Sunday, April 07, 2013

Sounds True - Kristin Neff: The Liberating Power of Self-Compassion


Kristin Neff, PhD., is one of the leading figures in the movement to replace self-esteem with self-compassion (along with Christopher Germer, PhD., author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions, a book that seriously changed me).

Sounds True owner and founder Tami Simon interviews Dr. Neff about her work in self-compassion and about her audio course (CEUs are available), Self-Compassion Step-by-Step offered by Sounds True.

Dr. Neff is author of Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind, and her website has a ton of resources for developing and understanding self-compassion. She has appeared at TEDx (The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion) and her site offers several short videos (Self-CompassionSelf-KindnessCommon HumanityMindfulness, and Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem).

Kristin Neff: The Liberating Power of Self-Compassion



Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tami Simon speaks with Dr. Kristin Neff, a professor of human development and culture at the University of Texas and a practitioner of Buddhist meditation. The recent book and documentary The Horse Boy (DVD) illustrate her and her family’s adventure with autism (the book is written by her husband, Rupert Isaacson). 
With Sounds True, Kristin has created the audio program Self-Compassion Step-by-Step, which includes clinical evidence of the importance of self-compassion along with techniques and exercises for cultivating this pivotal quality. In this interview, Tami and Kristin talk about three pillars of self-compassion, “self-compassion breaks,” and the importance of recognizing our common humanity during difficulties that feel unique and isolating. (69 minutes) 
Play

Download
Read Transcript
* * * * * 
Self-Compassion Step by Step: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

By Kristin Neff

 
A Six-Session Training Course for Transforming Your Relationship with Yourself 
Why does it feel so natural to be compassionate and kind to those we care about-yet so hard to treat ourselves the same way? "Our culture teaches us to use self-criticism for motivation and to build self-esteem by constantly measuring ourselves against everyone else," says Dr. Kristin Neff. "We need to re-learn the essential skill of being genuinely nurturing and supportive toward ourselves." With Self-Compassion Step by Step, this groundbreaking researcher reveals the clinically proven power of self-kindness, with practical training for cultivating an enduring and unshakable sense of your fundamental human worthiness. 
Self-Compassion: The Mainstay of Happiness and Well-Being 
Over the past decade, an overwhelming body of research has shown self-compassion to be a master key to good psychological and physical health. Whether you wish to reduce stress, develop healthy habits for exercise or diet, unlock your creativity, or even deal with serious conditions such as depression or addiction, a strong sense of self-compassion is an essential ingredient for success. Best of all, self-compassion is a skill that can be learned. Through six sessions of teaching, Dr. Neff offers guided meditations, experiential practices, and on-the-spot techniques to help you build a strong foundation of self-compassion in your daily life. 
"We often become our own worst critic because we believe it's necessary to keep ourselves motivated," says Dr. Neff, "but in fact the research shows that healthy self-compassion increases our inner drive, our resilience to setbacks, and our ability to excel at work and in every aspect of life." With Self-Compassion Step by Step, she presents a powerful training course that is both accessible and profoundly transformative-a practical approach for creating a life of greater happiness, fulfillment, and love. 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Self-kindness - How actively comforting ourselves activates our physiological systems designed for soothing and safety
  • Common humanity - Recognizing the imperfect nature of the shared human experience
  • Mindfulness - Meeting our moments of suffering with balanced awareness rather than ignoring or exaggerating our pain
  • Why we resist self-compassion - Debunking the common myths; The clinically-proven benefits of self-compassion in numerous aspects of life
  • The essential difference between competitive self-esteem and true self-compassion
  • The natural progression of self-compassion practice
  • Guided techniques that use visualization, touch, language, and awareness to evoke states of self-compassion, and much more

No comments: