Cultivating Kindness and Compassion

Kindness (often called Loving-Kindness Meditation or LKM) and Compassion practices (delivered through the Mindful Self-Compassion program or MSC) are traditionally integral to the practice of mindfulness. These simple practices can soften our awareness, support greater ease in practice, and help us more flexibly meet the challenges in our lives. Kindness and compassion are often thought of as the other “wing” of practice. It takes both awareness/wisdom and kindness/compassion to fly.

• Kindness is an expression of basic friendliness and goodwill toward others and ourselves.
• Compassion is that same goodwill turned toward our own and others suffering.
• These ancient practices have been research-proven to reduce distress by modern science.

Who should attend?

The retreat is open to both newcomers to meditation and experienced mindfulness practitioners with an interest in kindness and compassion meditation. For new students, the retreat will offer introductory practices of mindfulness, kindness and compassion which can develop our natural capacities for connection with ourselves and others. Experienced students will re-visit (or get a boost for re-starting) their mindfulness practice and deepen their understanding of kindness and compassion practices in support of greater ease and wellbeing.

The retreat will be held mostly in silence with periods of mindful sitting, walking and movement as a support for the introduction of basic kindness and compassion practices.