LIVE ONLINE 8-WEEK MINDFUL SELF-COMPASSION (MSC) COURSE

Encourage & motivate yourself with kindness & compassion, rather than criticism and judgment.

Come together LIVE ONLINE and learn research-based practices and exercises, to cultivate an attitude of open awareness and kindness. Discover how practicing Mindful Self-Compassion increases resilience, improves our overall well-being, and positively impacts how we relate to ourselves and others.

Bill and Catherine Krame have wisely chosen Mindfulness, Self-Compassion and Positive Psychology as the three pillars of their non-profit organization and they are dedicated to making the benefits available to all. Through their deep commitment and generosity, the Krame Center for Mindful Living offers essential programs designed to alleviate suffering, build resilience, and contribute to a kinder, more compassionate world.

~Chris Germer
Clinical Psychologist, Co-Creator of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, Author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion

“The Krame Center for Mindful Living serves a compelling need of our times : accessible, affordable programs in mindfulness that are presented by deeply experienced teachers, The programs are not only inspiring, they are strongly practical, so that they can actually make a difference in someone’s life.”

~Sharon Salzberg
Internationally Recognized Meditation Teacher, Lecturer, & the author of 11 books including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness

In a world where there is so much competition to succeed, we have become our own worst competitor!

We have spent our lives in comparison to those around us, criticizing and judging ourselves before anyone else even has the chance! As a result we have begun to measure our own happiness, success, and self-worth based on how others view us, and how we view ourselves compared to them! Constant self-criticism and feelings of isolation lead to higher levels of stress, the inability to process our emotions effectively, and unhealthy coping strategies.

With Mindful Self-Compassion, we can become aware of difficult emotions, recognize the common humanity in our struggles, and accept ourselves with greater kindness and compassion.

Wondering if MSC is right for you?

MSC might be just what you need if you can relate to any of these…

  • Overly self-critical

  • Difficulty accepting mistakes or failures

  • Negative self-talk

  • Unable to offer yourself kindness

  • Unhealthy relationships

  • Unable to process difficult emotions effectively

  • Self-blame

  • Caregiver fatigue


What are the benefits of Mindful Self-Compassion?

The benefits of Mindful Self-Compassion include, but are not limited to…

  • Gratitude and self-appreciation in daily life

  • Motivation through encouragement and kindness rather than criticism

  • Capacity to navigate difficult emotions with greater ease & resilience

  • Increased sense of connection to self and others

  • Greater self-acceptance and self-confidence

  • Transformation & healing in challenging relationships

  • More happiness and life satisfaction

  • The ability to savor daily joyful moments

  • And more…

So what is MSC?

Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an evidenced-based, 8-week training program based on the groundbreaking research of Dr. Kristin Neff and the clinical expertise of Dr. Christopher Germer. MSC teaches core principles and practices that enable us to respond to difficult moments in our lives with kindness, care, and understanding.

The three key components of Self-Compassion are Self-KindnessCommon Humanity, and Mindfulness. Together they comprise a state of warm-hearted, connected presence.

Self-Kindness allows us to treat ourselves as we would treat a dear friend or loved one when we experience feelings of disappointment,  inadequacy, or failure. With Self-Kindness we are able to care for, and soothe ourselves in difficult moments.

Common Humanity is recognizing that our emotions and struggles are universal, and part of being human. Our shared interconnectedness enables us to realize that we are not alone.

Mindfulness increases our present-moment awareness so that we can accept each experience more objectively, and with greater clarity.

Self-Compassion is about making a “You-Turn” and befriending yourself. Learn how to treat yourself more like someone you love by cultivating a gentle curiosity about your inner experience, and motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism. Self-Compassion allows us to admit our shortcomings, helps us to cope with difficult emotions, and forgive ourselves when needed. It helps us increase emotional strength and resilience, relate wholeheartedly to others, and be more authentically ourselves.

Research shows that Self-Compassion is associated with greater happiness and well-being, decreased anxiety and depression, healthier lifestyle habits and improved personal relationships. AND, Self-Compassion can be learned by anyone!

In our 8 Week Mindful Self-Compassion Course you will learn practices that can easily be incorporated into daily life to support greater well-being, healthier lifestyle habits, and improved personal relationships. 

8-WEEK LIVE ONLINE MSC COURSE WITH THE KRAME CENTER FOR MINDFUL LIVING 

An easeful + supportive
course format

8 Weeks of LIVE ONLINE Classes

20+ hours of LIVE instruction in Mindful Self-Compassion, which includes carefully sequenced Self-Compassion exercises, guided meditations, written exercises, group discussions, and compassionate movement.

Online
Retreat

This 4-hour Retreat is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of Mindful Self-Compassion, and practice skills learned during the course in a group setting.

Support
and Tools

Regular emails from your instructor to reinforce learning, provide support, and reminders.

Home practice & access to meditation audio recordings.

Weekly LIVE ONLINE meditations.

PLUS, all MSC graduates receive a certificate of completion, post-course poetry & resource packets, access to quarterly retreats, and invitations to exclusive programming.
*Note:  in order to receive certificate no more than 1 class can be missed unless arrangements are made with instructor.

8-WEEK LIVE ONLINE MSC COURSE

Class Format & Flow

Class 1:
Discovering Mindful Self-Compassion

Class 1 begins with a brief orientation to acquaint you with the practice of Mindful Self-Compassion as taught in the official MSC curriculum. You will learn about the groundbreaking science behind the program, discover the many health benefits and how it can positively affect the quality of your everyday life. We will explore the three components of Mindful Self-Compassion and you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on your goals and intentions for the course. You will discover how to approach MSC by learning about the obstacles to Self-Compassion, the zones of tolerance in monitoring your own emotional safety, and adjusting your ability to open and close in response to your emotional needs. Through a reflective exercise, you’ll have the opportunity to compare how you speak to a friend in need of emotional support with how you speak to yourself during a difficult time, in order to establish a foundation for the Self-Compassion training ahead.

Class 2:
Practicing

Mindfulness 

In the second class we learn that Mindfulness is foundational to Self-Compassion and necessary in identifying, and turning towards, our difficulties before we can respond with self-kindness. We explore the wandering mind and what Mindfulness is, and how to apply it in everyday life. We begin to take a deeper dive into what practicing Self-Compassion entails and what to expect. You will learn the informal practice of “Soles of the Feet”, and the first core meditation of “Affectionate Breathing.” You’ll engage in a reflective exercise to explore the impact of resistance on your own suffering, and how to work with it when difficult emotions arise while practicing Self-Compassion. Each week includes classroom discussion about your experiences with the core practices and informal activities engaged in during the home practice.

Class 3:
Practicing Loving-Kindness 

In class 3 you’ll learn the distinction between compassion and loving-kindness, while exploring the four facets of goodwill: loving-kindness, self-kindness, compassion, and self-compassion. We introduce the practice of loving-kindness through discussion, meditation, and other exercises that involve developing kind phrases for yourself that you may typically say to a friend. To find meaningful phrases we ask ourselves the core question in self-compassion: “What do I need right now?” Discussion centers on differentiating between needs and wants by identifying examples of universal human needs.

Class 4:
Discovering Your Compassionate Voice

In this class you begin to refine the loving-kindness phrases you were working with throughout the previous week to begin developing your compassionate voice. Through experiential exercises you’ll reflect on your experience of MSC so far and explore the stages of progress, investigate your own inner critic, and continue to cultivate your compassionate voice through the second core practice of “Loving-Kindness for Ourselves.” We look at the relationship between self-criticism and the desire for safety, and explore what it feels like to motivate a behavioral change from both the self-critical and self-compassionate perspective.

Class 5:
Living

Deeply 

Class 5 begins with the third and final core meditation practice of “Giving and Receiving Compassion.” The theme of living deeply includes identifying your core values, exploring how you may be out of balance with these values, and investigating both internal and external obstacles that might be getting in the way. You are invited to turn a core value into an aspiration for yourself, discover a positive message in a past struggle, and learn to listen to others deeply and compassionately through an experiential exercise.

Retreat Day:
Deepening

Practice

The Retreat Day is a wonderful opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of Mindful Self-Compassion and put into practice the skills that you have been learning, including cultivating a sense of presence, common humanity, and self-kindness. Your instructor will guide you through a variety of the core practices, soles of the feet walking meditation, savoring a snack exercise, gentle movement, poems, and more.

Class 6:
Meeting Difficult Emotions

In this class we take a deep dive into understanding difficult emotions and you’ll discover new strategies to handle them with greater ease. You’ll learn to approach difficult emotions in the five stages of acceptance and how to apply three simple techniques of labeling and validating them, locating them in the body, and using the “Soften, Soothe & Allow” practice to meet them more effectively. Class time is devoted to understanding the extremely challenging emotion of shame, and how to move from a maladaptive to an adaptive view of this troubling emotion. Through an experiential practice you’ll learn how Self-Compassion helps us meet shame in a kinder, healthier way.

Class 7:
Exploring Challenges within Relationships 

Class 7 focuses on the pain of challenging relationships, whether we feel hurt, disconnected, or emotionally exhausted. You’ll explore the emotion of anger and how, upon closer inspection, it usually involves softer feelings underneath that point to unmet needs. By engaging in a reflective practice we investigate when anger serves to protect us and when it is harmful to us, and others. You’ll learn how to use the “Self-Compassion Break” in relationships as a way to diffuse or reset a difficult conversation that has gone off track.

Class 8:
Embracing

Your Life

In this final class you’ll learn to practice savoring, gratitude and self-appreciation as a way to cultivate positive feelings in support of Self-Compassion training, and to encourage an ongoing practice after the conclusion of the program. Several reflective exercises reinforce the concepts presented in this class to create an upward spiral of positive emotions. You’re given tips for maintaining a practice and encouraged to identify what you’d like to remember from this course. It is important to acknowledge endings and beginnings by bringing mindful awareness and compassion to the experience, and appreciating or savoring it in some way. We mark the ending of the program with a special activity in which we take time to honor you and your classmates for completing the 8-Week Course.

“I have learned that these mindful practices are not about ‘fixing’ myself or anyone else, but a real opportunity for self-acceptance.”

– MSC Graduate, Winter 2021

“My instructor was a skilled and talented facilitator. She created a safe space for participants to explore the self compassion practices.  I felt supported and validated by her guidance and gentle manner.”

– MSC Graduate, Winter 2021

“The 8-Week course enabled me to learn and to practice strategies designed to enhance my self compassion, not just what self-compassion means.”

– MSC Graduate, Winter 2021

GET STARTED

8-Week Live Online
MSC Course

Affordable Pricing

Full & Half Scholarships are available.
Click here to apply.