficult emotions with greater ease
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Build emotional strength for dealing with daily and sudden stresses
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Motivate yourself with kindness and encouragement rather than criticism
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Live more authentically
Cost
This event has a limited number of spots – please register early. This course is offered with a sliding scale of $295-$595 investment in yourself.
Accessibility is incredibly important to us. We encourage you to write in to inquire about scholarship options as needed, especially if you live in the Global South.
Meet your facilitators
About Christina Leaño:
Christina is a contemplative activist, retreat leader, and spiritual director passionate about exploring the intersection of spirituality and social and ecological justice. Christina’s contemplative journey began when she was introduced to Zen meditation while serving as a volunteer in the Philippines in1998. Since then she has trained in Christian contemplation, Mindful Based Stress Reduction, forest therapy, and meditation in the Theravada tradition. She is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leaders program through Spirit Rock Meditation Center and a trained Mindful Self-Compassion teacher through the Center of Mindful Self-Compassion. Christina completed graduate studies in theology where her thesis focused on a Filipino American environmental social movement she helped co-found in 2000.
In addition to her contemplative facilitation work, Christina serves as Associate Director for the Laudato Si’ Movement, a faith based organization mobilizing for ecological and climate justice. She is committed to nurturing compassion in our world through individual and collective transformation and contemplative practice. www.christinaleano.net
About Tanaz Be:
Tanaz, also a trained Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher, is passionate about creating safe spaces where people can share openly about the full range of their life experiences, spaces that bring balance to all of our lived experiences. Tanaz believes that adversity does not have to be our destiny and loves sharing the message that well-being (compassion and resilience in particular) is something we can all learn and cultivate at any stage of our lives, no matter what we have been through, or how burnt out we may currently feel. She believes in the power of fierce self-compassion to affect social change through self-advocacy.
Tanaz has held safe space for people to share their grief in addition to offering resilience skills and compassion training to those on the ground in Ukraine (via zoom, with a team and translators), therapists, education leaders, cancer survivors, accident survivors, domestic violence survivors, healthcare workers, marginalized communities, and those who lost loved ones during covid-19. Self-compassion, she believes, is foundational to all the work she offers for it grounds us more deeply in our values, i.e. our authentic selves; and makes us more aware of the societal, cultural and family influences that have been silently and unconsciously shaping our lives and choices.