The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving the collective well-being of the planet through self-compassion training and practice. Our vision is a world where each person matters and everyone belongs. We welcome your presence. Join us at www.centerformsc.org
[CMSC News] December 2024: 🎁 Giving Back to YOU: 30 Days of Self-Compassion + Join Us for a Free Year-End Renewal Retreat
Dear Wonderful CMSC Community,Today is Global Giving Tuesday, a special day dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations as they kick off their year-end fundraising efforts. This year, we’re doing things a little differently. We are engaging in a "Global Giving Back Tuesday," and dedicating today—and this newsletter—to you. Instead of asking for donations or highlighting upcoming fee-based workshops, we want to take this opportunity to give back to you. We are committed to accessible and effective self-compassion education and training and we are grateful for our growing community of 150,000 subscribers. Together, we’re helping more people worldwide experience the proven power of self-compassion In the weeks ahead, we’ll share stories of the powerful impact your support has made possible and invite you to join us in our year-end fundraising efforts. Today, we want to connect with you and celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together. I invite you to take a look at what we’ve prepared in appreciation, including our free year-end retreat, Renewal: Deepening Connection, Strengthening Resilience. I hope to see you there! With care and gratitude, Elijah Zimmerman Vielen Dank • Muchas Gracias • Tack så mycket • Veel dank • Merci beaucoup In Gratitude: Free Renewal 2024 Silent Mini-RetreatsRenewal: Deepening Connection, Strengthening Resilience. Free Live Online Silent Mini-RetreatsSaturday, December 28th, 2024 Mindful Self-Compassion is transforming the global culture, offering an antidote to the challenges of our times. In practicing together, we create a collective resilience that strengthens each of us for all of us and extends far beyond our circles. Your presence and dedication fuel this mission, making it possible to bring compassion to those who need it most. We invite you to join us for this special Day of Self-Compassion. These silent mini-retreats offer a calm, supportive space to slow down and reconnect—with yourself, with others, and with the present moment. Through mindful practices, quiet reflection, and shared silence, we’ll nurture resilience, cultivating the strength and clarity to approach life’s challenges with mindfulness and self-compassion. Whether you’re new to these silent mini-retreats or have attended before, these sessions provide a quiet space for inspiration, reflection, renewal, and strengthening your resilience. Open to the general public, the retreat will feature guided meditations from eight senior MSC teachers from around the world including MSC Co-Developer Chris Germer, hosts Angelike Dexter and Ben Weinstein, along with Carolina Bautista-Velez, Noriko Morita Harth, Lisa Baylis, Robyn Gobin, and David Fredrickson. Come sit with our global community. All are welcome. No previous experience with meditation, mindfulness, or self-compassion required. And you're welcome to attend one, two, three or all six sessions.
Effects of Self-Compassion on Aggression and Its Psychological Mechanism Through Perceived StressResearch continues to highlight self-compassion as a powerful tool for fostering emotional well-being, enhancing resilience, and deepening connections with ourselves and others. This study, Effects of Self-Compassion on Aggression and its Psychological Mechanism through Perceived Stress, adds to this growing body of knowledge by exploring how self-compassion can reduce aggression and mediate stress, offering valuable insights into how self-compassion practices can contribute to a more compassionate and harmonious world.
Meditation: Giving & Receiving Compassion with Laila Narsi, LCSW"Giving and Receiving Compassion" is a beautiful MSC practice that invites us to balance the flow of compassion between ourselves and others. Certified MSC Teacher Laila Narsi offers this practice with warmth and wisdom, creating a space where participants can deeply connect with their innate capacity for kindness. Through her skillful guidance and soothing voice, this practice becomes a powerful reminder of the importance of nurturing both self-compassion and compassion for others. Laila’s dedication to this work is reflected in her commitment to supporting our Circles of Practice program as volunteer Co-Coordinator for the past four years. Thank you, Laila for your service.
Thank You for Your Support!
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Free Online Streaming the Month of December
DEIB: Self-Love & Mindful Self-Compassion with Robyn Gobin, PhD
At the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (CMSC), we are deeply committed to fostering a world where compassion, inclusion, and belonging thrive. Our DEIBJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice) initiative is at the heart of our mission, ensuring that everyone—regardless of background or identity—feels welcome and valued in our community.
This December, we invite you to stream for free the new DEIB Empowerment Workshop: Self-Love and Mindful Self-Compassion, presented by Dr. Robyn Gobin, presented this past May. In this transformative session, you’ll explore the power of self-love, resilience, and mindful self-compassion through engaging discussions and practical exercises, empowering you to embrace your unique worth and live authentically. Everyone is welcome—join us and take a step toward greater self-compassion and fulfillment.
| Watch the Workshop |
Sign Up for Free 30-Days of Self-Compassion Phrases
In the busyness of daily life, it’s easy to forget the importance of speaking with kindness to ourselves. Self-compassion phrases—simple, heartfelt wishes or intentions to ourselves—can transform the way we navigate challenges, offering moments of solace, strength, encouragement, and connection. These empowering phrases help us pause, breathe, and reconnect with the compassion we so freely give to others. We invite you to sign up for a free email series during the month of December, "30 Days of Self-Compassion Phrases," with brief daily reminders based on the MSC Course to embrace kindness and care for yourself. Let these words of tender and fierce self-compassion serve as a guiding light, helping you approach life’s ups and downs with greater warmth and resilience.
| Sign Up for 30 Days of Self-Compassion |
My Self-Compassion Manifesto
by Ana María Sáenz Velásquez
If you've participated in an MSC course, you know the value of listening to a poem after an exercise or meditation and how powerful it can be in settling our nervous system, deepening our awareness of self-compassion and helping us express what words alone often cannot. This creativity and depth are beautifully reflected in "My Self-Compassion Manifesto," written by Ana María Sáenz Velásquez, a recent graduate of MSC Teacher Training in Medellín, Columbia. Her words are a testament to the compassion, generosity, and creativity that make our community so special. At CMSC, we celebrate the many ways our community members share and express what they’ve learned from practicing MSC.
Here is an excerpt from Ana María’s inspiring manifesto. You can read the entire manifesto at the link below:
to end the war,
to drop my shoulders, to lower my guard.
To soften my body and my words.
To move slowly and live awake.
to open up to the world,
to recognize, remember, know,
and also to not know.
To feel, to cry and forgive,
to leave guilt outside,
and let cruelty wait forever.
to call myself friend,
to look at myself in the mirror
and see all of me without judging.
To be vulnerable,
to let go of the useless struggle of
not accepting myself.
To read the entire poem and celebrate Ana María’s beautiful contribution to our community, click here.
If you've ever wondered why poetry is included in the MSC course, here is an insightful reflection from CMSC Co-Founder Chris Germer, shared during a "Teacher Learning Series" session, "On Poetry."
| Read or Download the Self-Compassion Manifesto |
Resources You May Have Forgotten About or Haven't Accessed Yet
- YouTube Meditations, Practices, and Retreat Playlists and Replays
- Soundcloud Audio Meditations
- CMSC Gratitude Board
Free Live Online MSC
Meditation Practice
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 (weekly) | Register
- BIPOC Affinity Group (weekly) | Register
- Hispanohablantes / Spanish speakers (weekly) | Register
- Men’s Practice (monthly) | Register
- SCHC Alumni Group (monthly | Register
We Want to Celebrate You. Share Your MSC Experience and Help Others Who Need to Hear What Only You Can Say
Your journey with Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) has the power to inspire and uplift others. Whether MSC has helped you navigate challenges, deepen your self-awareness, or cultivate greater kindness toward yourself, your experience could be exactly what someone else needs to hear. We invite you to share your MSC story—big or small—by filling out this simple form. We also want to celebrate you and share you with our community. Share your story here.
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.
Center for Mindful Self-Compassion
The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving the collective well-being of the planet through self-compassion training and practice. Our vision is a world where each person matters and everyone belongs. We welcome your presence. Join us at www.centerformsc.org
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...
In Person MSC Core Skills Workshop with Chris Germer and Kristin Neff May 30th & 31st, Los Angeles, CA Register Now! Register before May 8th and save $50 with the code Core50LA Join Chris Germer and Kristin Neff for this unique in person opportunity this May!Friday, May 30, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PMSaturday, May 31, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PMLocation: Presbyterian Church, 1220 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA(This is a secular event) For the first time in three years, MSC founders Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris...
Self-Compassion in Action: How to Stay Kind to Yourself in Uncertain Times In a world that feels increasingly uncertain—whether from work stress, relationship challenges, or global unrest—it’s easy to turn our struggles inward, meeting them with self-judgment instead of understanding. Self-compassion helps us to see these inner conflicts and respond with support rather than self-criticism. By practicing self-compassion, we quiet the battles within and create space for inner peace—so that no...