In the season finale, we delve into the connection between mindful compassion and our innate capacity for self-healing. This episode is a reflective journey that brings together the insights and practices we've explored throughout the season, highlighting how they help us connect with our inner gold and navigate life’s challenges with grace. We begin by examining the archetype of the wounded healer, teaching us that our experiences of suffering can become sources of profound wisdom and empathy. As we reflect on the season, we revisit the rich tapestry of practices shared, from brief mindfulness exercises to more extended meditations, discussing how we can build an ongoing mindfulness routine to cultivate wellbeing and handle life's challenges with kindness and wisdom. We introduce an on-the-go Pleasure Walk to find joy in everyday moments and conclude with an appreciative body scan meditation, imbuing this traditional practice with kindness and gratitude. Join us as we wrap up our journey through the Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living programme, celebrating the insights and growth we've experienced together.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Dr Erik van den Brink and Meditation Teacher, MBSR Teacher and Trainer and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.

How can we thread kind, wise and compassionate action into the very fabric of our daily life? This is what we explore in Episode 9, as we take a deep dive into the theme of living with a heartful mind and a mindful heart. We revisit our emotional regulation systems, acknowledging that what we incline the heart & mind towards becomes the inclination of the heart, guiding our thoughts, words and acts. With this in mind, we contemplate how we can nourish and serve the ecosystem - seeing ourselves as part of an intricate web of interconnection - rather than the ego system of me, myself and I. We also discuss practical ways to bridge our formal and informal mindfulness practices, including a Breathing Space for Wise Compassionate Action as a handy tool. Throughout the episode, we’ll explore how to deepen our practice of kindness, concluding with an extended Loving Kindness meditation. So, whether you're sitting quietly or on the move, join us as we journey together towards a more compassionate, interconnected way of being.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist Dr Erik van den Brink and Meditation Teacher, MBSR Teacher and Trainer and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)

www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.

In episode 7 of our Mindful Compassion season, we explore the essence of "Growing Happiness." Grounded in ancient wisdom and modern psychology, join us as we walk the sometimes-illusive pathways to joy and fulfilment. Throughout the episode, we illuminate different routes to happiness: the pleasant life, the engaged life, and the meaningful life. We demystify these concepts by aligning with our core values and providing practical tools, like the silver lining contemplation, to navigate life's challenges with insight and grace. We also introduce four Friends for Life: compassion, kindness, sympathetic joy, and equanimity and explore how these timeless virtues stand ready to guide us through life's ups and downs with wisdom and compassion. Our journey concludes with a delightful practice: revisiting the good. It's an opportunity to savour life's moments and cultivate gratitude. Join us on this transformative expedition, blending mindfulness, compassion, and the science of positive psychology and empowering you to cultivate a life filled with authentic joy and meaning.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch Psychotherapist Dr Erik van den Brink and Meditation Teacher and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.

In Episode six we continue our exploration of mindful compassion, as we delve into the interplay of giving and receiving compassion, culminating in a transformative compassionate breathing meditation practice. We explore the essence of compassionate exchange, drawing insights from the Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living course. Our core meditation, Compassionate Breathing, is inspired by the ancient Tibetan practice of Tonglen which invites us to transform our suffering through the power of the breath, breathing in what hurts and breathing out what heals. We also explore the complexities of navigating self-identity and the power of mindful compassion to gain perspective, exploring how compassion practice fosters resilience and empathy, enabling us to transcend self-judgment and embrace our shared humanity. You are warmly invited to join as we embark on this journey into the heart of mindful compassion together and uncover its transformative potential, for ourselves and others.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch Psychotherapist Dr Erik van den Brink and Meditation Teacher and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.

How can we embody the many skills and attributes of compassion? In this episode we explore the answers to that question. Inspired by the Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living course, we embark on a journey to understand and cultivate compassion in our lives. We begin by harnessing the power of imagination through mindful imagery, laying the groundwork for compassion to flourish. Discover a practical breathing space with compassion meditation for moments of challenge and adversity. Delving deeper, we explore the Lotus of compassion, uncovering the environment, attributes, and skills pivotal for embodying this virtue. We also explore how to discern between the voices of your inner critic and inner helper. Our episode culminates in an Embodying Compassion guided meditation, anchoring our understanding and nurturing compassion through our practice. Join us as we embrace compassion as not just a concept, but as a guiding force in our one, precious life.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch Psychotherapist Dr Erik van den Brink and Meditation Teacher and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.

How can we mindfully and compassionately relate to our desires and habits? In this episode we talk about common human patterns of mind, how we can recognize them and how we can make a shift to treating both our patterns and ourselves more kindly. We begin by looking at how we can compassionately relate to resistance and share a story to help us recognise how, with mindful compassion, we can make conscious choices about which wolf we feed, sharing an ‘on the go’ Breathing Space with Kindness practice to feed the wolf of kindness. To help us develop an inner helper, we build an understanding of our inner critic and the helpful intentions behind self-conscious emotions like shame and guilt. Finally, I guide a Compassionately relating to Desire practice, first considering some wisdom from ancient Greece and my personal insights from the practice to whet our appetite.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch Psychotherapist Dr Erik van den Brink and Meditation Teacher and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

Find out more about compassion and shame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFN8t9SXiQ (Chris Germer speaks about self-compassion as the antidote to shame)

https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame?language=en (Brene Brown TED Talk)

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.

What stops us from practicing self-compassion? We begin today’s episode by exploring some common blocks to self-compassion and look at how the research addresses these common concerns. We identify the three defining characteristics of self-compassion and share some embodied compassion gestures to help us fully step into this way of being. We build on this with a short ‘on the go’ practice: the Self-Compassion Mantra. By exploring the phenomenon of backdraft we build an understanding of why we may sometimes need to go slowly and gently with any resistance we encounter. To consolidate the themes of the session we end with 20 minute a Compassionate Companion meditation.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch Psychotherapist Dr Erik van den Brink and Meditation Teacher and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

Find out more about the work of Kristen Neff & Chris Germer

https://self-compassion.org/ (Kristen Neff)

https://chrisgermer.com/ (Chris Germer)

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.