Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) is an eight-week program that focuses on cultivating self-compassion in community.
The MSC program (developed by psychologists Kristen Neff, PhD (www.Self-Compassion.org) & Chris Germer, PhD (www.MindfulSelfCompassion.org) combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to provide a powerful tool for emotional resilience.
Mindfulness is the first step in emotional healing—being able to turn toward and acknowledge our difficult thoughts and feelings (such as anger, confusion, sadness, inadequacy) with an approach of openness and curiosity.
Self-compassion involves responding to these difficult thoughts and feelings with kindness, sympathy and understanding so that we soothe and comfort ourselves when we’re hurting.
Research has shown that self-compassion greatly boosts emotional well-being and happiness and reduces anxiety and depression. All that’s required is a shift in the direction of your attention–recognizing that as a human being, you, too, are a worthy recipient of compassion.
The Mindful Self-Compassion for BIPOC sessions will deepen our capacity to meet our individual and collective experience with awareness, compassion, and resilience, as well as strengthen our sense of common humanity. The 8-week format consists of eight weekly, 2.5 hour sessions in a classroom/discussion group format, plus a 4-hour retreat. This class format lends integration into our lives and offers an extended opportunity to deepen and solidify our practice.
In this group-learning environment, we will engage in meditation practice, reflective exercises, and interactive discussions in both large and small groups, with exploration of daily life experience and practice. We seek to create a safe refuge, where participants can contemplate, share authentically, listen deeply, and compassionately receive each other and our whole selves. 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.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
-Audre Lorde
Throughout this course, participants will learn to:
-describe the theory and research supporting mindful self-compassion
-motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism
-relate to difficult emotions with greater moment-to-moment acceptance
-respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness
-begin to transform difficult relationships, old and new, through self-validation
-practice the art of savoring and self-appreciation
-integrate core mindfulness and self-compassion exercises into daily life
-teach simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients
Schedule (Fridays 9:00am-11:30am PT):
Oct 28
Nov 4
Nov 11
Nov 18
Nov 25
Dec 2
Dec 3 – Retreat 9am – 1pm
Dec 9
Dec 16
Testimonials from Alisa and Dina’s April 2021 MSC BIPOC Series:
“This course was transformative and healing. Alisa and Dina are amazing, collaborative co-teachers. As a non-binary Black womxn, the depth of information and practice – and the supportive, dynamic BIPOC community – developed in this course have helped me grow, stretch and recover.” – Lenora L.
“This BIPOC MSC course was the most extraordinary course I have taken on meditation and mindfulness practices. It was rooted in practical tools, community, self love and depth of self. I would recommend this course to ANY BIPOC looking for a loving space to practice. This class is full of permission: permission to love yourself, love others, and love community. I learned from my fellow classmates tremendously and would take this class again and again. Self compassion takes so much tender courage and this course facilitates bravery, surrender and humility.” — Camila L.
“Yes, I would. I’d say, this is the short-cut for your life-long journey.” — Anonymouse
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Continuing Education Hours:
Psychologists: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 24.0 CE credit.
California licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. 24.0 CE credit may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. For those licensed outside California, please check with your local licensing board to determine if CE credit is accepted.
Nurses: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board ofRegistered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16351, for 28.75 CE credit.
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This event has a limited number of spots – please register early. This event is offered with a sliding scale of $225-$550 and has 50% pay-what-you-can financial support spots for those who cannot afford the base price. To register: Click Register, Person of Color, then type in the highest amount you can afford to help support fellow practitioners.
To support this offering and students who cannot afford the base price, click here to make a donation.
