1-Hour Free Online Introduction to Self-Compassion
Co-taught by Jon Walker and Sondra Gudmundson
This class has reached capacity and won't be offered until later in the year. You are welcome to sign up to receive info about upcoming courses here, and you can contact me directly at modestlymindful@gmail.com.
The next class will be on Monday, March 18 at 6 pm Eastern. To register for the session, click here or use the button at the bottom of the description. This class also serves as an orientation for the 8-week course we are teaching on Mindful Self-Compassion beginning Monday, April 1 at 6 pm Eastern. For more info on that course, check out the link here.
To jump to more info on the teachers, click here.
To jump to testimonials, click here.
We are all caring and compassionate people, but for complex reasons most of us seem to exclude ourselves from our own circle of caring. That has consequences. First, we can’t be all we want to be for those around us. Second, we can’t depend on the one person who could support us through thick and thin: ourselves.
Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, motivate ourselves with kindness, forgive ourselves when needed, relate wholeheartedly to others, and be more authentically ourselves. Research demonstrates that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, less anxiety, depression and stress, maintenance of healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and satisfying personal relationships. And it’s easier than you think.
In this session, you will learn about what self-compassion is and how it does—or does not—show up in your life. We’ll talk about research on the benefits of cultivating self-compassion, and also address common misgivings, such as the perception that self-compassion is ‘weak.’ We will then offer some simple practices to bring more self-compassion into your life.
To review the waiver and register, you can click here or use the button below. To learn more about the teachers, continue scrolling. And if you have questions, feel free to contact jon at modestlymindful@gmail.com and Sondra at lovingkindpresence@gmail.com. You can also read more about us below the registration button.
Photo by Michael Denning on Unsplash
Your Teachers:
Sondra Gudmundson, MS, RD, LD
Sondra is a trained teacher of MSC through the Center for Mindful Self Compassion. She aspires to help others meet difficulties in life with love and to facilitate opening the door to their heart with greater ease. She is a graduate of both Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Self-Compassion Programs.
Sondra has devoted >¼ century clinical experience as a nutrition therapist and mindful eating practitioner. She practices heart centered meditations including gratitude, lovingkindness, and self-compassion daily and honors these as essential nutrients for the soul. Sondra’s intentional focus is to offer lifecare nourishment with LOVE to guide.
Jonathan Walker, MD
Jon Walker, creator of Modestly Mindful, is a retired physician, and his full background is on the About Me page. He has done teacher training through UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley, and is a trained teacher in MSC through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. He is certified through the International Mindfulness Teacher’s Association and the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. But his main qualification is that he spent a large chunk of his life being neither especially mindful nor self-compassionate, so he is highly motivated to help you avoid a similar fate!
Jon & Sondra met on the path of their MSC teacher training adventures and are inspired to partner with you to help cultivate your own personal relationship with your inner teacher.
Testimonials:
Thank you so much for taking me through this 8 week's class. I really looked forward to coming each week and seeing both of you. It was a bright spot in my weeks and I valued the time tremendously. You are both amazing teachers and your kindness, compassion, energy, and dedication really made this class that much better! A.I.
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“This class offers a treasure trove of tools which enabled me to elicit a powerful paradigm shift. A shift towards the big MSC (Mindful Self-Compassion)! I am now a huge believer and have since ordered the workbook and plan to sign up for a second round and bring my family and friends. A huge shout out to two wonderfully insightful, caring and compassionate human beings! Thank you Jon and Sondra! Truly--thank you from the bottom of my heart." H.K.
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"MSC opened my eyes to a beautiful side of life that I had never experienced. Through Sondra and Jon's kindness and expertise. I was taken on an exquisite journey of self-discovery and compassion. I have changed in profound ways while accepting my humanness with grace. My thanks and gratitude." Maria
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“I sincerely thank you for your expertise, style, and kindness. I’m greatly appreciating the insights from the class and you both as teachers, plus I’m happy to say that frequently I think of the 3 basic concepts of self-compassion. They are really helping me!” Celine
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"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing our group together and sharing your teachings. Mindfulness and self-compassion have helped me stay present(ish). I’ve noticed the strong urges to act out of fear and anger, and get caught up in old stories. I can’t control what is going on around me, but I can say to myself, this is hard, I am suffering, remember that I am not alone and have an intention to be kind to myself. To my surprise, it has made such a difference. Little moments of letting go and letting myself grieve...Many thanks to you both for your kindness, generosity and teachings." Jean
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"Thanks so much for the class and the teachings you have both provided over the last 2 months! It has been great and has helped me gain some tools for dealing with my inner critic. The process is nowhere near perfect, but nobody is, so I’m looking forward to continuing my journey towards a more self-compassionate lifestyle." Kevin
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“Sondra and jon humbly present a really wonderful practice to tackling some difficult topics on self-compassion. They look at each session as a journey together to really get at this material. I was most appreciative of the time they took outside of sessions to fully answer any questions and concerns, even if it ended up with more confusion than certainty! I feel for those just starting any sort of self-development practice, they are great for helping individuals get their footing. They are really dedicated to their students, and that is fantastic!“ Jeremy
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