Dear CMSC Community,

This month, I celebrate the heart of our community—all of you—with a special focus on our incredible volunteers, who show how self-compassion and compassion for others go hand in hand.

Thank you to everyone who shows up with genuine care, whether you’re leading Circles of Practice, serving on our board, or offering support in other meaningful ways. Your dedication creates a community that actively reduces suffering and spreads joy through everyday acts of kindness.

To our learners and participants, thank you for the courage to open your hearts. Your willingness to be vulnerable sparks real connections and enriches our shared effort to promote well-being, creating a space where care and understanding flourish.

I deeply appreciate our shared commitment to mindful self-compassion. Together, we are creating an environment where every individual is celebrated, and we support one another in uplifting the human spirit.

Wishing you the warmth of community and the comfort of heartfelt understanding.

Elijah Zimmerman (He/They), CMSC Executive Director

Vielen Dank • Muchas Gracias • Tack så mycket • Veel dank • Merci beaucoup
非常感谢你 • ありがとうございました • Thank you very much
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Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities: Exploring the Effects of a Synchronous Online Continuing Medical Education Program on Physician Burnout

Gardiner, Paula MD, MPH; Pérez-Aranda, Adrián PhD; Bell, Natalie PT, CMF; Clark, Dawn R. MD; Schuman-Olivier, Zev MD; Lin, Elizabeth H. MD, MPH

Physician burnout is a common problem for which self-compassion training has shown positive effects. In this program evaluation, the effects of a synchronous online continuing medical education program were explored (Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities, SCHC) to improve physician burnout and related outcomes.

Meditation: Gratitude for Self with Victoria Brattini

We invite you to take a moment for yourself and experience Gratitude for Self, a calming meditation led by Circles of Practice Teacher Victoria Brattini. In this practice, Victoria guides you to connect with your heart space, let go of what no longer serves you, and cultivate deep gratitude for just who you are in this moment As one of our dedicated Circles of Practice teachers, Victoria generously volunteers her time to lead free MSC practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00-7:45 am Pacific on Zoom. You can sign up here!

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Celebrating 10 Years of Circles of Practice: Honoring Our Volunteer Teachers

By Mary Marcdante, CMSC Communications Director

As we celebrate CMSC Volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Month, we are also excited to mark a significant milestone—the 10th anniversary of our free Circles of Practice program! For a decade, volunteer MSC Teachers have generously shared their time, wisdom, and compassion, helping to create a safe, supportive space for individuals to explore the transformative power of self-compassion. Over the past ten years, 58 Circles of Practice Teachers have provided thousands of hours of free self-compassion sessions to more than 20,000 individuals, making a profound impact on the well-being of countless people worldwide. This special anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the incredible contributions of our teachers and honor their dedication to this life-changing program. Read on for five ways you can join us in saying thank you to these CMSC Superheroes.

Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities
6-Week Course with Adrienne Gaudet

Tuesdays, April 8 - May 13, 8:00-9:00 am PT

Self-Compassion Training for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) is a 6-week adaptation of the evidence based Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program created by Kristin Neff, PhD and Chris Germer, PhD. Research on the SCHC program conducted in 2019 at Dell Children's hospital in Austin, TX revealed significant increases in self-compassion, mindfulness, compassion for others and compassion satisfaction, and decreases in depression, stress, secondary traumatic stress and burnout in healthcare professionals.

This abbreviated MSC program was specifically designed for the general healthcare public to address the unique time constraints, workplace culture, and stressors of healthcare professionals. *This is not a Teacher Training program.

Fierce Self-Compassion: From Self-Kindness to Empowerment, Building Inner Strength to Create Positive Change

April 30th - June 16th, 2025

Prerequisite for registration: completion of a Mindful Self-Compassion Course, or MSC Core Skills Workshop.

This course meets every Wednesdays 9:00-11:30 am PT. Click here to view a Time Conversion Chart.

Fierce self-compassion involves:

• Taking action in the world to protect, provide, and motivate ourselves to alleviate suffering and thrive
• Being able to say “no” as we begin to draw firm boundaries
• Saying “no” to limiting beliefs or behaviors, so we grow with courage
• Giving ourselves what we genuinely need – mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually

This unique course explores the action-oriented side of self-compassion that begins with the inner work of fierce self-compassion. Prior experience with self-compassion is recommended before taking this course. This course will take you one step further as you learn how self-compassion can help you speak up and claim your power.

5-day Live Online Silent Retreat with Aimee Eckhardt and Tracy Ochester

April 25th - 30th, 2025

Trust helps shape the way we move through the world—our confidence in ourselves, our ability to navigate uncertainty, and our connection with others. Yet, fear and doubt can undermine our courage to trust. How do we stay anchored in wisdom? And how do we cultivate self-trust when our inner critic is loud?

In this 5-day retreat, we’ll explore trust as a practice—one that deepens through mindfulness, self-compassion, and intentional reflection. Through guided meditation, inquiry, mindful movement, and discussion, we’ll reconnect with our inner wisdom and explore:

• Building trustworthiness in ourselves
• Staying steady when the world feels uncertain
• Relating to the inner critic with kindness
• Opening to the natural balance of giving and receiving in our lives

Join us to nurture the trust that allows us to meet life with greater clarity and courage.

In-Person MSC Core Skills Training
​Santa Monica (Greater Los Angeles), CA

Join Chris Germer and Kristin Neff for this unique in person opportunity this May!​
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Friday, May 30, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday, May 31, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Presbyterian Church, 1220 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA
​(This is a secular event)

Thank you to our Co-Founders Kristin Neff and Chris Germer for donating their time to lead this valuable experience.

For the first time in three years, MSC founders Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer are offering a rare in-person Core Skills Workshop! This unique opportunity allows participants to experience their guidance firsthand in a live setting. The MSC Core Skills workshop, is designed for individuals who want to integrate self-compassion into their personal lives and professional work. It is open to the general public and provides a total of 12 hours of training over two days.

What You’ll Learn:

MSC helps you develop self-compassion through three core elements:

• Mindfulness – Turning toward difficult emotions, sensations, and thoughts with awareness and an open mind.
• Common Humanity – Recognizing that feelings of inadequacy and disappointment are universal and that suffering is part of the shared human experience.
• Self-Kindness – Offering warmth and understanding to ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate.

This workshop is an empowering introduction for those new to self-compassion and a valuable refresher for MSC graduates looking to deepen their practice.

Live Online Mindful Self-Compassion

Learn the full practices and theories of self-compassion in our 10-week, live online programs or our our specialized MSC course for BIPOC communities! These courses are taught by certified MSC teachers around the world and help you establish a consistent self-compassion practice founded in research and science. You'll learn how self-compassion can lessen anxiety, depression and stress and improve your relationships, health, and resilience. Join a course today. Courses available monthly. Explore all upcoming LOMSC dates.

Register

Register

Become an MSC Teacher in 2025!

Are you passionate about teaching Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)? Start your journey with our Teacher Training program! After completing prerequisites, you’ll gain the skills to teach the standard MSC course and work toward becoming a Certified MSC Teacher eligible to teach adaptations. This is your opportunity to bring the power of self-compassion to others while deepening your own practice. Applications are now open—don’t miss out on this transformative experience!

Upcoming 2025 Live Online Teacher Trainings:

LOTT-27: May 1 – July 17, 2025 4:00 – 7:00pm PT

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Circles of Practice - Free Online Daily Meditations

Our MSC Circles of Practice program is a donation-based offering to our community and the public. CMSC offers 100 monthly free online daily practice sessions, all led by volunteer MSC teachers and supported by donations.These self-compassion meditation sessions are available on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Click on the links below to learn more and register for a session.

Join a session today:​

• MSC Graduates (7x weekly) | Register​
• General Public (2x daily, open to all) | Register​
• LGBTQI2S+ Affinity Circle (monthly) | Register​
• BIPOC Affinity Group (weekly) | Register​
• Hispanohablantes / Spanish speakers (weekly) | Register​
• Men’s Practice (monthly) | Register​
• SCHC Alumni Group (monthly | Register​

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The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion is an international nonprofit organization that serves over 250,000 people in our global community. We are dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving the collective well-being of the planet through scientifically researched self-compassion training and practice. Our vision is a world where each person matters and everyone belongs. Your donations allow us to share self-compassion training around the world and keep Circles of Practice free to those in need. Thank you in advance for any support you are inspired to donate.

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