MSC – Mindful Self-Compassion Intensive Training – Israel

"A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. 
A string of such moments can change the course of your life."Chris Germer

MSC was developed by Christopher K. Germer, PhD, leader in the integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy (www.MindfulSelfCompassion.org) and Kristin Neff, PhD, pioneering researcher in the field of self-compassion (www.Self-Compassion.org). MSC combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion, providing 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 inadequacy, sadness, anger, confusion) with a spirit 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 enhances emotional wellbeing. It boosts happiness, reduces anxiety and depression, and can even help maintain healthy lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise. Being both mindful and compassionate leads to greater ease and well-being in our daily lives.

Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically-supported program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. Participants will learn

and apply the three key components of self-compassion—mindful awareness, kindness, and a sense of our common humanity—to cultivate a courageous attitude that stands up to harm, including the harm that we inflict on ourselves through self-criticism, self-denial, or self-absorption. Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, forgive ourselves, motivate ourselves with kindness, care for others, and be fully human.

Program activities include:

Meditation, short talks, experiential exercises, group discussion, and home practices. The goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment for exploring how we typically respond when difficult emotions arise, and to provide tools for becoming a warm and supportive companion to ourselves and others. The emphasis of the program is on enhancing emotional resources and personal capacities.

At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness
• begin to transform difficult relationships, old and new, through self-validation
• motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism
• relate to difficult emotions with greater moment-to-moment acceptance
• teach simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients
• alleviate caregiver fatigue

This program is designed for members of the general public, as well as for professionals who wish to integrate self-compassion into their work. No previous experience with meditation or mindfulness is required to participate in this 5-day program. And the program fulfills a prerequisite for becoming an MSC teacher. All are welcome!

Details:

The intensive is held at, Hataas 11 st, Kfar-Saba, Israel.

Monday: 15/7 between 9:00-17:00
Tuesday: 16/7 between 9:00-17:00
Wednesday: 17/7 between 9:30-13:30
Thursday: 18/7 between 9:30-17:30
Friday: 19/7 between 10:30-14:00

Testimonials:

Martin is a wonderful MSC teacher. He introduced me to MSC when I was suffering from postpartum depression and for that I will always be grateful to him. I took Martin's very first MSC course with him and learned an incredible amount. Martin is kind and thoughtful and introspective and humble and intelligent. He embodies the perfect combination of compassionate kindness and kind intelligence and used both to teach and nurture us through the course.

D.J.

MSC opened my eyes to a gentler and more loving way of relating to myself. I cannot overstate how meaningful and transformative this was for me. And I can't imagine a wiser or more humane instructor than Martin. His presentation of the material was engaging, his compassion for the students was palpable, and his peaceful demeanor and kindly sense of humor put everyone at ease.

Bryan P.

Martin is a gentle and compassionate guide to these profound teachings. I took the MSC course with Martin several years ago, and the teachings continue to reverberate every day. Martin's course changed my life, helping me to heal old wounds and find the source of new strengths.

Laurie M.

Martin is such a professional. It's easy to hear "self-compassion training" and think it's going to be all touchy-feely and "woo-woo." But this is a practical, well-organized course based on scientific research. Yet he also leaves plenty of space for the more emotional moments that may arise. This course truly opened my eyes and ears to the sometimes harsh "scripts" that run in my head—about myself and about others. Hearing those scripts, taking care of them, and gently challenging them has allowed me to find more joy and acceptance in my life.

Justin G.

I had been interested in mindful self-compassion prior to learning that Martin was going to offer the class for the benefit of the people in our small college town. At the outset, I was skeptical of several things. First, that individuals who pride themselves on being academic (and sometimes argumentative) would dare learn about compassion. And secondly, that any teacher would be able to gracefully handle a group of adults from disparate walks of life, such that all would be encouraged to trust him and each other. My skepticism proved unfounded on both counts.

I am delighted to report that Martin brings a truly unique mix of strength, kindness, wit, and gentleness to his work. I believe he embodies the highest hopes of students and facilitators alike when he teaches, listens, and responds flexibly to whatever arises in the course of a classroom discussion. He has an inherently curious mind, a brilliant way of engaging everyone, and a deep understanding of the material. He has single handedly had a significant impact on the contemplative nature of this community here. I believe this is nothing short of miraculous! I am profoundly grateful to have had the opportunity to study with him.

Joan W., MD