Emily has decided to take this global slow down as an opportunity to take a 6 month sabbatical from teaching. Please subscribe to her newsletter (click here) for news on when she will be offering workshops again. With much care and compassion, Emily
Teacher: Emily Moody
Mindfulness and compassion have often been described as two wings of the same bird: each of us needs both to soar. In this workshop, Emily will guide participants in how to begin or enhance a mindful self-compassionate practice.
The three key components of self-compassion as taught by Dr. Kristen Neff are self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindful awareness. Kindness opens our hearts to the difficulties of life, so we can tune in and give ourselves what we need. Common humanity helps us feel more connected to others, reminding us that we are not alone. Mindfulness allows us to be more connected to the present moment, so we can accept our experience with less resistance and greater ease.
The practice of self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, creating a comforting foundation for any necessary changes or transitions we might need to face. Self-compassion teaches us to motivate ourselves with kindness rather than criticism and to more fully open our hearts to ourselves and others. Rapidly expanding research clearly demonstrates that self-compassion is related to emotional wellbeing, lower anxiety and depression, maintenance of healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and more satisfying personal relationships.
Location: Equilibrium Yoga Studio, 4812 Boul St-Laurent, Montréal
Course Fee: $50 ($40 for students or if unemployed).
Language: English, with a bilingual discussion format
During this workshops, participants will learn:
- What is self-compassion and how this practice can help to relieve symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and isolation.
- How to start a self-compassionate practice using straight-forward practices such as the “Self-Compassionate pause” and “Soothe, Soften and Allow” developed by Dr. Kristen Neff.
- How to identify the inner critic within and respond with a more loving, self-compassionate voice.
- Simple body movements and breathing exercises that help to foster a self-compassionate practice.
- Mindfulness practices that will support a self-compassionate practice and bring a greater sense of connection with oneself, others and the present moment.
What you can expect: You will be welcomed into an open and warm environment, where participants are invited to sit in a circle of cushions on the floor, or can use chairs or a comfortable sofa. The afternoon begins with an opening meditation to ground and settle you, where you will be invited to set your intention for the workshop. The core foundations of Self Compassion will be introduced in an interactive, bilingual discussion format and participants are free to engage at the level they feel most comfortable. Throughout the afternoon, theoretical concepts are followed by self compassion meditations and exercises to help individuals embody the concepts in a real way. There is a break for tea and cookies half way through, as well as a time for light body stretching.
Ready to register?
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Mindful Self Compassion Teachers
Emily Moody (MA, MSW, MFT) is a Certified Teacher with the Center of Mindful Self Compassion and has been leading mindfulness-based groups for almost a decade. She has received professional training under the direction of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Dr. Kristen Neff and Dr. Christopher Germer, leading figures in the development of mindfulness and self-compassion. She is also a psychotherapist working with individuals, couples, and families to find greater harmony, both within themselves and in their most important relationships. Emily has been in private practice since 2010 and has extensive experience in integrating mindfulness and psychotherapy, particularly around issues of anxiety, depression, loss and stress-management. She is also a Marital and Family therapist (MFT), working with issues of parenting, communication difficulties, rebuilding emotional and physical intimacy, cross-cultural issues, separation/divorce, blended families, the LGBTQ community and general relationship enhancement. Emily has taught mindfulness & self compassion workshops in many institutions in Montreal and internationally, including in California, India and the Bahamas.
Janice Cormier (MA Educ.) is an educator specializing in compassion education, experiential learning, and arts-based learning. She is a Trained Teacher of Mindful Self Compassion from the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness, and has studied Compassion Cultivation, and the Psychology and Science of Compassion at Stanford University. Janice has been involved in contemplative practices for over 10 years. She has several years of experience as a facilitator working in various community organizations. Janice also has a passion for the arts, and is a professional ceramic artist and sculptor. Combining her interests, she is currently exploring ways to teach compassion cultivation through arts-based practices.
Dr. Rami Nijjar is a clinical psychologist, sex therapist, and trained MSC teacher. She spent the last 5 years working in Vancouver, splitting her time between private practice, working in the Sexual Medicine department of the Vancouver General Hospital, and supervising doctoral students at Adler University. She has also been working to adapt MSC to fit the needs of trans and BIPOC folks and trauma survivors. Rami returns to Montreal this fall to teach at the Sex and Couples Therapy Service at the Royal Victoria Hospital and share her expertise in the city she loves.
