Is this you?
In facing difficult situations or even your own high standards, you can sometimes have a whole inner committee of thoughts pulling you in different directions. Trying to make sense of it can be tiring work. You need a break from internal processing that goes in circles and self-analysis that leaves you feeling disconnected.
OR
You have more compassion for others than for yourself. You can name others’ needs before identifying your own. You have given a lot to others and are ready to give some gifts to yourself. But, it's difficult to know what you really need and how you thrive—especially when social conditioning exhorts you to maintain an external focus.
This course is for anyone who would like to cultivate a grounded sense of confidence and self-care using practical tools.
What is it all about?
Self-empathy is an essential ingredient in a thriving relationship. To have a loving and conscious relationship with another, you also need to have a loving and conscious relationship with yourself.
Self-empathy gives you relief from internal conflict, criticism, and doubt. You learn to greet each part of your experience with compassion and acceptance, which gives you access to wise discernment and effective action.
Self-empathy is a skillful means for taking responsibility for your experience. When you can sort experience into categories, such as observations, thoughts, feelings, needs, and requests, it is easier to meet it with equanimity and compassion. In addition, it enables you to stay true to your values and express honestly with another.
In this workshop, you will be introduced to the process of self-empathy in the framework of Mindful Compassionate Dialogue. Here are the specific aspects of self-empathy we will address:
Identify the differences between self-empathy and other responses to your experience
Learn to identify and make use of an anchor
Translate self-critical into the true message of feelings, needs, and requests
Understand the importance of being able to direct focused and sustained attention on that which supports a warm and compassionate relationship to experience.
About Mindful Compassionate Dialogue
Mindful Compassionate Dialogue (MCD) naturally supports you in creating the relationships you want by integrating the wisdom and skills of three powerful modalities: Hakomi, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and mindfulness.
Each modality contributes something unique to the process. Hakomi offers clarity about reactivity and healing. NVC provides a method for achieving self-responsibility, skillful communication, and agency. And mindfulness adds the stable attention and clear focus needed to continuously refine your understanding and skills.
MCD is a system meant to provide access to agency, compassion, mindfulness, and wisdom. Personal transformation is achieved through practice with the 12 Relationship Competencies and 9 Foundations, which arise from a central, life-serving intention.
What to expect
In this eight week series, you will engage in conceptual learning, group discussion, experiential learning, and skills practice. Practice exercises will be done individually, in pairs, and in small groups. You can choose to apply examples from your own life in the exercises.
Details
Trainers: Elia Lowe-Chardé & Jeri Parks
When: Saturdays 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Pacific Time (broadcasting from Portland, OR, USA); January 11, 25 / February 1, 8, 15, 22 / March 1, 8; 2025 (Please note we will not meet January 25)
Where: Online Video Conference Course or Self-Paced
Contribution: $295
Please contact us by email if you believe you would benefit from this course and payment is the only barrier - info@wiseheartcommunity.org
Live attendance means:
Arriving on time to the workshop
Attending and participating for at least 6 of the 8 sessions
Access to the video recording for 8 weeks following the workshop
Receiving a detailed handout that you can download and keep for later reference
The opportunity to be assigned a study buddy
Ensuring you have consistent access to internet speeds and connectivity that support video conferencing (600kbps/1.2Mbps (up/down) for HQ video; 1.5Mbps/1.5Mbps (up/down) for gallery view)
Facility with using the Zoom video conferencing system. For more technical information about zoom, you can go here.
Self-paced attendance means:
Access to the video recording for eight weeks following the series
Receiving a detailed handout that you can download and keep for later reference
The opportunity to be assigned a study buddy