The Self Compassion Skills Workbook PDF

Contents
How to Use This Workbook
PART I Introduction to Self-Compassion

1 What Is Self-Compassion?
2 Self-Compassion Is a Skill
3 What Self-Compassion Looks Like: Vignettes and Exercises
PART II The Map to Self-Compassion

Step-by-Step Guided Training Sessions
4 Navigating the Map: Finding the Right Practice for You
5 The Practices
Practice 1: The Self-Compassion Body Scan
Practice 2: Self-Acceptance
Practice 3: Embracing Suffering
Practice 4: Healing Pain From the Past
Practice 5: Going Deeper
Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult
Practice 7: Natural Compassion
Practice 8: Cultivating Joy
PART III Maintenance

Living Self-Compassionately
6 Everyday Practice: Peace Is Every Step
7 Physical Self-Care
8 Compassion and Self-Compassion in Relationships
Reflection Journal
Ongoing Practice Journal: Day 15 and Beyond
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author
Please note, this e-book contains some places that ask the reader to fill in questions or comments.
Please keep pen and paper handy as you read this e-book so that you can complete the exercises
within. This e-book also contains some exercises that point to corresponding audio tracks on “Guided
Meditations for Self-Compassion”, a downloadable companion resource available to readers at
http://www.selfcompassionworkbook.com/.
How to Use This Workbook
Just 14 days of self-compassion training can create significant and

measurable changes in your brain, mind, and behavior. The practices
contained in this workbook have been studied in rigorous, randomized,
controlled trials (similar to the way a drug company tests a new
medication), and scientists have concluded that as little as 30 minutes a day
for 14 days is enough to create real and lasting change.i
Part I of this book is your preparation. It explains what self-compassion
is, why it’s so important, and illustrates what it looks like in various
situations. This conceptual understanding of self-compassion gets you ready
to begin your practical training.
Part II of this book is the program—your practical training in
developing self-compassion. I suggest you set aside 30 minutes a day for 14
days for this purpose. At the end of that time, you will likely find that you
feel more emotionally stable and comfortable with yourself. You’ll find that
joy comes more easily, and that your fears and anxieties pass more quickly.
Once you’ve experienced the benefits of self-compassion training firsthand,
you may decide to continue with your practice indefinitely.
If you can’t manage 30 minutes a day, or if you can’t commit to
practicing every day for 14 days, just do whatever you can. Practicing for 5
minutes is much better than not practicing at all.
Each training session will be guided by the Map to Self-Compassion,
which is explained in detail in Chapter 4. You begin each training session at
the top of this map, and it will guide you to the most appropriate practice
for you, depending on what you’re feeling and how you respond to each
exercise. The practice instructions for each exercise also point to
corresponding audio tracks on “Guided Meditations for Self-Compassion”,
a downloadable companion resource available to readers at
As you’re going through a particular exercise, it’s perfectly normal for
difficulties to arise. That is not a problem. Rather, that’s the reason this
workbook is organized the way it is. If you encounter any difficulty with a
particular practice, jump to the end of that section and there will be specific
guidance about what to do next.
We know that developing any new skill requires practice. If you want to
play the piano, you have to invest some time and energy to learn. Just like a
book on teaching yourself piano, this workbook requires actually practicing
the exercises in Part II for you to receive most of the benefit. The more you
practice (and the more consistently), the more benefit you’ll receive.
Practicing for 30 minutes a day for 14 days is a suggestion based on
scientific research. However, if you can’t commit 30 minutes, do what you
can.
Part III is all about applying self-compassion to every part of your life.
It is there to inspire you to use these methods to find greater health, peace,
and happiness, as well as to benefit others.
I hope you find this workbook to be helpful in your life. Different
practices are useful to different people at different times, so if something
you read here doesn’t fit for you, just let it go and move on. You might find
the next practice more helpful. By the same token, a practice that feels
stressful one day might feel liberating a few days later. If you bring your
willingness to experiment, you will almost certainly find ways of using
these practices that benefit you.
The Self-Compassion Skills
WORKBOOK
PART I
Introduction to Self-Compassion
1 What Is Self-Compassion?
SELF-COMPASSION IS JUST WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. IT MEANS BEING COMPASSIONATE

toward yourself. It means celebrating and enjoying yourself when life is going
well, as well as being kind and forgiving toward yourself when life is hard.
So much of our pain comes from criticizing ourselves and other people.
We feel cut off from others, ashamed and alone. Maybe we can point to some
specific terrible thing that happened to us, or maybe we’ve felt anxious and
depressed for as long as we can remember. We might believe that life is
supposed to be different than it is, or that we won’t be lovable until we get rid
of whatever we think is wrong with us.
On the other hand, it’s possible to feel loved, accepted, and appreciated for
being exactly who we are. We can know—deep down in our bones—that we
are fundamentally OK—and even more than OK. Somewhere inside of us
there is a wise voice that knows we are beautiful and unique human beings.
We can learn to hear that voice and believe it.
This is exactly what I mean by self-compassion. Self-compassion is the
recognition that no matter what is happening in our lives, we are lovable.
When things are going well, self-compassion gives us the permission to feel
joy. When we’re suffering or experiencing any kind of distress, self-
compassion becomes a kind and supportive voice within that helps us find
beauty and meaning.
Self-Compassion in My Life
I grew up in and around Boston with a single, alcoholic mother. We were

always struggling financially and were even homeless for a summer when I
was a teenager. By the time I got to college, I was carrying around a
tremendous amount of anger, sadness, and loneliness.
It was in college that I was introduced to the practice of self-compassion,
through the Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. I immediately
recognized that it had been exactly what was missing from my life. As I
immersed myself in these practices, I began to experience more peace, joy, and
freedom than I had ever thought possible.
Self-compassion has completely transformed my life. From someone with
an intense amount of suffering and self-destructiveness, I have become
someone who today knows a lot of peace and enjoys a great deal of harmony
and intimacy in my relationships.
But how does that work? It’s not like self-compassion is a magic shield
that protects us from bad things happening, or from ever having to feel sad.
Self-compassion allows us to take good care of ourselves when we are faced
with life’s inevitable difficulties. Anxiety, frustration, and loneliness will still
arise, but self-compassion helps us not to get stuck in them. We can embrace
our own suffering like a mother holding a newborn baby, and soon begin to
feel better.
In my life I’ve learned that true inner peace and freedom come from being
able to love and accept myself regardless of what’s going on. I know—from
scientific research and from my own experience—that no matter how much
pain and negativity I might be carrying around in myself, it is possible to
develop self-compassion. This workbook contains all the building blocks you
need to begin.
I decided to become a therapist because I wanted to share what has been so
helpful in my life with others, especially people experiencing emotional pain. I
hope that you will benefit from these practices as much as I have.
Self-Compassion When Life Is Going Well and When It Feels

Hard
The following exercises will help you to recognize the difference between self-
compassion and other types of attitudes.
When life is going well . . .
As you read the following statements, notice which resonate with you and
circle them. These are attitudes that can arise when life is going well.
Self-critical attitude (examples) Self-compassionate attitude
(examples)
• I don’t deserve this. • I deserve good things, just like
everyone else.
• This means something bad is • I don’t know what the future

going to happen soon. holds, but I’m glad this is
happening now.
• People are going to discover I’m a • If people really understood me,

phony. they’d like me.
• People will hate me if they see me • If people are jealous of me, it’s
happy. because they haven’t learned how
to recognize what’s beautiful in
their own lives.
When life is going well, self-compassion allows us to enjoy it without

feeling guilty. We know that we deserve good things in life—not because we
are better than other people, but just because we are human beings.
Compassion isn’t something we have to earn. It comes from the recognition
that everyone is born with basic human worth.
When life feels hard . . .
As you read the following statements, notice which ones resonate with you
and circle them. These are attitudes that can arise when life feels hard.
Self-critical attitude (examples) Self-compassionate attitude
(examples)
• I deserve to suffer. • I know that everyone suffers
sometimes. When we suffer, we
need love and support.
• This is happening because I’m a • When life is challenging, I can

loser (or a bad person, etc.). use it to learn and grow.
• If I weren’t so stupid and • Every human being experiences

incompetent, I wouldn’t have to suffering, no matter how many
deal with this. virtues they have.
• My entire life is pain and • No matter what I do, difficult

disappointment. things will happen in life. However,
there are also many beautiful things
in life that I don’t want to ignore.
Self-compassion is particularly important when we’re dealing with

challenges in life. When we’re really struggling—feeling afraid, depressed,
angry, or lonely—what we need most is understanding and love. The problem
is that we can’t always rely on other people to be there when we need them.
And even if we have a great support system, many of us find it difficult to
open ourselves up to love from others.
However, if we can develop a source of deep understanding and
compassion within ourselves, it is always there when we need it. It becomes
the foundation for greater strength, resilience, and peace of mind. And
fortunately, this is possible for anyone who is willing to practice.
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: JARED ISN’T ALONE

Jared had dealt with loneliness from a very young age. He had always struggled to make friends and
felt that he was different from all the other kids at school.
However, his life improved considerably as an adult. His coworkers generally seemed to like
him, and he was in a committed relationship with a kind woman. Despite this, he still suffered from
bouts of overwhelming loneliness that bordered on clinical depression. He felt like an imposter and
was afraid that everyone would see through his act and reject him.
Jared learned about self-compassion at a meditation retreat through the following exercise. He
put his hand on his heart and told himself, “It makes sense that you feel lonely. You were alone for
such a big part of your life. But that wasn’t your fault. You were born into a bad situation and didn’t
get the support you needed. You’ve always been lovable, and the people in your adult life can see
that.”
He experienced this practice as deeply healing and began to use it nearly every day. He found that
whenever his loneliness would start to emerge, 15 minutes of self-compassion was enough to help
him regain balance.
How Is Self-Compassion Different From Self-Esteem?

We all know that low self-esteem is a bad thing. It is correlated with pretty
much every kind of mental health problem. But not everyone knows that high
self-esteem can be a problem as well.
Self-esteem means judging or evaluating yourself positively. You believe
that you are a good person, and you identify with your strengths. However,
research has shown that for most of us, believing we are good is closely related
to believing we are better than other people.
This is the main problem with being overly focused on self-esteem. If I
need to believe that I’m better than other people in order to have high self-
esteem, it can make me more likely to criticize others, and more fearful of
people seeing my weaknesses. I can become too competitive, and too fragile
when receiving negative feedback.
On the other hand, when you have self-compassion you don’t care if you
are better, worse, or the same as anyone else. Self-compassion just means
relating to yourself with a kind and forgiving attitude no matter what is
happening.
When we relate to ourselves with self-compassion, there is no need to put
other people down. We aren’t afraid of occasional failures because we can see
them as valuable learning opportunities instead of threats to our self-worth. In
fact, researchers have found that self-compassion actually improves our
motivation to succeed because we aren’t so worried about making mistakes.
We don’t need to be perfect in order to be lovable.
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: LETTING GO OF PERFECTIONISM

Karen is a journalist who works at one of the top newspapers in the country. She is intelligent and
hardworking, but rarely smiles. Karen admitted to her therapist that she often feels deeply insecure
and empty inside. She works 80 hours a week or more, and explained that whenever she takes time
off from work, she starts to feel depressed.
Karen’s therapist decided to work with her on developing more self-compassion. She asked
Karen to talk about a recent disappointment in her life, and Karen replied that she had felt bad when
her editor emailed her yesterday asking if she had any new stories that she was ready to submit. She
didn’t, and described feeling a lot of panic. Her self-talk sounded like, “What is wrong with you? Are
you losing it? Just write a story and make it good! Stop being a baby!” Karen’s face was full of
tension as she recounted the ordeal.
Karen’s therapist guided her through the Map to Self-Compassion (Part II of this book), during
which Karen realized that she was using this self-criticism to motivate herself to succeed. However, it
had become so strong that it was now overwhelming to her. She pictured herself reading the email
from her editor and tried saying to herself, “Dear Karen, I know you’re scared of failing, and that’s
OK. Everyone gets scared sometimes. I also know you want to write great stories, and that is
wonderful. You should write a great story because you want to, not because you’re afraid that you’ll
be worthless if you don’t. I love you no matter what.”
It took some time, but Karen started internalizing this kind of self-talk and she found that she was
more productive than ever, especially because now she could relax.
Is Self-Compassion Ever Bad?
The short answer is no.

The longer answer is that many people think they are practicing self-
compassion when they are actually engaging in something quite different.
Although true self-compassion is always helpful, there are some imposters
that can be harmful. Here are a few of those imposters:
Self-indulgence: The term self-indulgence, which is defined in the

dictionary as “excessive or unrestrained gratification of one’s own
appetites, desires, or whims,” suggests an unwillingness to invest
effort to make meaningful changes in yourself or the world. Retreating
from the world and putting forth no effort to improve yourself and
your circumstances is actually incompatible with true self-compassion.
Even though self-compassion means understanding that you are
perfectly lovable just as you are right now, you still value enhancing
your life through growth. When you have self-compassion, you don’t
need to change, but you like to grow. Growth often requires exerting
effort (although it also involves allowing yourself to rest and just be
when that’s what you need most). In contrast, self-indulgence implies
the mistaken belief that admitting you have more to learn in life
somehow means that you aren’t acceptable the way you are. Self-
compassion, however, includes an understanding that we always have
more to learn, and that learning and growth are fundamental parts of
life.
Self-pity: Self-pity is defined as “excessive, self-absorbed
unhappiness over one’s own troubles.” It implies the belief that you
are weak and incapable of improving your situation. The term self-pity
suggests that life is something that happens to you, that you are a
victim of circumstances and have no role in shaping your experience.
This is not the same as self-compassion. With self-compassion, you
are aware that you’re capable of doing great things. Like everyone,
you have strengths and weaknesses, and you can develop new
strengths if you want to. You don’t have to be strong in every way in
order to be lovable, but part of loving yourself is seeing what you are
capable of.
Passivity: Compassion naturally leads to action. If we see that our
baby is hungry, we don’t just empathize with her hunger. We take
action and feed her. Although self-compassion sometimes involves
just a change in attitude, real compassion includes the desire to relieve
suffering, either for ourselves or someone else, and might require that
we make a concrete change to some aspect of our lives.
Egotism: Viewing yourself as better than another person or being
overly involved with your own needs at the expense of another’s is not
practicing self-compassion. As mentioned earlier, when you practice
self-compassion you are not concerned with comparing yourself to
others; you value everyone’s happiness. This certainly doesn’t mean
that you are being egotistical when you value or prioritize your own
needs. It means that true self-compassion enhances your compassion
for others rather than undermining it.
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: HEALING TRAUMA

Jennifer was driving on the highway when the car next to her tried to change lanes and crashed
into her. Her car then slammed into the guardrail and was totaled. Luckily, she sustained only mild
injuries and was physically healthy within a month. However, more than a year later, Jennifer was
still experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress. She avoided driving whenever she could, and
when she had to drive, she was overwhelmed with anxiety.
She began working with a therapist who was familiar with the Map to Self-Compassion, and
he guided Jennifer to visualize someone who could completely love and accept her. Jennifer chose
her grandmother (who had been deceased for several years), and imagined her grandmother
saying, “May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you be loved.” After
imagining this for just a few minutes, Jennifer reported feeling more peaceful than she had in a
long time. She began using this practice whenever she had to drive or felt anxious in any way, and
after a few months she was able to drive again with confidence.
The Promise of Self-Compassion
Whatever challenges you are facing in life—whether it’s trauma,

relationship problems, self-criticism, or anxiety—self-compassion can help.
It is like having a loving and supportive friend who is always with you—
someone who can listen, understand, and help you find a new perspective. It
gives you an internal source of emotional regulation and resilience, and it
helps you to be more fully present with what is beautiful in life.
2 Self-Compassion Is a Skill
THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPING ANY NEW SKILL IS FEELING CONFIDENT THAT you are
capable of doing it. Fortunately, every scientist who has studied the
development of compassion and self-compassion has concluded that it is
possible for anyone to develop self-compassion. No matter how self-critical or
angry or hopeless you feel, it is possible for you.
The second step in developing a new skill is being motivated enough to
work at it. One of the most important factors in cultivating self-compassion is
your willingness to practice. If you want to learn how to speak a new language
or play a musical instrument, everyone knows that practice is necessary. It’s
the same with developing self-compassion. If you are willing to dedicate
yourself to practicing the Map to Self-Compassion (Part II of this workbook)
and invest your time and energy, I promise that you will experience real
benefits.
Can I Really Become Self-Compassionate?
Read the statement in the left column (The fear) and rate how much it
resonates for you, from 0 to 10. Then read the statement in the right column
(The reality) 3 times, pausing to take a breath each time. Finally, rate how
true the second statement seems, from 0 to 10. This exercise is designed to
help strengthen the confidence you feel in your ability to develop self-
compassion.
The fear: 0–10 The reality: 0–10
“This is just how I am. It’s People can learn new skills
too late for me to change.” and develop new strengths
throughout their lives.
“I have a chemical Science has proven that

imbalance. There is nothing I compassion training can
can do about it.” change the chemistry of our
brains.
“I’ve tried everything, and We might have tried many

nothing can help me.” things, but not everything.
“I don’t deserve We absolutely do deserve

compassion.” compassion, simply because
we are human beings.
Self-Compassion and Your Brain
Dr. Richard Davidson, one of the leading neuroscientists in the world, has
studied how compassion training affects your brain. He’s concluded that
anyone can develop greater compassion and self-compassion, but that it
requires practice. If you practice a little, you can develop a little self-
compassion. If you practice a lot, you can develop a lot.
According to Davidson’s research, there is no limit to the amount of
compassion and self-compassion that we can develop if we dedicate ourselves
to practice. In fact, when he studied Buddhist monks who had undergone
decades of intensive compassion training, he reported that they had developed
a level of inner peace and freedom beyond what most people would believe
possible. In other words, the sky is the limit. If you are willing to train yourself
in the practices that make up the Map to Self-Compassion, you can transform
your life.
All humans (in fact, all mammals) have a Care Circuit in their brain. Every
time you feel warmth and love, that brain circuit is active. If we could take a
detailed image of your brain, you would see it. Your Care Circuit releases
oxytocin (sometimes called the love hormone) and natural opiates to give you
that warm fuzzy feeling.
As you begin training in self-compassion, your Care Circuit is going to be
your best friend. You’ll be learning different practices that can activate it,
strengthen it, use it for emotional regulation, and to become kinder toward
yourself.
Developing self-compassion is relatively simple. It is about strengthening
the Care Circuit in your brain and learning how to use it when you need it.
EIGHT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES ABOUT SELF-COMPASSION
1. There is a specific circuit in your brain that scientists call the Care Circuit, which creates the
experience of compassion, warmth, and love.ii
2. Self-compassion training strengthens your Care Circuit—like exercising a muscle.iii
3. With enough compassion training, your Care Circuit can literally grow in size so that the increase
is visible on a brain scan. iv
4. The Care Circuit is one of the primary emotional circuits in the brain that creates happiness and
well-being.v
5. Activating the Care Circuit through self-compassion training reduces every form of emotional
distress, including anxiety, depression, and anger.vi
6. Compassion training for 30 minutes a day for 14 days creates significant changes in the brain and
leads to more prosocial and altruistic behavior.vii
7. Eight weeks of compassion training can make your temperament or personality significantly more
positive.viii
8. Scientists have documented that Buddhist monks with intensive training in compassion have the
strongest markers for happiness in their brains that have ever been recorded.ix
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: THIS IS WHAT 20 YEARS OF PRACTICE LOOKS LIKE

Margaret grew up in a poor coal-mining town in West Virginia in the 1950s. It was a rough place to
be a kid and she learned how to fight, both verbally and physically, before she could ride a bike.
Her hot temper and love for arguing helped her in college, where she was on the debate team.
However, they also meant she had a hard time making close friends. She would verbally attack
anyone at the slightest hint of a disagreement.
In her late 20s, Margaret began exploring meditation as a way to calm her temper. Her teacher
helped her see how scared she felt during the split second before she verbally attacked someone. He
recommended that she try sending herself compassion as soon as that fear came up.
This practice was revolutionary for her. It made her feel so much better that she started worrying
if she was using it too much. When she asked her teacher if there was such a thing as too much self-
compassion, he said “no,” so she began sending herself love and compassion from the time she woke
up until she went to bed. As she was eating, driving, or working, she would be silently saying to
herself, “May you be happy. May you have ease. May you be free. May you be loved.”
Twenty years later, Margaret is a highly respected meditation teacher in her own right. Her
temper is gone, and her students describe her as one of the most loving and caring people in the
world.
There is no limit to the amount of compassion (for yourself and others) that
you can develop in your life if you are willing to practice. Your body and your
brain are designed to feel compassion, and the more you engage your Care
Circuit, the stronger and bigger it becomes. There is nothing stopping you
from developing a radically new way of relating to yourself—with kindness
and love.
3 What Self-Compassion Looks Like: Vignettes
and Exercises
IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU’LL SEE WHAT SELF-COMPASSION LOOKS LIKE IN vignettes

—short descriptive stories that illustrate issues related to self-compassion—
and you’ll also find exercises to help you learn about your own attitudes
that affect self-compassion. When you have a clear understanding of
exactly what self-compassion means, you’ll be ready to begin the 14-day
training program in Part II of this workbook.
Motivating Yourself With Kindness
Many people are afraid that if they stop criticizing themselves, they will no
longer be motivated to grow and succeed. However, research has shown
that the exact opposite is true. People who motivate themselves with
kindness (rather than criticism) are much better at persevering through
adversity and using failures as opportunities to learn.x
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: MARCUS’S EXAMS

Marcus is a first-year student in law school who is getting ready for final exams. He’s wanted to
be a lawyer since he was 10 years old, so this is a dream come true for him. Marcus has always
done well on tests, but the amount of material he’s expected to know for these exams is much
larger than ever before.
Marcus could relate to this situation in several different ways. Notice the difference between a
self-critical and a self-compassionate response to his exams.
SELF-CRITICAL RESPONSE
Marcus thinks to himself, “Don’t blow it. You’ve wanted this your whole life, so you better not
screw it up now. Don’t be a loser. Don’t be a baby. Don’t be an idiot. You’ve got to learn
everything, because you can be sure that the one thing you skip is going to be on the test and you
will flunk. If you flunk, your life is over! Flunking this test means you will never get a job and
you will be a complete failure. Now get going and study! No excuses!
How much of the time do you think like this? (0–100%) ___________
SELF-COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE
Marcus thinks to himself, “You’re afraid of failing at this, and that’s OK. You really want to
succeed as a lawyer and this is important to you. It makes sense you’d be scared. But no matter
what happens, you’ll be OK. If you end up being a lawyer, that will be wonderful. If not, you will
find something else that you love. Regardless of what happens, you will learn and grow from this
experience. I know you are capable of passing these exams if you give it your full effort. I know
you can do it. I believe in you.
A comparison of these two possible reactions might suggest that Marcus

would feel better using self-compassion, but that he might study harder
using self-criticism. However, research shows that this isn’t necessarily
true.xi
More importantly, Marcus will eventually have to face some setback or
misfortune. Motivating ourselves with criticism is all about making
ourselves fear failure, which often results in our avoiding challenges that
might result in failure. We shrink from our setbacks and challenges because
we’re afraid of our inner-critic.
I see this situation every day working with talented, intelligent people
whose self-criticism has become paralyzing. They become so afraid of
angering that violent self-critical voice that they refuse to do anything that
could trigger it. They stop attempting anything that they could fail, and
eventually become afraid to admit they want to do something new. For
example, “I can’t let myself want that promotion, because if I don’t get it,
my inner-critic will destroy me.”
On the other hand, if Marcus uses self-compassion, it is going to be a
much better strategy over the long term, especially when he has to deal with
life’s inevitable difficulties. People like Steve Jobs and Michael Jordan are
famous for talking about how many times they’ve failed in their lives. In
fact, there is a famous quote in which Jordan describes all the times he was
trusted to take a game-winning shot and missed. He says his willingness to
fail is why he has succeeded. Self-compassion allows us to keep taking
risks and doing things that we aren’t certain will succeed, which means we
can keep learning and growing. In fact, there is substantial research that
shows people with high levels of self-compassion can achieve more
because they are better able to persevere through difficulties.xii
For Marcus, part of motivating himself with kindness was recognizing
that his worth doesn’t come from succeeding in school. Whether he
succeeds or not, he can still feel OK. It is an attitude that says, “Do this
because you want to, not because it’s the only way for you to have any
worth as a human being.”
EXERCISE: MARISHA’S FIRST MARATHON

Marisha is attempting her first marathon. She’s had plenty of training, so she knows she’s
prepared. However, about two thirds into her race, her legs seem heavier than they ever have
before. She really hopes to finish.
How can she motivate herself?
In this exercise you’ll write two different ways Marisha could try to motivate herself. One
will use self-criticism, and the other will use self-compassion. This will help you to get clearer
about how they are different.
(Write what she might think to motivate herself with self-criticism. For example, “Don’t be
weak!”)
(Write what she might think to motivate herself with self-compassion. Make sure that she accepts
that she’s struggling and encourages herself with kindness. For example, “I know this is hard, but
you’ll make it through.”)
Self-Compassion When Life Is Hard
The times in our lives when we most need compassion are moments of loss,
rejection, failure, and other misfortunes. The problem is that we don’t
always have a kind and caring person available at those times to offer
emotional support. However, when we have developed self-compassion,
this care and support is present inside ourselves whenever we need it most.
We all have pain from our past that we carry around with us—moments
in which we felt entirely cut off from love and compassion. In fact, we
could even define emotional pain as the absence of compassion. It is
especially important, therefore, that we develop self-compassion—the
ability to generate compassion for ourselves—so that we will never be
completely without this vital energy. Practicing self-compassion in life’s
challenging moments provides us with a deep source of resilience and
strength.
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: JACK’S DATE

Jack went on a first date with a woman he really liked. She was smart and funny, and Jack thought
they got along really well. However, when he called her to ask for a second date, she didn’t even
answer. A few hours later he received a text that said, “You’re a great guy, but I don’t think we’re
a good match. Sorry.”
Let’s look at how Jack could be critical of himself, critical of the woman, or respond with
compassion.
Jack thinks, “Of course she doesn’t like me. Why would she? She’s too good for me. I must have
said something stupid or she just thinks I’m ugly. Why am I so lame and weird looking? I wish I
were a different person. I hate who I am.”
OTHER-CRITICAL RESPONSE
Jack thinks, “Are you kidding me? Who does she think she is? There is something seriously
wrong with her. I bet she’s the type of woman who only likes alcoholics or stupid guys so she can
feel superior. I hope she dies alone.”
Jack thinks, “I’m disappointed and sad. I was really hoping to get to know her better. It’s OK to let
myself feel sad when something I want doesn’t happen. I don’t need to make these feelings go
away.” James puts his hands on his heart and pays attention to the sensation of his breath as it
goes in and out. He gives himself some time to feel his feelings. When his sadness begins to
lessen, he thinks, “This didn’t work out, but there’s no way to know if dating her would have been
wonderful or terrible. It’s possible that this is going to open me up for something much better. I
wanted to date her, but sometimes life has even better plans for us.”
Looking at Jack’s self-compassionate response, a few things stand out.
He named his feelings. Rather than looking to blame anyone, he

recognized he was feeling sad and disappointed.
He gave himself time and space to feel his feelings without trying to
make them go away. This is a form of self-acceptance (see Practice 2:
Self-Acceptance, to learn ways of creating this kind of space more
deliberately in your own life).
Finally, he used some positive and encouraging thinking to reframe
his experience into something more hopeful. However, he waited until
he had spent some time just accepting and allowing his feelings before
trying to change his thinking.
SELF-COMPASSION EXERCISE: SASHA’S CAR

Sasha parked her car in the parking lot of a shopping mall. When she returned an hour later, there
was a huge dent in her rear passenger door. She looked for a note, but there wasn’t one. Someone
had hit her car and left.
How could Sasha respond?
SELF-PITY RESPONSE
(Write what she might think if she responds with self-pity. She doesn’t blame herself, but she feels
like a helpless victim. For example, “Why does this always happen to me? I must be cursed!”)
(Write what she might think if she responds with self-criticism. For example, “I’m so stupid! I
should have noticed the other car was parked too close.”)
(Write what she might think if she responds with self-compassion. For example, “It’s OK to feel
sad about this. Whatever you feel is just fine. Remember, you are safe and there are a lot of
wonderful things in life, too.”)
Erasing Shame: Self-Compassion for the Past

We all carry around pain from the past within ourselves. Some call it emotional baggage or
unresolved issues. My teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, calls it the seeds of suffering that have been
planted in the garden of our minds.
In my experience, self-compassion can be a tremendously powerful practice for healing pain
from the past so that it will no longer burden us in the present.
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: CHERYL’S DIVORCE

Cheryl has been divorced for a little over 4 years, but every time she thinks about her divorce, she
is filled with shame and self-loathing. She was married for 8 years, and over the course of that
time, she and her husband developed powerful resentments toward each other. What began as
inability to communicate about small conflicts eventually grew into bitterness and isolation. Her
husband finally asked for a divorce, and she agreed because it was clear they were making each
other miserable.
Now she dates occasionally, but she knows that unresolved pain from her divorce is
preventing her from feeling safe and comfortable in a new relationship. She wants to heal this
pain and begin anew.
Let’s look at how Cheryl could blame herself, blame her husband, feel self-pity, or use self-
compassion to heal.
Cheryl could think, “I must be toxic. I ruined a perfectly good marriage because I can’t
communicate. There is something deeply wrong with me. I’m sure I will destroy any new
relationship too. The best thing for me is to be alone so I won’t ruin another man’s life.”
OTHER-CRITICAL RESPONSE
Cheryl could think, “This is all his fault. I can’t believe he would do this to me. He destroyed our
marriage and has made me hate myself. He is so negative and judgmental. I just hate him!”
SELF-PITY RESPONSE
Cheryl could think, “Why did this happen to me? Don’t I deserve to be happy? What did I
possibly do to deserve this life? Other people have good marriages and happy families, but not
me. My life is ruined, and I’ll never be happy again!”
Cheryl could think, “I need to give myself permission to grieve this loss without worrying about
who is to blame. I don’t really understand what went wrong, but I know that my marriage was
incredibly painful. I also know that I felt completely starved of love and compassion.” Cheryl
takes all the time she needs to feel her sadness as sensations in her body without getting caught in
her stories about it. Then she visualizes herself near the end of her marriage and sees how alone
and unloved she felt. Picturing herself in the past, she says, “I know you feel so unloved right
now, but I love you, and I see how special and lovable you are.” She sends love and compassion
to herself in the past, right in the moment that she needed it most. After continuing this practice
each day for a few weeks, she discovers that she’s not so afraid of a new relationship.
For Cheryl, self-compassion meant accepting her feelings without

getting lost in them. She gave herself permission to feel her grief as
sensation in the body (Practice 2: Self-Acceptance), which kept her from
being carried away by her stories and judgments. Then she used a
visualization practice (see Practice 4: Healing Pain From the Past) to
actively send herself compassion. She pictured herself during a moment that
she felt completely cut off from love and compassion, near the end of her
marriage. Then she visualized expressing compassion to herself in the past,
saying “I know you feel so unloved right now, but I love you and I see how
special and lovable you are.”
SELF-COMPASSION EXERCISE: ANNA’S DIET

Anna has been overweight for most of her life. She always believed she could lose weight if she
wanted to, but it wasn’t important to her. If other people judged her because of her appearance,
that was their problem. However, a year ago Anna’s doctor told her that she was at risk for a heart
attack and she needed to lose at least 30 pounds. Dieting and exercise proved much harder than
Anna had thought they would. After 2 months with minimal results, she gave up trying to lose
weight and found a different doctor.
Since that time, Anna has felt a great deal of shame about her weight. Whenever she eats or
sees herself in the mirror, her inner-critic calls her weak and pathetic. She’s afraid to try dieting
again because failing was so painful.
Anna wants to heal this experience from her past. She begins by visualizing herself on the day
she chose to give up her diet.
What could she say?
SELF-PITY RESPONSE
(Write what she might say if she responds with self-pity. Remember that a self-pity response
acknowledges suffering, but assumes that you don’t have the power to make things better. For
example, “It’s not your fault that you look like this. You have bad luck and there’s nothing you
can do about it.”)
(Write what she might say if she responds with self-criticism. For example, “You’re so weak and
pathetic.”)
(Write what she might say if she responds with self-compassion. For example, “I know it’s scary
and hard to do this. Whatever you’re feeling is OK. It’s alright if you need to take a break from
your diet. You can just try again when you’re ready. I want you to be healthy, but I don’t want you
to feel ashamed. No matter what, you are a lovable person.”)
Compassion for Every Part of Ourselves
We all have parts of ourselves that we wish were different. We might wish our depression would
go away, or our clumsiness, or our quick temper. However, this desire to grow and improve can
become harmful if it turns into hating aspects of ourselves. There’s a difference between wanting
to worry less and hating myself when I worry. One is motivated by the desire to grow and the
other is motivated by the belief that I am unacceptable as I am.
The deepest meaning of self-compassion is relating to every part of

ourselves with compassion. We have compassion for our anxiety, for our
loneliness, and even for our self-criticism. It means that every thought,
every feeling, and every behavior can be embraced with compassion. In
fact, when we learn how to have compassion for the parts of ourselves that
give us the most discomfort and pain, we discover that growth and healing
become much easier.
SELF-COMPASSION STORY: NANCY’S ANXIETY

Nancy is an editor and mom in her 40s who struggles with powerful anxiety. She’s seen several
therapists over the years and read dozens of self-help books, most of which have helped a little—
but her anxiety continues to remain a problem.
Regardless of whether good things or bad things are happening in her life, Nancy worries. No
matter how hard she tries, she hasn’t been able to stop herself from thinking about every
conceivable bad thing that could happen to her or her family.
Let’s look at how Nancy could relate to her anxiety with either self-criticism or self-
compassion.
Nancy could think, “What’s wrong with me? I’m doing it again and it’s ruining my life. I hate it
when I do this. Stop worrying! You’re pathetic and weak. Just stop it.”
Nancy could think, “I’m worrying again, and I really wish I could stop.” She sits down, puts her
hands on her heart, and focuses on the physical tension and agitation in her body—giving herself
permission to feel it without trying to change it. Then she visualizes her grandmother and thinks
about how her grandmother can love and accept her even when she is overcome with worry. She
imagines her grandmother saying, “No matter what you’re feeling or what you’re thinking, I love
you completely.” With just a few minutes of this practice, she feels much calmer.
It’s easy to empathize with Nancy’s self-critical response. She has a

powerful desire to stop worrying so much because she sees that it’s hurting
her family and herself. The problem is that beating herself up hasn’t helped.
Luckily, Nancy finds that self-compassion is much more effective for
her. She begins by allowing herself to feel her feelings as sensations in her
body (Practice 2: Self-Acceptance). By focusing on her body, she’s able to
avoid getting caught by the scary stories she’s telling herself. She doesn’t
need to make those thoughts go away, and she doesn’t need to fight against
herself at all. She just needs to give herself permission to feel exactly what
she’s feeling already.
After a few minutes of that practice, Nancy shifts into a visualization
(Practice 3: Embracing Suffering). She imagines her grandmother sending
her love and compassion—not only to the parts of her that are strong, but
also to her fear and pain. This is an example of embracing our suffering
with compassion.
SELF-COMPASSION EXERCISE: JERRY’S ANGER

Jerry is in his late 20s and works for an online marketing company. In the past couple of years, he
has come to realize that his anger is hurting his relationships and his quality of life. He loses his
temper with clients, coworkers, and friends. His tendency to be judgmental has also ruined his last
two romantic relationships.
Jerry really wants to control his temper, but his attempts so far haven’t been very effective.
How can Jerry deal with his anger?
(Write what a self-critical way of relating to his anger might sound like. For example, “What’s
wrong with you? Stop being such a terrible person!”)
(Write what a self-compassionate way of relating to his anger might sound like. For example,
“When you get angry, I know that it’s because you’re suffering, and you need compassion. It’s OK
for suffering to come up for you. Just remember to send yourself compassion.”)
PART II
The Map to Self-Compassion
Step-by-Step Guided Training Sessions
4 Navigating the Map
Finding the Right Practice for You
“Well-being can be learned but it requires practice.

There is no substitute for practice.”
– RICHARD DAVIDSON, PHD
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ANYONE CAN DEVELOP SELF-COMPASSION. ALL THAT is

required is a willingness to practice. The Map to Self-Compassion will guide
you through experiential training sessions that have been shown to improve
your ability to regulate intense emotions, be more resilient during life’s
challenges, let go of self-criticism or self-sabotage, and heal the pain from
your past.
If you devote 30 minutes a day for 14 days to this form of training, you
will see significant (and often life-changing) results.
The Map to Self-Compassion is an invaluable resource because it works
like an experienced mentor guiding you through your training sessions. It
points you to the most appropriate practice based on whatever is coming up for
you on a given day or in a particular practice session. When you follow the
Map to Self-Compassion, every training session is custom-tailored for you,
based on your own particular strengths and obstacles.
How to Use the Map
You begin each training session at the top of the Map with Practice 1: The
Self-Compassion Body Scan (explained in detail in Chapter 5). Then you
follow the Map by answering specific questions about your experience. For
example, if you begin a training session and you are feeling totally relaxed and
well, you are guided to skip to Practice 8: Cultivating Joy. If you notice some
distress or discomfort in your body (but not so much that it’s overwhelming),
then you are guided to Practice 2: Self-Acceptance.
If you want, you can go through each practice in the workbook and try it
out before attempting to follow the Map. This might help you develop a sense
of familiarity with the entire process and how it fits together.
Begin each self-compassion training session with Practice 1: The Self-Compassion Body Scan. Then
follow the Map to Self-Compassion to find the most appropriate practice for you.
Once you begin your 14-day program, use the Practice Journal at the end
of this chapter to keep track of the duration of your practice sessions (I suggest
30 minutes per day), which practices you used, and your personal notes about
what happened. When you’ve completed your 14-day program, you can decide
how much time each day you want to devote to your ongoing practice of self-
compassion.
When and Where: Tips for Setting Up Your Practice Sessions
You can set up your practice sessions any way you’d like. However, here are
some suggestions that many people find helpful:
Try to schedule your training sessions at the same time each day. This
will help you create a rhythm and make it easier to be consistent.
Try not to schedule any commitments immediately after your training
sessions. Many people find these practices bring up strong emotions, and
it’s helpful to have some downtime afterward.
Try to schedule your training sessions so you won’t be disturbed. Turn
off your phone, and put away anything that could distract you.
Social support can make these practices much easier. If you let friends or
family know you are engaging with this training, they might be able to
offer encouragement or other types of help. Consider looking online for a
local meditation group. You can refer to Chapters 6, 7, and 8 for more
about social support.
This workbook has some space for you to write responses as you’re
practicing, but it will fill up after one or two training sessions. You can
use separate paper or a dedicated journal for writing your responses to
each practice.
If You Feel Overwhelmed
The practices in this workbook are powerful, and they can bring up intense
emotions. This is usually a good thing, because it can mean you are
experiencing deep transformation. However, it is also possible to become
overwhelmed by intense feelings so that you can no longer process them
effectively. During your training sessions, it’s ideal for your emotions to be
strong but not overwhelming. As a general guideline, the level of emotional
intensity should ideally be between 4 and 8 out of 10. If it’s below 4, then it’s
probably not deep enough to create real change. If it’s over 8, it’s likely too
intense to process effectively.
If you become overwhelmed at any point during a training session, go
directly to Practice 7 or 8 to ground yourself and restore a sense of safety, or
just take a break and relax. The following are a list of symptoms that indicate
you are overwhelmed and no longer processing emotions effectively. DO NOT
CONTINUE a practice if you begin experiencing any of the following:
Highly elevated heart rate

Excessive sweating
Rapid breathing
Chest pain
Uncontrollable trembling or shaking
Sensation of choking
Feeling of unreality or detachment from your surroundings
Nausea
Feeling confused
Feeling overwhelmed by your emotions in general
These symptoms can mean that your body and brain have moved into a
fight-flight-freeze response. When that happens, emotional processing is no
longer effective. Before continuing, you’ll need to take whatever space you
need to feel safe and calm.
Finding the Right Balance
Self-compassion practice shouldn’t feel like a chore. It shouldn’t be something

you do because you’re supposed to, or something you have to endure in order
to feel better later. If you approach self-compassion training in this way, it
won’t be as helpful as it could be.
Instead, try to relate to these training sessions as a treat you are giving to
yourself. There is a saying in Buddhist circles about meditation: good in the
beginning, good in the middle, and good at the end. We know that we are
practicing correctly because our training feels like a relief right away—good in
the beginning. As we continue practicing, even when intense suffering comes
up, we embrace it in a way that feels healing—good in the middle. Then, when
we realize how these practices have changed us, we feel grateful—good in the
end.
If this isn’t how you feel when you’re practicing, I suggest that you stop
your practice and rest for a few days. Then, try to revisit the Map to Self-
Compassion with fresh eyes and see if you might have been staying with one
practice, when another one would have been more appropriate.
There are two sides to self-compassion training:
1. Cultivating joy and compassion (Practices 7 and 8)

2. Embracing suffering (Practices 2 through 6)
It’s important to find the right balance between these two categories of
practice. If you’re spending too much time with the first and neglecting the
second, you’ll notice that the changes you experience seem a little superficial.
You might have learned how to find peace in yourself when you’re alone, but
the deep source of your suffering remains unchanged. It continues to come up,
and you feel like you have to practice constantly to keep it at bay. If this is the
case, you need to focus more on embracing your suffering with understanding
and compassion to transform it at its roots.
On the other hand, if you focus exclusively on the second category and
neglect the first, your practice will feel exhausting. It will feel like you have
spent hours getting in touch with your suffering, but no real transformation has
occurred. Your practice will feel uninspired, routine, and like a chore. This is
because we need to cultivate a reservoir of compassion and joy within us.
These energies act like a source of fuel that enables us to be fully present with
our suffering. The purpose of Practices 7 and 8 is to help you fill your
reservoir of joy.
Self-Compassion Assessment Quizzes
You can take these quizzes before and after your 14-day training program to
measure your progress. The first quiz measures the strength of suffering in
you. Self-compassion has the power to embrace and transform suffering, so
you might find that your score goes down after your training program. The
second quiz measures the strength of compassion in you, so the program is
designed to help that score increase. If you find this program was helpful, you
can continue indefinitely.
Quiz 1: The Strength of Your Suffering

(Circle the numbers that apply to you.)
Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
I feel depressed. 1 2 3 4 5
I feel anxious. 1 2 3 4 5
I feel angry. 1 2 3 4 5
Pain or trauma from my past 1 2 3 4 5

has a negative impact on day-
to-day life.
I don’t like myself. 1 2 3 4 5

Total score: Add the circled numbers from
above and enter the total to the
right:
Quiz 2: The Strength of Your Compassion
(Circle the numbers that apply to you.)
Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
I motivate myself with 1 2 3 4 5
kindness rather than criticism.
When I’m suffering, I can 1 2 3 4 5

actively send myself
compassion.
I believe that a compassionate 1 2 3 4 5

person would love and accept
me if they really knew me.
I know how to use compassion 1 2 3 4 5

to heal pain from my past.
I am kind and compassionate 1 2 3 4 5

to parts of myself that seem
irrational.
Total score: Add the circled numbers from
above and enter the total to the
right:
Practice Journal
Begin each of your practice sessions with Practice 1: Self-Compassion Body

Scan. Then follow the Map to Self-Compassion to find the most appropriate
practices for you. Use this journal to keep track of the date, length of your
practice sessions, which practice(s) you used, and notes about what came up
for you. If possible, try to set aside 30 minutes a day for 14 days in a row for
your practice sessions.
Length of Which
Day session (in practice(s)
No. Date minutes) used (1–8) Notes
1
6
Length of Which
7
10
11
12
Length of Which
13
14
5 The Practices
THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO DO THE EIGHT

practices in the Map to Self-Compassion. The practice instructions
correspond to various tracks on “Guided Meditations for Self-Compassion,”
which you can find online at http://www.selfcompassionworkbook.com/.
Practice 1
The Self-Compassion Body Scan
Each session of self-compassion training should begin with this practice. It

will help you to assess your emotional state and determine the most
appropriate next step in your training session.
Practice Instructions
The following practice instructions correspond to track 1 on

“Guided Meditations for Self-Compassion,” at
Arrange yourself in a comfortable posture. You can have your eyes open
or closed, whichever feels more comfortable.
Mindful Breathing (3–10 breaths). Bring your attention to the

physical sensation of your breath coming in and going out. Follow the
entire breath, from the beginning to the end. Don’t try to change how
you are breathing at all. Just pay attention to your breath, and let it be
however it wants to be. Allow yourself to stop everything else in your
life. Let go of the past and future, and allow your breath to bring your
mind into the present moment. Practice this until you can remain
focused on the sensation of your breath for at least 3 entire breaths,
from the beginning of your in breath until the end of your out breath.
Mindfulness of the Body (at least 3 breaths, and up to 5 minutes).
Allow your awareness to expand from the sensation of your breath to
your entire body. With each breath, you focus your attention on all of
the sensations in your body as they arise and pass away. Notice any
tension or relaxation; any heaviness or lightness; any sensation at all.
Scan your entire body. Write down all the sensations you notice in
your body. For example, “tension in my shoulders,” “heaviness in my
heart,” or “agitation in my whole body.”
Body-Scan Practice – Questions
Now that you have assessed the sensations that are present in your body,
use the following questions to determine which practice to use next.
Do you notice any tension, agitation, heaviness, or any other form of
discomfort in your body?
No. If you don’t find any discomfort in your body—which means you
feel completely relaxed and open—then go to Practice 8: Cultivating
Joy. This will help you strengthen the wellness you already feel.
Yes. Do you find the discomfort overwhelming? Do you feel
exhausted? Are you able to stay present with it?
Overwhelming. If it is overwhelming, try asking the part of
yourself that feels distressed, “Can you step back a little so I can
listen to you and try to help?” If that works, go to Practice 2: Self-
Acceptance. If it still feels overwhelming, go to either Practice 7:
Natural Compassion or Practice 8: Cultivating Joy, which will help
you regulate the intensity of your feelings.
Exhausted. This could indicate that your reservoir of joy and
compassion is running low. If so, go to either Practice 7: Natural
Compassion or Practice 8: Cultivating Joy.
Can stay present. If you can stay present with it, go to Practice 2:
Self-Acceptance.
Body-Scan Practice – Examples
Here are a few examples of what this practice can look like. The main point
here is to notice whether any distress is present in your body, and then to
use the questions above to choose your next practice.
Oren closes his eyes and focuses on his breath. He pays careful
attention to the physical sensations as his breath comes in and goes
out. After 3 breaths, he imagines his awareness expanding to fill his
entire body. As he does so, he notices tension in his face and a heavy
feeling in his heart. He takes a few breaths and asks himself, “Is this
overwhelming, or can I stay present?” Finding that he can stay present
with this level of discomfort in his body, he goes to Practice 2: Self-
Acceptance.
When Janelle tries to focus on her body, she doesn’t notice any
sensation at all. She asks herself, “Am I feeling relaxed and well?” and
it’s clear that she is not. She just can’t feel anything. Then she asks
herself, “Am I feeling numb?” and immediately realizes that she is.
Since she doesn’t feel overwhelmed, she also goes to Practice 2.
Joanne has been practicing with the Map to Self-Compassion for
almost a year. She spends 30–45 minutes a day, 5 or 6 days per week,
with her practice sessions. When she sits down and brings her
awareness to her body, she feels deeply relaxed and happy. She spends
about 10 minutes paying close attention to her body, waiting to see if
there is any distress that might want to arise, and enjoying the pleasant
sensations that are present in her. Then, she moves to Practice 8:
Cultivating Joy, to make her happiness deeper and more stable.
As Bruce tries to focus on his breath, he feels distracted and uneasy.
After a few breaths, he tries to pay attention to his whole body, but
he’s overwhelmed with panic. When he tries to name what he is
feeling, he just pops out of the exercise. Bruce knows this often
happens to him when he tries to be present in his body, so he isn’t
worried. He just skips to Practice 7: Natural Compassion, to calm his
agitation.
Now, after you’ve completed the Practice Instructions for this chapter,
use the Body-Scan Practice Questions to determine which practice to do
next.
Practice 2
Self-Acceptance
The purpose of this practice is to be fully present with whatever sensations

arise in your body, or whatever thoughts arise in your mind. You learn to
embrace these sensations and thoughts with compassion and mindfulness,
rather than struggling against them or being carried away by them. Whether
your thoughts and bodily sensations are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, you
welcome them with open acceptance.
Once you have developed the ability to greet each thought and bodily
sensation with compassion and acceptance, you’ll find that you no longer
get caught up in negative thoughts or feelings. They can come and go
without disturbing your peace of mind.
There are two basic types of self-acceptance:
Mindfulness of the Body: We focus on all the sensations in the body

with open acceptance. Whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, we
allow all sensations to arise and pass away in their own time.
Mindfulness of Thoughts: We notice our thoughts as they come and
go. Rather than believing them or arguing against them, we recognize
that they are thoughts and let them arise and pass away in their own
time.
Mindfulness of the Body
In this practice, we relate to our emotions as sensations in the body. There

are both bodily sensations and thoughts that relate to nearly every emotion.
For example, when you feel afraid, a big part of that experience involves
some type of discomfort in your body (maybe tightness in your throat,
heaviness in your chest, or shakiness throughout your body). There might
also be fearful thoughts, but for this exercise we focus only on bodily
sensations. Experiment with this practice and see if you find it to be helpful.
MINDFULNESS OF THE BODY PRACTICE – TIP: STAGES OF MINDFULNESS

The image that my teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, uses to describe mindfulness of the body is of a
mother embracing her newborn baby with all her warmth and loving presence. We are learning
how to embrace whatever experience arises in us with that kind of love. However, this can be
difficult, especially at the beginning of our training.
For many of us, the best we can do is to tolerate the sensations in our bodies. We have spent
many years struggling against them or trying to avoid them through various forms of distraction
and addiction. Now, when we come home to our bodies, just tolerating our feelings is a big step
for us.
It can be helpful to use the diagram above to think about how mindfulness practice deepens
over time. We might begin by merely tolerating the sensations in the body. After some time, we
develop acceptance. We might think, “I don’t need to make these feelings go away. It’s OK for me
to feel them.” Later, we can welcome our feelings. We might now think, “Hello, anger. I’m here
for you and willing to pay attention to you.” And eventually, we learn how to embrace our
feelings with warmth and love. We think, “Dear sadness, I see that you are present, and I am so
happy to take care of you.”
PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS
Bring your attention to all the sensations in your body. Pay special
attention to your face, head, chest, and belly.
Do you notice any tension in your body?

Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Do you notice any relaxation in your body?
Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Do you notice any heaviness in your body?
Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Do you notice any lightness in your body?
Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Do you notice any heat in your body?
Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Do you notice any coolness in your body?
Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Do you notice any agitation in your body?
Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Do you notice any other sensations in your body?
Yes.
No.
if yes, Where? ____________________
Now, see if you can allow all those sensations to be as strong as they
want to be. Allow yourself to feel them completely without trying to make
them change at all. The goal of this practice is not to make unpleasant
sensations go away. Instead, you are allowing yourself to feel whatever
sensations arise in your body with total openness and acceptance. They
might get stronger, change in some way, or remain the same. You are just
watching and feeling. You might say to yourself, “It’s OK for me to feel
what I’m feeling. I can let it get stronger if it wants to, or fade away. I don’t
need to fight anything.” Write down what you notice. For example, “tension
in my heart starts to relax,” or “heaviness in my belly gets stronger.”
As you begin to pay close attention to the sensations in your body,

you’ll notice many different ways your mind and body might respond.
If your thoughts are distracting you from staying present with the
sensations in your body, don’t fight them or try to suppress them. Go
to the Mindfulness of Thoughts exercise below.
If the feelings in your body become so intense that you feel
overwhelmed, go to Practice 7 or 8.
If the sensations in your body get stronger, begin to fade, or new
sensations arise, continue Mindfulness of the Body practice.
Bring your attention to all of the sensations in your body. With each
breath, allow yourself to feel whatever arises. If the sensations in your body
are pleasant (like relaxation, warmth, or openness), give yourself
permission to enjoy them. If they are unpleasant (like tension, agitation, or
heaviness), try to embrace them with open acceptance. Feel them and let
them be as strong as they want to be. Every feeling that arises in your body
is OK. See if you can allow yourself to be open to all of them. You might
say to yourself, “Whatever feelings arise in my body are OK, whether
they’re pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. I’m not trying to change anything.
My only job is to be open and feel whatever comes up in myself.” Continue
this practice for 5–10 minutes. Whenever you notice a change, write it
down.
MINDFULNESS OF THE BODY PRACTICE – QUESTION

After a few minutes of practicing like this, is your distress or discomfort
still present or has it gone completely?
Still present. Go to Practice 3: Embracing Suffering.

Gone. Go to Practice 7 or 8, to deepen your wellness and joy.
MINDFULNESS OF THE BODY PRACTICE – EXAMPLE

Oren completes the Self-Compassion Body Scan and notices tension in his
face and heaviness around his heart. He then shifts to Mindfulness of the
Body practice and gives himself time and space to feel the tension and
heaviness within him. As he brings his attention to his body, the heaviness
gets stronger. Oren isn’t worried, because he knows that he’s not trying to
make it go away. He’s just letting himself feel it. After about 10 breaths, he
starts saying to himself, “It’s OK for me to feel this. It can be as strong as it
wants to be.” Just then, he feels the tension and heaviness begin to release.
He tells himself, “It’s OK if this fades away, and it’s OK if it comes back.
I’m open to feeling whatever arises.” After 10 minutes of practicing, Oren
feels deeply peaceful.
Mindfulness of Thoughts
Most of us believe that everything we think is true, which is kind of crazy.

When we look back, it’s easy to see how often our thoughts and perceptions
haven’t been totally accurate. Despite this, however, we still believe the
next thought that pops into our heads.
Mindfulness of thoughts helps us to develop a more rational and
realistic relationship with our thinking. In reality, our minds create thoughts
all day long, as well as much of the time we are sleeping. The mind
analyzes and comments on everything that happens to us, and even
comments on its own commentary. There is nothing wrong with this. It’s
what the mind is supposed to do.
The problem comes when we treat a thought as though it were a fact,
especially because the mind doesn’t wait until it has all the information it
needs before forming a thought. Imagine if your mind didn’t create thoughts
until you had all the information you needed to accurately understand
something. That would be a very different situation, and probably rather
difficult to function in daily life.
With mindfulness of thoughts, we learn to recognize that thoughts are
thoughts—no more and no less. They are useful sources of information, but
they should always be taken with a grain of salt.
There are many different ways to train ourselves in mindfulness of
thoughts, but for the purpose of this program you will use this practice only
when strong thoughts are distracting you from being able to practice
mindfulness of the body.

As you are practicing mindfulness of the body, thoughts will arise that
make it difficult to stay concentrated on your bodily sensations. When this
happens, the first thing to do is to recognize that a thought is present, and
name it as a thought. Don’t argue with it or try to make it go away.
Recognize that it’s just a thought, and allow it to stay or go however it
wants. Then return to mindfulness of the body practice.
PRACTICING WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF THOUGHTS

Different kinds of thoughts respond better to different ways of practicing.
Here are some examples:
Aversion to bodily sensations. For example: You are trying to practice

being open to tension in your body, and the thought comes up, “I hate
this tension.”
You might say to yourself, “Of course you hate this tension.
That’s perfectly OK. It’s possible to allow the thought ‘I hate this
tension’ to be present, and allow the tension to be present as well.”
When this type of thought arises, it can be helpful to empathize
with this part of yourself. For example, you could say “It’s OK for
me to hate this tension. That’s perfectly natural.” Then, see if you
can allow the thought to be present and allow the sensations in the
body to be present at the same time. They are both happening
within you, so you give them both permission to be there.
Aversion to mindfulness practice. For example: “This practice isn’t
helping me.”
Some of us have been avoiding our feelings for a long time.
When we finally come home to ourselves, we might find a great
deal of pain waiting for us. It is only natural that your mind will
say, “Let’s stop doing this and do something more pleasant.” In
this situation, you also empathize with that part of yourself by
saying something like, “Of course you don’t like this. You’d rather
feel something more pleasant, and that is natural.” Then you gently
tell yourself that this practice will actually lead to much greater
well-being, if you can embrace your suffering with love. Here
you’re saying, “There is a part of me that is suffering, and I want
to take care of it.”
Thoughts unrelated to the emotion you’re experiencing. For example:
“Don’t forget to buy dish soap.”
This could be your mind making sure you don’t forget something
important, or it could be a random association. It might also be
your mind’s attempt to avoid feeling your suffering, or it could be
part of your normal stream of consciousness. In this situation, just
acknowledge the thought, name it as a thought, and return to the
sensations in your body. If your mind is worried you’ll forget
something, you can take a moment to write it down before letting
it go. If it is an attempt to avoid your suffering, treat it like the
“aversion to bodily sensations” example above—allow the
unrelated thought to be present and allow the emotion you’re
experiencing to be present at the same time.
Stories you are telling yourself. For example: “I know I’m going to
get fired,” or “I wish she would just love me.”
Practicing with this type of thought can be tricky. Often the
content of these stories is not entirely based in reality. If you
recently had an argument with your daughter, for example, you
might have thoughts like, “She hates me,” or “I’m such a jerk.”
When a thought like this arises, we still don’t argue with it or try to
make it go away. However, it can be helpful to say to yourself,
“I’m having a thought that might or might not be true. I don’t need
to decide if it’s true right now. I’m just accepting whatever comes
up in me.” We all have thoughts like this from time to time.
Freedom and peace of mind don’t come from eradicating them.
They come from accepting that our thoughts aren’t always
accurate, and learning how not to get caught in our thinking.
MINDFULNESS OF THOUGHTS PRACTICE – QUESTION

After embracing your thoughts with mindfulness, are you able to return
your attention to the sensations in your body?
If yes, return to mindfulness of the body.

If not, continue to Practice 3: Embracing Suffering.
Practice 3
Embracing Suffering
When you experience the feeling of compassion, the Care Circuit in your
brain releases oxytocin and natural opiates. It also dramatically reduces
every form of mental distress (and many forms of physical distress, as
well). This practice uses your brain’s Care Circuit to relieve stress, anxiety,
depression, and other negative emotions.
The practice of Embracing Suffering is much more effective after you
have spent at least a few minutes practicing Self-Acceptance, as described
in the previous chapter. You begin by accepting all your bodily sensations
and thoughts without trying to change them in any way. This deep
acceptance is the best foundation for generating compassion.
Every human being suffers. It is something that we all have in common.
We all experience loss, frustration, and anxiety at different times in our
lives. We know what it’s like to feel lonely, sad, and angry. However, most
of us have never learned the art of embracing our suffering with compassion
so that it is transformed into peace and understanding. That’s the purpose of
this practice.
There are two types of embracing suffering:
1. Receiving compassion from someone else: We picture someone—a

person we’ve known, a religious figure, a beloved animal such as a pet, or
even an image from nature—and visualize them loving and accepting us.
They can be expressing their compassion in whatever way feels most
impactful to us, such as holding us, saying loving words, or just looking at
us. The important part of this practice is that they are sending us
compassion while we are suffering.
2. Sending compassion to yourself: You recognize the suffering present in
your body and mind. Then you express compassion toward yourself. You
might say loving words to yourself, place your hand on your heart, or wrap
your arms around yourself in a hug. You might imagine an energy of
compassion that is directed toward the places in your body where you feel
suffering. Again, you do whatever feels the most impactful to convey love
and caring to yourself.
Receiving Compassion From Someone Else
The following example illustrates the first type of embracing suffering with
compassion.
PRACTICE EXAMPLE
Tina places both hands on her heart and becomes aware of the grief and
loneliness within her. She feels those feelings as a weight in her chest and
nausea in her stomach. After a few breaths of feeling those feelings without
trying to change them at all, Tina visualizes her grandmother. She lets the
image of her grandmother become very clear in her mind, and immediately
notices some relief in her body. She visualizes her grandmother saying to
her, “May you be peaceful. May you be loved,” over and over again. With
each repetition, she feels the suffering in her body melt away until she feels
peaceful and well.
In the last exercise, Self-Acceptance, you became aware of the suffering
that is present in your body. Whatever form this distress is taking—whether
it’s anger, fear, sadness, frustration, loneliness, tension, heaviness in the
body, or anything else—you recognize that it is there. In this practice, as in
the previous one, you are not trying to make your suffering go away. You
remain grounded in a deep acceptance of yourself and everything you are
experiencing. Describe how you are experiencing your suffering right now.
Now see if you can picture someone—a person you’ve known, a
religious figure, an animal, an archetype (imaginary person), or even an
image from nature—and visualize them loving and accepting you right in
this moment. They can see how you are suffering and they are filled with
compassion for you. Write down the person you choose:
(Note: If you can’t imagine anyone loving and accepting you, go to Practice
4: Healing Pain From the Past.)
Now continue to concentrate on that person. Let the image be very clear.
Some people like to use a photo or other physical image if they have a
difficult time visualizing. Recognize how they love and accept you right in
this moment that you are suffering. Notice the sensations in your body.
Do you notice relaxation? Yes.

No.
Do you notice tension? Yes.
No.
Do you notice lightness? Yes.
No.
Do you notice any other sensation? Yes.
No.
What?
(Note: If you notice tension or any other form of distress in your body, go to
Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult.)
Continue to concentrate on that person and allow the positive feelings in
your body to become as strong as they want to be. The person can express
acceptance and love in whatever way feels most impactful to you. Pay
attention to the positive sensations in your body, and try saying to yourself,
“It’s alright to feel this. I can let this feeling be as strong as it wants to be.”
(Continue for 1–3 minutes.)
Now picture that person saying the following phrases to you (feel free to
use other phrases if these aren’t helpful).
May you be happy.

May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
Picture the person saying these phrases a few times and allow the
positive feelings in your body to be as strong as they want to be. Write
down whether the positive sensations in your body have grown stronger or
have changed in any way.
Grown stronger? Yes.

No.
Changed? Yes.
No.
If changed, can you describe how so?
Continue this practice for another 5–10 minutes.
Sending Compassion to Yourself

Arrange yourself in a comfortable posture. You can have your eyes open or
closed, whichever feels more comfortable.
In the last exercise, Self-Acceptance, you became aware of the suffering
that is present in your body. Whatever form this distress is taking—whether
it’s anger, fear, sadness, frustration, loneliness, tension or heaviness in the
body, or anything else—you recognize that it is there. In this practice, as in
the previous one, you are not trying to make your suffering go away. You
remain grounded in a deep acceptance of yourself and everything you are
experiencing. Describe how you are experiencing your suffering right now.
Now place your hands on your heart, on the sides of your face, or
anywhere that feels comforting. See if you can direct the energy of love and
compassion toward yourself in this moment. Focus especially on the places
in your body where you feel your suffering. You might try saying to
yourself, “I see that you are suffering, and I am here for you.” As you
practice in this way, notice the sensations that arise in your body. Write
down what you notice:
Do you notice relaxation? Yes.

No.
Do you notice tension? Yes.
No.
Do you notice lightness? Yes.
No.
Do you notice any other sensation? Yes.
No.
What sensation?
(Note: If this practice isn’t feeling helpful to you right now, go to Practice
4: Healing Pain From the Past.)
Continue to concentrate and allow the positive feelings in your body to
become as strong as they want to be.
(Continue for 1–3 minutes.)
Now try saying the following phrases to yourself. Feel free to use other
phrases if these aren’t helpful.
May you be happy.

May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
Write down whether the positive sensations in your body have grown
stronger or changed in any way:
Grown stronger? Yes.

No.
Changed? Yes.
No.
If changed, can you describe how so?
Continue this practice for 5–10 minutes.
PRACTICE QUESTION
Did you have a strong positive experience with either of these practices?
If yes, continue with these practices for the rest of the time you’ve
allotted for this training session.
If not, try Practice 4: Healing Pain From the Past.
Practice 4
Healing Pain From the Past
If we imagine a 100-year-old tree, we can see that the 50-year-old tree is

contained within it. We could count the rings and point to the exact place
where the 50-year-old tree is present in the 100-year-old tree. We can see
that the 20-year-old tree and the 10-year-old tree are all concretely present
in the 100-year-old tree.
It is the same with us. Every experience we have is recorded in the
shapes of connections in the neural networks in our brains. If a past
experience is still impacting us in any way, it’s because the connections that
were made during that experience are still concretely present in our brains.
Someday brain imaging technology may become so accurate that we will be
able to identify the exact place where our brain stores the experience of our
5-year-old self being humiliated by an older sibling, or our 10-year-old self
being bitten by a neighborhood dog.
This is why healing the past is possible. We cannot change what
happened in the past, but we can change how it impacts us. The metaphor
of the rings in a tree illustrates how the past can be accessed in the present
because its marks remain within us. We can access how those experiences
are stored in our brains and change them.
In fact, neuroscientists have demonstrated that the key to transforming
pain from the past is to get in touch with that pain while experiencing
compassion at the same time. This triggers a process in your brain called
memory reconsolidation that literally rewrites your emotional response to a
past experience. The memory isn’t erased; it is simply changed so that it
doesn’t cause distress anymore.
For this type of deep transformation to occur, all we need to do is to get in touch with pain from
our past as well as our compassion for ourselves—both at the same time.
Just bringing up pain with no compassion is the same as continuously ruminating, which
only causes the pain to get worse.
Just bringing up compassion with no pain is the same as doing Practice 7 or 8, which builds
joy and regulates emotions but is not transformative.
Bringing up pain and compassion together can lead to deep transformation.
The purpose of this practice is to heal and transform the pain from your
past.
Healing the Past Practice – Example
Darrel was emotionally abused by his parents when he was a child. He now
suffers from insecurity and self-criticism. As he begins this practice, he
allows himself to get in touch with his insecurity as a shrinking feeling and
the sense of wanting to cry. He feels this in his body for a few breaths—just
allowing himself to feel it. Then he reflects on the first time he felt this way.
He remembers a moment when he was very young (he thinks around 5)
when his father was yelling at him and his mother wouldn’t look at him. As
he recollects that image, the feelings in his body become stronger.
Now he imagines standing next to this sad and lonely 5-year-old boy,
and feels a well of compassion arise in him. He tells the little boy that he is
perfect, and that his parents are only like that because they haven’t learned
how to be kind to anyone. It is not the little boy’s fault. He expresses to the
boy that he loves him very much and wants to help him. The boy seems
relieved, and Darrel spends nearly an hour feeling this connection with
himself as a little boy. When he ends his practice, he notices a profound
sense of peace in himself.

Become aware of the suffering that is present in you in this moment.
Whatever form this distress is taking—whether it’s anger, fear, sadness,
frustration, loneliness, tension or heaviness in the body, or anything else—
you recognize that it is there. In this practice, you are not trying to make
your suffering go away. You are grounded in deep acceptance toward
yourself and everything you are experiencing. Describe how you are
experiencing your suffering right now.
As you are feeling this suffering in your body, ask yourself, “When was
the first time I can remember feeling this exact feeling?” It doesn’t need to
be the first time ever, just the first time you can remember. Write down a
brief note about the specific memory or general time period that arises:
(Note: If you start to feel overwhelmed, go to Practice 8: Cultivating Joy.)
Picture yourself at the age you were in that memory. Do not visualize
yourself during a traumatic event. Instead, just picture yourself at that age.
You are still your present self, and you are looking at your past self. No one
else is around in this scene. Look at your past self and pay attention to the
expression on your past self’s face. Notice the feelings that come up for you
and what you feel like saying to your past self. Write down these feelings
and what you feel like saying:
(Note: If your feelings or words could be considered caring or
compassionate, continue with this exercise. However, if you feel angry,
blaming, or indifferent toward your past self, go to Practice 6: When
Compassion Is Difficult.)
Now express your compassion to your past self. You might say what
you’ve been feeling, or interact in some other way. Consider telling your
past self that he or she is lovable and does not deserve to be treated badly.
Alternatively, you can imagine someone else who symbolizes great
compassion expressing their love for your past self. Notice how your past
self responds. Does he or she accept the affection? Seem defensive or
argue? Write down a brief description of the interaction:
Continue to dialogue with your past self until you are sure that he or she
can receive your compassion. Then go on expressing your compassion in
whatever way feels most powerful to you. Pay attention to the sensations in
your body as you express your love.
Continue this practice for 5–20 minutes.
Still picturing your past self, try saying the following phrases. Feel free
to change them to something else if these aren’t helpful.
May you be happy.

May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
You are completely lovable.
You do not deserve to be treated badly.
If these phrases make your experience of compassion stronger, then

continue this practice for 5–10 minutes. If not, express your love to your
past self in your own way.
Healing the Past Practice – Question
Did you have a strong positive experience with either of these practices?
If yes, continue with these practices for the rest of the time you’ve
allotted for this training session.
If not, try Practice 5: Going Deeper.
Practice 5
Going Deeper
My meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh describes mindfulness practice

using the image of a mother holding her newborn baby. We can learn how
to bring this type of warm and loving presence to our own experience.
However, although this kind of loving presence is often healing and
transformative, sometimes we need to go deeper.
When a baby is crying, if her mother picks her up and holds her with
complete presence and compassion, the baby might begin to feel better right
away. Yet sometimes loving attention alone isn’t enough. If the baby is still
crying, the parent will try to figure out what is wrong. Is the baby hungry,
wet, tired, or is it something else? This is a process of active inquiry into the
cause of the baby’s suffering. Then, once the parent understands the cause,
he or she will naturally take action to address it. It is the same with
mindfulness practice.
If we embrace our suffering with compassion, sometimes that’s all we
need in order to feel better. Other times, however, there is a deeper cause
that needs to be addressed. In this case, we use a practice of active inquiry,
trying to look deeply enough to understand the root causes of our suffering.
After we gain this new understanding, we can then see the most beneficial
action we can take to address the problem.
The three primary ways of going deeper are as follows:
1. Listening to Suffering in the Body: We get in touch with our suffering as

sensation in the body. After embracing it with acceptance and compassion,
if we don’t feel anything shift we begin to ask those bodily sensations what
they need us to hear. Go to this practice if you’ve been relating to your
suffering mainly as bodily sensation.
2. Listening to a Past Self: We are in touch with a past self that is suffering.
After attempting to direct love and compassion to this past self, if we don’t
feel anything shift we can ask “What do you need me to hear?” Go to this
practice if you were able to get in touch with a past self who is suffering but
didn’t respond completely to Practice 4: Healing Pain From the Past.
3. Listening to Parts of Yourself: As we are practicing, we might notice
persistent thoughts, distractions, or even resistance to compassion. Some
part of ourselves is not cooperating with the way we’ve been trying to
practice. If this has been your experience, go to this practice.
Listening to Suffering in the Body Practice

Become aware of the suffering that is present in your body in this
moment. Whatever form this distress is taking—whether it’s tension,
heaviness, agitation, numbness, or anything else—you recognize that it is
there. Notice if it is located in a particular part of your body, or if it’s
everywhere. In this practice, you are not trying to make your suffering go
away. You are grounded in deep acceptance of yourself and everything you
are experiencing. Describe how you are experiencing your suffering right
now.
Now you will experiment with addressing questions to this sensation in
your body. This practice might or might not feel relevant to you at this time,
and that’s fine. We’re just experimenting. You will ask a few different
questions to the sensations in your body, and just listen for a response. We
aren’t answering these questions intellectually. We’re seeing if you notice a
spontaneous response when you address them to the suffering in your body.
Now become aware again of the sensations in your body associated with
your suffering, slowly ask the following questions, and write down
whatever information that comes into your awareness:
How are you trying to help?

What is your job?
What do you need me to hear?
What do you need?
Write down what your suffering tells you:

LISTENING TO SUFFERING IN THE BODY PRACTICE –
QUESTION
During this type of practice, your suffering will either express a positive
intention (it’s trying to meet a need, it wants your help, it’s trying to protect
you, etc.) or it will express hostility.
If you hear hostility, go to Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult.

If you hear a need or positive intention, engage in compassionate
dialogue with this part of yourself.
LISTENING TO SUFFERING IN THE BODY PRACTICE –

EXAMPLE
Barbara sits down on her meditation cushion and closes her eyes. She
focuses her attention on the sensations in her body, and becomes aware of
something she describes as feeling like a heavy stone in her gut. She feels
close to crying. Barbara has explored Practices 2–4 in this workbook, and
the stone feels unchanged. So she asks the stone in her gut, “What is your
job?” She senses an inner voice saying, “I don’t have a job.” She tries the
question, “What do you need?” and hears the response, “I don’t know. I’m
just so deeply alone.”
Barbara intuitively places both of her hands on her belly and says, “I
understand. I’m here with you now, and I will listen to whatever you want
to tell me.” She feels the stone dissolve as a huge wave of sadness and
loneliness floods through her body. Barbara isn’t overwhelmed, however,
and she allows herself to feel these feelings. For the next 20 minutes she
slowly repeats, “I hear that you feel alone. I’m here with you now. I’ll listen
to anything else you want to tell me.” Eventually, she feels the sadness fade
and leave behind a sweet calmness and comfort that she’s never felt before.
Listening to a Past Self

Become aware of the suffering that is present in your body in this
moment. Spend at least 10 breaths feeling this sensation in your body
without trying to change it. Now, reflect on the first time you can remember
feeling this way. Get a clear mental image of yourself at that age. Pay close
attention to the expression on your past self’s face. Notice the feelings that
come up in you as you let yourself become fully present with your past self.
Try saying, “I am here to listen to you.” If your past self responds in any
way, write down the response:
Now you will experiment with asking your past self a few questions.
This practice might or might not feel relevant to you at this time, and that’s
fine—we’re just experimenting. You will ask a few different questions of
your past self and just listen for a response. We aren’t answering these
questions intellectually. We’re just seeing if you notice a spontaneous
response when you address them to your past self. Now, slowly, ask these
questions of your past self and write down whatever information you hear:
How do you feel?

Why do you feel like that?
Is there anything I can do to help you?
What are you doing to keep yourself safe?
Is there anything you want to tell me about what I should do to stay
safe?
Write down what your past self tells you:
LISTENING TO A PAST SELF PRACTICE – QUESTION

Does your past self respond positively to your willingness to listen?
If yes, continue to dialogue with your past self for as long as it feels
helpful. Experiment with going back to Practice 4: Healing Pain From
the Past if your past self seems more open to receiving compassion
from you now.
If your past self says anything self-critical or reacts negatively to your
kindness, go to Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult.
LISTENING TO A PAST SELF PRACTICE – EXAMPLE
When Medea tried expressing love and compassion to her 6-year-old self,
the little girl seemed to distrust her affection. Medea stayed with the
visualization and asked her little girl, “Are you afraid?” The girl said,
“Yes.” Then Medea asked, “What are you doing to keep yourself safe?” and
the girl responded that if she lets her guard down, someone will attack her.
Medea empathized and told the girl how sad it made her to hear that people
have been cruel to her. Then Medea explained that she (her adult self) has
the power to prevent anyone from hurting the little girl ever again. Through
this dialogue, Medea’s 6-year-old self started to become willing to trust.
When the girl’s guard finally began to come down, Medea went back to
expressing love and compassion for her. After 25 minutes of that practice,
Medea felt exhausted and took a long nap. When she awoke, she felt a
profound shift in how she felt about herself and a deeper sense of
confidence than ever before.
Listening to Parts of Yourself

As you begin to bring your attention to the sensations in your body,
notice whatever thoughts, distractions or resistance might arise. Pay
attention to whatever form this distraction or resistance is taking. Try saying
to yourself, “There is a part of me that doesn’t want to practice self-
compassion in this way.” If this feels true to say, then allow yourself to get
in touch with that part of you. You might feel it is located in a certain part
of your body, or that it has some kind of form or color. When you are in
touch with this part—when you feel that it is present—ask this part of
yourself, “What is your job? How are you trying to help?” Write down
anything you notice in response:
LISTENING TO PARTS OF YOURSELF PRACTICE – QUESTION

Can you see the positive intention in that part of yourself (for example, it
wants to protect you or prevent you from feeling too much pain)?
If you can, then continue your dialogue with it. Try to empathize with
this part of yourself, and to help it to understand your perspective.
Continue with this practice until the end of this training session.
If you don’t hear any response, or if this part is hostile or critical, go
to Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult.
LISTENING TO PARTS OF YOURSELF PRACTICE – EXAMPLE

When Corey was trying to send compassion to the suffering in him, he kept
feeling ashamed of himself. He knew that he desperately needed self-
compassion, because he was convinced that his tendency to criticize his
girlfriends came from deep insecurity. He wanted to be kinder in
relationships, so he was very motivated to practice. However, when he tried
to send compassion to himself (or visualize someone else doing so) his
feelings of insecurity would get even more intense.
Then he arrived at the practice of listening to parts. He asked his
insecurity, “What is your job? How are you trying to help?” and it became
immediately clear that this part of him was trying to protect him from being
ridiculed. The first response Corey heard was, “If anyone saw you doing
this, they would laugh at you.”
Corey saw this as protective, rather than a hostile response, so he tried
to have a dialogue with it. He thought that his most recent ex-girlfriend
would be so happy to see him meditating and getting in touch with his
feelings, so he asked that part, “Do you think everyone would laugh, or just
some people.” The part responded, “Anyone who matters.” He paused and
thought about who would laugh, and his father was at the top of the list. He
asked the part, “Are you scared of what Dad would think if he saw us?” and
he felt a surge of fear throughout his body and heard a “Yes.”
Corey visited his father only once or twice a year, and they almost never
spoke. After reflecting on what he had just learned from this inner dialogue,
Corey decided that he didn’t want to base his life on his father’s opinions
anymore. He spoke to the part again saying, “It’s true that Dad would laugh,
and maybe even get angry, but he’s an old fool anyway. If we keep trying to
please him, we’ll never find love.” Then a torrent of emotion flowed
through Corey’s body—terror, exhilaration and relief. He practiced self-
acceptance, allowing himself to feel all this emotion without any resistance.
After 35 minutes of sitting with all these feelings, he finally felt peaceful
and unafraid. He put his hands on his heart and sent himself the energy of
compassion without any worry about what anyone might think. Once he
was feeling more peaceful, he didn’t even feel the need to call his dad a
fool. He could see that his dad suffers a lot and feels really lonely. Finding
compassion for himself naturally led to compassion for his father.
Practice 6
When Compassion Is Difficult
Self-compassion can be difficult, but in my experience, it is always

possible. Whatever obstacle that might prevent us from experiencing self-
compassion can be overcome, and the secret for doing so is deceptively
simple. We learn how to embrace the obstacle itself with compassion and
understanding.
In the practice of compassion, there are no enemies. We are
peacemakers, who are committed to finding ways to understand and
embrace whatever thoughts, feelings and sensations arise within us. This
might not be easy, but it’s much easier than constantly being at war with
ourselves. We begin this practice by consciously calling for a ceasefire.
To be clear, we do not passively surrender to the darkest parts of
ourselves. We don’t give in to self-hate or despair. We don’t allow these
parts to control us. Yet neither do we seek to annihilate these parts of
ourselves. We have learned that hating our hatred just creates more hatred.
In the end, we see that these parts of ourselves are like crying children.
They aren’t being rational, and shouldn’t be put in charge of anything. What
they need is love, understanding, and a commitment to repair whatever
relational bond has been broken. This is a practice of active nonviolence
and of conflict resolution—in our relationship with ourselves.
The more you understand the obstacle that is blocking your self-
compassion, the easier it will be to transform it. There are two basic types
of obstacles: overwhelm and competing commitments.
Overwhelm as an Obstacle to Self-Compassion
Overwhelm is the simpler of these two obstacles to overcome, because it

mainly requires getting more rest and recuperation. It takes a lot of energy
to be present with suffering. If we aren’t replenishing the reservoir of joy
and compassion within us, we will run out of energy and become exhausted.
If you are experiencing uncontrollable grief, feelings of despair, or an
inability to stay present with your suffering, you might be overwhelmed.
The primary step for practicing with overwhelm is to remove yourself
from stress and get some rest, both physically and psychologically. Physical
rest may simply mean catching up on sleep, but it might also include
recreational activities or spending time in nature. Do whatever has worked
in the past to help you regain your energy and feel more centered and
grounded. It is important during this time to completely stop any attempt to
embrace your suffering. Instead, set aside an uninterrupted period of time to
focus on Practice 7: Natural Compassion and on Practice 8: Cultivating Joy.
If you are well rested and have tried these two practices but are still
having a hard time getting in touch with feelings of peace and joy, then it is
likely that you are dealing with a competing commitment (explained below).
Competing Commitments as an Obstacle to Self-Compassion
Competing commitments are more complicated obstacles to deal with than

feelings of overwhelm, but overcoming them is potentially more
transformative. Competing commitments refer to the ways we act that seem
irrational and self-destructive. We might criticize ourselves, blame
ourselves, or refuse to accept the things that could truly help us. However,
when we look more deeply, we can see that these “negative” or
“destructive” parts of ourselves are actually suffering and desperately in
need of compassion.
We all have many different parts of ourselves. For example, it’s possible
to feel attracted to something and afraid of it at the same time, or to want
something and wish that you didn’t. This ambivalence doesn’t mean that
your brain is malfunctioning or that you have a psychological problem. On
the contrary, it is actually an important part of how a normal brain works.
Scientists now understand that our brains perform many different
functions all at the same time. In fact, there might be more than a billion
distinct processes happening in your brain right now. Your brain is
regulating your heartbeat, maintaining your sense of balance, running your
immune system, scanning for potential threats to your survival, translating
light on your retinas into letters, letters into words and ideas, and then
testing to see how those ideas relate to your life experience. The human
brain is truly amazing.
Ideally, all these different processes work together in harmony. When
they do, you feel like you are a unified person who thinks consistent
thoughts and feels in a consistent way. However, conflicts in our thoughts
and feelings often arise and create all sorts of problems.
Here’s an example to clarify what I mean:
When Mitchell came to see me for therapy he had been struggling with
depression for quite some time. He had read several self-help books and
seen a few other therapists with no noticeable improvement. Nonetheless,
he was still highly motivated to start feeling better, and willing to try any
suggestion.
As Mitchell and I were talking about his history, he explained that he
had grown up in a family that would ignore him when he was doing well,
but would become very affectionate and caring when he got depressed. As
soon as I heard that, the term competing commitment flashed across my
mind.
The Harvard psychologist Robert Kegan coined the term competing
commitment to describe how different parts of the same person can want
different things. In Mitchell’s case, one part of him truly wanted to feel
better, but I was beginning to suspect that another part of him (a part he had
no idea existed) might actually be afraid of letting his depression go.
It was clear that Mitchell was not conscious of any desire to remain
depressed. He was adamant that he would do anything to feel better.
However, when he explained that there was a time in his past when the only
way to get caring attention was to be depressed, it made me wonder if there
might be some part of him that still believed being depressed was a good
way to get love. The only way to know for sure was to explore the issue
experientially, so I used a practice like the one you’ll try later in this
chapter.
I asked Mitchell to get in touch with his depression, and feel it in his
body. He described it as a sinking feeling in his whole body that made him
want to lie down. Once he was feeling it, I asked him to try a sentence
completion exercise. I gave him the first part of a sentence, and asked him
to finish it with whatever popped into his mind, even if it didn’t make sense.
I said, “Try finishing the sentence, ‘I can’t let go of my depression, because
if I do . . .’ and say whatever pops into your head. We’ll do this a few
times.”
The very first thing that Mitchell said confirmed my suspicions. He said,
“I can’t let go of my depression, because if I do I will disappear.” He was
completely surprised by this sentence, so I asked him to repeat it a few
times out loud and see if it continued to feel true. He said, “I can’t believe
it, but it really feels true. There’s a part of me that thinks no one will notice
me if I stop being depressed. Am I crazy?”
I said, “Of course you’re not crazy. You grew up in a family in which
that was the reality. Whenever you stopped being depressed, your family
would ignore you. Even though there’s a big part of you that doesn’t want
to be depressed, it sounds like there is another part of you that believes
people won’t notice you unless you’re depressed. That’s very normal, and
we just need to help that other part of you to understand that you are not
living with your family anymore. Those old strategies used to work, but
they don’t work now.”
I asked him to repeat the sentence a few more times (“I can’t let go of
my depression, because if I do I will disappear.”) and let me know how old
he felt while he was saying it. He said that he felt about 7 years old, so I
asked him to visualize himself as a 7-year-old boy. When he had a clear
image of that little boy, we told him that we were proud of him for figuring
out how to get his needs met in his family. It took a lot of intelligence to
discover that being depressed was the best way to get care and love. The
boy was happy that we recognized his strengths. Then we told him that not
everyone was like his family. This was shocking to the 7-year-old, who had
assumed no one in the world would notice him unless he was depressed. We
told him that many other people are actually more loving when you aren’t
depressed. We continued the dialogue until the 7-year-old boy seemed to
understand and believe us.
This was a profoundly transformative experience for Mitchell. Before
our work together, he felt powerless over his depression. He believed he
was desperately trying to change, but that he wasn’t strong enough. Then,
he discovered an entirely new part of himself. It was a part that had an
important purpose for holding onto his depression.
Richard Schwartz, the psychologist and originator of Internal Family
Systems, would call this part a manager. Its job was to protect Mitchell by
keeping him depressed so that people would continue to care about him.
The more he tried to get rid of his depression, the more forcefully this part
would protect it. He was caught in an internal struggle because he didn’t
recognize this part’s existence.
When we discovered this part of Mitchell, we didn’t punish or blame it.
Instead we empathized with it. We did our best to express appreciation for
how this part believed it was doing an important job, and then we shared a
vital piece of information that it had obviously not known—that many
people can care about you when you aren’t depressed.
Here are the main steps from this process. (I will provide guided
instruction to help you try this for yourself in a moment.)
1. Get in touch with your suffering or whatever obstacle to self-compassion

you’ve found. Feel it in your body.
2. Use some inquiry practice (like sentence completion) to help that part of
you articulate why it believes the obstacle is important to maintain.
3. Once you can understand why that part of you wants to keep your
obstacle to self-compassion, try to identify how old that part of you is. You
might repeat the sentence that describes the purpose of your obstacle, and
notice how old you feel when you say it.
4. Visualize yourself at that age and acknowledge how this obstacle was
actually a realistic strategy at that time.
5. Then explain to your younger self why this strategy is no longer needed.
When I describe competing commitments to groups of people, I find

there tend to be two types of responses. Some people say, “Oh, of course.
That makes perfect sense.” Others say, “That sounds crazy. It certainly isn’t
true for me.” I do not expect you to believe there is a competing
commitment in you merely because you’ve encountered some obstacles to
self-compassion. Rather, I invite you to experiment with the practices below
and see for yourself.
The two most important concepts in working with competing
commitments are as follows:
1. There is a part of you that believes it is more important to keep your

obstacle to self-compassion than to let it go. That part of you sees an
important purpose in maintaining the obstacle.
2. We don’t seek to eradicate the part of you that is holding onto your
obstacles. Instead, we want to understand why that part believes its job is so
important. We want to treat that part with compassion and to dialogue with
it in a loving way.
Here are some common types of obstacles to self-compassion. You

might have experienced one or more of these in the practices you’ve
attempted so far.
When you visualize yourself in the past (often as a child), you blame
your past self for your suffering.
When you visualize yourself in the past, your past self refuses to
believe he or she wasn’t to blame for your suffering.
There is a voice in you that is hostile or critical toward you, and you
haven’t been able to reconcile with it.
You’ve experienced strong feelings of distress in your body when
attempting self-compassion.
Here are some common reasons people hold onto self-criticism. Read
each one and notice if it resonates with you.
Maintaining connection. If I realize that I never deserved to be

abused, then my parents become horrible people. If I deserved the
abuse, I can continue feeling connected with them.  
Maintaining the illusion of control. If I am to blame for the abuse,
then I can control it by becoming better. If I’m not to blame, then it is
entirely outside my control—and that is scary.  
Maintaining fairness. If I’m not to blame for the abuse, then I live in
a world in which good people can be hurt without having done
anything wrong. That would feel too unfair.  
Protecting a relationship. If I believe that I am lovable, someone
important in my life will reject me. This person believes that I deserve
disrespect and could not tolerate it if I were to disagree.  
Avoiding responsibility for life. If I know there is nothing wrong with
me, I become responsible for my life. Believing I’m broken allows me
to escape responsibility.  
(Note: If you become emotionally overwhelmed at any point during this

practice, stop and rest. You can use Practice 7: Natural Compassion and
Practice 8: Cultivating Joy to regulate intense feelings. It can also be helpful
to do this practice under the supervision of a trained mental health
professional.)
You have come to this practice because you’ve experienced some kind
of obstacle to self-compassion. Write down the form this obstacle has taken,
such as intense self-critical thoughts or blaming yourself for abuse:
Now allow yourself to get in touch with that obstacle. If it came up
during a visualization practice, try that same visualization again. Do
whatever you need to do to bring it up. We don’t want it to be
overwhelming, but just strong enough that you can feel it. When it is
present, write down what sensations you notice in your body:
As you are in touch with your obstacle and these feelings in your body,
try saying these sentences to yourself and see if any of them feel true,
“There is a part of me that doesn’t want to stop feeling like this or doing
this to myself. There is a part of me that needs to hold onto this. There is a
part of me that thinks I deserve this.” Write down which sentence felt true
(if any) and anything else that came up for you:
Continue feeling those feelings in your body, and feeling in touch with
this part of yourself. Try saying to yourself, “I’m ready to listen to you. You
can tell me about your job, what you are trying to do and why it is so
important. I’m not going to attack you.” Write down whatever comes up:
Now try this sentence completion. Just write down whatever pops into
your head, and do it at least 5 times. Finish the sentence:
“I refuse to have compassion for myself because if I do . . .”

Choose the one or two sentences from the sentence completion exercise
that feel the most emotionally powerful to you. Repeat them a few times
(aloud or silently) and notice how old you feel when you say them. Write
down how old you feel (if there is a specific scene, include that):
Visualize yourself at that age. Once you have a clear image of your past
self, spend a few minutes trying to understand and empathize with this part
of yourself. Can you see how this part believed it was helping you or
meeting an important need? You can dialogue with your past self and ask
any questions you need to ask in order to understand the important purpose
for the belief, feeling, or behavior. Once you see this, acknowledge how it
was actually a realistic strategy at that time, and express appreciation for
how your past self was doing an important job. Write down what you
notice:
Now tell this part of yourself whatever important information it doesn’t
know. What does this part of you need to know in order to recognize that it
doesn’t need to continue blocking self-compassion in your life? (Often this
has to do with your present life being so much different from your life as a
child.) Continue dialoguing with this part until there is a mutual
understanding. This part will be willing to stop doing its job once you
communicate that you understand why it thought its job was so important,
and once you are able to convince it that its job is no longer necessary.
Spend as much time as you need to communicate this. Write down what
happens:
COMPETING COMMITMENTS PRACTICE – QUESTION
Did you discover a part of yourself that had a purpose for blocking self-
compassion?
If yes, were you able to empathize with this part of yourself?

If yes, continue directing compassion to this part of yourself for
at least 10 minutes.
If not, rest or spend some time with Practice 8: Cultivating Joy.
Then attempt this practice again, or do so under the supervision of
a trained mental health professional.
If not, try this practice under the supervision of a trained mental
health professional.
Practice 7
Natural Compassion
The practice of natural compassion can be used in several ways:
It can be used as a way to exercise your brain’s Care Circuit and

improve your ability to generate compassion. It’s like doing pushups
for your Care Circuit.
It can be used as a preliminary practice—getting you ready to direct
compassion toward yourself. When self-compassion is hard, this
practice is easier.
It can also be used to ground you and regulate powerful emotions if
you are feeling overwhelmed in any way—whether the emotions arise
during self-compassion training or in your daily life.
There are three basic types of natural compassion practice:
1. Sending Practice: We choose some recipient—a person, animal, or

anything at all—and send love and compassion to it.
2. Receiving Practice: We picture someone—a person we’ve known, a
religious figure, or even an image from nature—and visualize them loving
and accepting us.
3. Sending & Receiving Practice: We choose someone and alternate
between sending and receiving as we breathe. Breathing in, I receive
compassion. Breathing out, I send compassion.
Sending Practice

closed, whichever feels more comfortable. You might place your hands on
your heart, wrap your arms around yourself in a hug, or place your hands on
the sides of your face.
Explore different objects—it can be a person, animal, or anything—until
you find one that brings up natural and uncomplicated feelings of warmth
and love. Write down the object you chose. You might also draw a picture
of it, or find a photo or printed image you can hold:
Now continue to concentrate on your object. Let the image be very

clear. Notice the sensations in your body. Do you notice relaxation, tension,
or lightness? Write down the body sensations you notice:
(Note: If you notice tension or any other form of distress in your body, skip
this exercise and go to Receiving Practice.)
Continue to concentrate on your object and allow the positive feelings in
your body to become as strong as they want to be.
(Continue for at least 10 breaths.)
Now try saying the following phrases to the object you are picturing.
Feel free to change these phrases, or not to use them if they aren’t helpful.
May you be happy.

May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
Repeat these phrases a few times and allow the positive feelings in your
body to be as strong as they want to be. Write down the body sensations
you notice now:
Continue repeating this practice for at least 5 minutes.
SENDING PRACTICE – TIP: CREATE YOUR OWN PHRASES

Some people love using phrases with Sending Practice. Others prefer various kinds of
visualizations. If you like using phrases, you can use the ones suggested above or you can create
your own by experimenting to discover what feels the most powerful to you. Here are some more
suggestions:
May you be peaceful.
May you have ease.
May you be joyful.
May you know that your needs matter.
May you know that you are beautiful.
SENDING PRACTICE – EXAMPLE
Jeff closes his eyes, puts both hands over his heart, and pictures his dog. He
lets the image get really clear and notices the relaxation, warmth and
opening in his chest. He stays with this image for a few breaths and then
begins to silently repeat these phrases: “May you be happy. May you be
loved.” He repeats these phrases over and over as the positive sensations in
his body grow and he feels on the verge of tears. He stays with this image
and his phrases for 20 minutes, really allowing himself to enjoy this state of
compassion, love and peace. Jeff uses this practice whenever he’s starting to
feel depressed or frustrated. He also likes to practice for 10 minutes or so
each morning.
SENDING PRACTICE – QUESTION

Did you have a strong positive experience with this practice?
If yes, continue to practice it for the rest of the time you’ve allotted
for this training session. In your next session, you can choose to begin
with Practice 1 or return directly to this practice.
If not, try Receiving Practice.
Receiving Practice

See if you can picture someone—it could be someone you’ve known, a
religious figure, an image from nature, an animal, or even a white light—
who could love and accept you completely. Write down the person you
choose:
Now continue to concentrate on that person. Let the image be very clear.
Notice the sensations in your body. Do you notice relaxation, tension,
lightness, or any other sensation? Write down the body sensations you
notice:
(Note: If you notice tension or any other form of distress in your body, skip
this exercise and go to Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult.)
Continue to concentrate on that person and allow the positive feelings in
your body to become as strong as they want to be.
(Continue for at least 10 breaths.)
Now picture that person saying the following phrases to you. (Feel free
to change these phrases, or not use them if they aren’t helpful.)
May you be happy.

May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be loved.
Picture the person saying these phrases a few times and allow the
positive feelings in your body to be as strong as they want to be. Write
down the body sensations you notice now:
Continue this practice for at least 5 minutes.
RECEIVING PRACTICE – TIP: WHO CAN I USE?

In this practice, it doesn’t matter if the person you choose is living or dead, real or imaginary. All
that matters is that the visualization is effective at activating the Care Circuit in your brain and
generating the feeling of love and compassion.
RECEIVING PRACTICE – EXAMPLE

Carla closes her eyes and pictures her aunt Peggy gazing at her with an
expression of complete love and understanding. She sees her aunt saying to
her: “May you know that you are loved. May you be peaceful and free.”
She feels warmth and lightness in her entire body, and she really
concentrates on allowing those sensations to grow. She practices like this
for 5 minutes, by which time she’s feeling deeply peaceful. She uses this
practice at least 4–5 times a day, whenever she has a spare moment.
RECEIVING PRACTICE – QUESTION

Did you have a strong positive experience with this practice?
If yes, continue to practice it for the rest of the time you’ve allotted
for this training session. In your next session, you can choose to begin
with Practice 1 or come directly back here.
If not, go to Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult.
Sending & Receiving Practice

Picture someone—a person or an animal—with whom you feel safe and
comfortable. Let the image of that person become clear. Write down the
person you choose:
With each breath, you will alternate sending and receiving compassion.
With each in breath, imagine receiving compassion—either from this other
person or from another source. With each out breath, imagine sending
compassion to this other person. Recognize that it’s possible for both of you
to receive compassion and there is no competition. Write down the body
sensations you notice:
Continue this practice for at least 5 minutes.
SENDING & RECEIVING PRACTICE – EXAMPLE

Martin pictures his 4-year-old niece. As he breathes in, he feels how much
she loves him. As he breathes out, he feels how much he loves her. When
he begins this practice, it feels awkward. Martin is not accustomed to
feeling very much intimacy. He considers stopping, but decides to persist
for at least a few minutes. After several breaths, he notices his body is
relaxing and a feeling of warmth is growing in his chest. After 5 minutes,
Martin is crying in a way that feels deeply healing. He keeps practicing like
this for 40 minutes, feeling more and more grateful for the presence of his
niece in his life. The next day, when he has more free time, he practices like
this for nearly 2 hours. When he’s finished, he feels ready to return to the
top of the Map to Self-Compassion and focus on healing himself.
Practice 8
Cultivating Joy
Where does happiness come from? Is it possible to intentionally develop

joy? Do well-being and happiness come from being lucky, achieving great
things in life, having some in-born trait, or can they be cultivated through
practice?
Researchers who study well-being—positive psychologists—have
concluded overwhelmingly that happiness comes from a well-defined set of
skills and attitudes. As we develop compassion, gratitude, optimism, and
mindfulness, we learn that happiness is available in each moment of life. In
fact, the present moment is the only place that happiness can be found. If
we want to be happy in the future, the best thing we can do is to find
happiness in the present.
Researchers have found that contentment and happiness do not come
from getting the things we want in life—such as financial wealth, a new car,
or career success. In fact, even major external events affect our well-being
for only a relatively short period of time. For example, people who win the
lottery are back at their previous level of happiness just 6 months after they
won, on average. (Better material conditions can have a more lasting effect
on happiness, however, for people struggling under poverty or other great
hardships.)
It seems clear, therefore, that many of us waste our time looking for
happiness in the wrong places. We believe that happiness will be possible
only if we can solve this problem or achieve that goal. We think it’s
something that we can win in the future, but that it could never be possible
right now. This perspective prevents us from being happy, and it is the
cause of much needless suffering in the world.
Instead of trying to find happiness by improving the external conditions
in our lives, we can recognize that happiness comes from developing
specific skills—and we can focus our attention on developing them. When
we have strengthened our capacity to notice what is beautiful in the present
moment, our happiness will no longer be so dependent on the changing
conditions in our lives.
The Joy of Mindfulness
One important function of mindfulness is learning to embrace and

transform our suffering—which has been the focus of much of this
workbook. However, mindfulness can also be a source of joy.
Mindfulness helps us wake up to all of the conditions for happiness that
are already available to us in this moment. Many people drink their tea or
coffee, but never taste it. Their minds are far away, occupied by worries or
regrets. When we learn how to slow down and taste our tea, we find that it
is wonderful. Sitting by a tree, walking with a friend, and taking a hot
shower on a cold morning are all potential sources of joy, if we know how
to pay attention to them.
The Joy of Optimism
Many pessimists believe they are just being rational and realistic, but
actually the opposite is true. A pessimistic perspective on life is an entirely
irrational position, and I’ll explain why.
If you truly want to be rational and realistic, you have to admit that you
have no idea what will happen in the future. In fact, we don’t know what
will happen just 2 minutes from now.
There is a story about a farmer that makes this point very clear. Once
there was a farmer whose horse ran away, and all his neighbors came over
and said, “What bad luck.” The farmer replied, “Maybe.” A few days later,
the horse came back and brought five wild horses with it. The neighbors
came over again and said, “What good luck.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”
Then the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses, but he was
thrown and broke his arm. The neighbors said, “What bad luck.” And again,
the farmer said, “Maybe.” Finally the army came through the village
conscripting all the able-bodied young men to fight in a war, but they left
the farmer’s son at home because of his arm. The neighbors came over to
say, “What good luck.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”
Even when something has already happened, we can’t know how it will
affect us in the future, so the only rational perspective is to admit that we
don’t know. However, since there is no way to know whether some event in
your life will ultimately be good or bad for you, you might decide that it’s
practical to believe it will be good.
If you lose your job, you might decide to believe that it’s a good thing—
not because you think you can predict the future, but because that optimistic
belief will help you have more energy and enthusiasm in your job search.
On the other hand, a pessimistic perspective that expects a negative
outcome is not only irrational—since you can’t know one way or the other
—but it is generally not practical either because it will often hurt your
ability to act.
The Practice of Cultivating Joy
There are several ways that you can use this practice:
If you are feeling peaceful and relaxed after Practice 1: The Self-
Compassion Body Scan, this practice can help you deepen your
experience of well-being.
If you feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your suffering at any
point during your training, this practice can help you regulate your
emotions.
This practice can help you balance embracing suffering with
nourishing your happiness. If you focus too much on your suffering,
you can become exhausted. It is important to use this practice to
replenish the reservoir of energy you need to bring compassion to your
suffering.
CULTIVATING JOY PRACTICE – TIP

You might find that this practice is more effective when you are in a beautiful place, close to
nature, or practicing with other people. Explore various settings to find which ones best support
you in cultivating joy.
Bring your attention to the sensation of your breath as it comes in and
goes out of your body. See if you can follow this sensation from the
beginning of your in breath until the end of your out breath.
(Practice for 3–5 breaths.)
Allow yourself to enjoy the sensation of your breath, recognizing that it
is a pleasant sensation. Give yourself permission to do nothing but enjoy the
sensation of your breath, right in this moment. You have nothing else to do,
and nowhere else to go—right now. With a spirit of generosity toward
yourself, enjoy the sensation of your breath.
As you breathe, feel the energy of life within you. You are alive in this
moment, and this is a precious gift. Give yourself permission to feel truly
alive right now. With each breath, feel the energy of life within you. Every
minute of life is incredibly precious. Allow yourself to feel the joy of being
alive as you breathe.
Now imagine that you were in a hospice with just 5 minutes to live—
take a moment for that to feel real. Then, someone comes into your room
and says they could give you another 24 hours to be alive. It would be such
a miracle! In reality, you do have 24 hours to be alive, and it is a precious
miracle. As you breathe, let yourself appreciate each moment of being
alive.
Now become aware of all the parts of your body that are healthy and
functioning. We all have parts that hurt or don’t function the way we’d like,
but there is more to life than just that. There are also many parts of your
body that are healthy, and it would be deeply unfortunate to ignore the
conditions for happiness that are available to you right now. Can your eyes
see the blue sky? Can your ears hear the song of birds and the laughter of
children? Can your tongue taste warm tea? Can your body feel the embrace
of your loved ones? In every moment there are infinite reasons to suffer and
infinite reasons to be happy. Right now, we are dedicating ourselves to
paying attention to what is good in life. As you breathe, allow your mind to
recollect the miracles of life.
Now we let go of whatever is preventing us from being fully present in
this moment of life. We let go of all of our projects and busyness. Even if
these projects are never completed, happiness is still possible. We let go of
the past and the future, because we know life is only available in this
moment. Feeling fully present, having let go of any burdens, and aware of
the miracles of life, you calmly breathe in and breathe out.
Now bring your attention to the sensations in your body. Notice any
tension, relaxation, warmth, openness, or other sensations. Write down what
you notice.
CULTIVATING JOY PRACTICE – QUESTION
Through this practice, are you able to generate happiness and well-being in
your body? Are the sensations you feel at the end of the practice generally
positive?
If yes, you can use this practice to strengthen your ability to find joy
in your life. It can also be used to replenish your energy when you’ve
been focused on embracing suffering.
If not, go to Practice 6: When Compassion Is Difficult.
Alternative Practices for Cultivating Joy

There are several alternative practices for cultivating joy. You can
experiment to see which feel the most helpful for you.
LETTING GO
Notice any tension or heaviness in your body, and explicitly let it go.
With each breath, feel the tension in your body dissolve.
Now ask yourself, “What do I believe that I need in order to be happy?
What don’t I have that I need?” Listen to yourself for a few breaths and see
what answer arises.
Now try saying to yourself, “Even without that, I know that happiness is
possible in this very moment. That thing may come into my life if it wants
to, but happiness is already available right now.”
Let go of the craving in you for reality to be different than it is in any
way. Try saying to yourself, “Happiness is possible right here and right
now, with the world exactly as it is. Nothing needs to change.”
NOTHING TO DO
As you breathe in and breathe out, allow yourself to stop everything you
are doing. Allow your body to stop, and gently invite your mind to stop
trying to accomplish anything or fix any problem. Try saying to yourself,
“Just for these few minutes, I am choosing to do nothing. I can try to fix,
solve, or create things later, but for now, I’m allowed to do nothing.” Keep
breathing and letting go.
Try saying, “Right now, I am here in this place. There is nowhere else I
can be right now. I am here. Right now, I’m not doing anything. Everything
in my life can wait a few minutes while I rest and let go. Nowhere to go,
and nothing to do.”
Remember that happiness is already available to you in this moment.
You have everything you need to be happy. You don’t have to do anything
else in order for happiness to be possible.
INTERBEING
Focus your attention on the sensation of your breathing. Allow your
breath to bring your mind completely into the present moment. Recognizing
that all of the conditions needed for you to be happy are already present,
you let go of any struggling or striving of any kind. Nothing needs to
change. Allow your mind to be calm.
Now become aware of your body. Recognize that every molecule that
makes up your body existed before it was part of you. Every water
molecule in your blood came into your body in the form of something you
ate or drank. Picture yourself sipping a cup of tea. While it is in your cup, it
is not your body. Then you drink. Now some of that water becomes part of
your body, part of your blood. Even before the water was part of your tea, it
existed for a long time in other places. It has been rain, rivers, oceans, and
clouds, as it moved through the water cycle. Now it has become part of you
for a period of time. As you breathe in and out, recognize that every
molecule in your body has been soil, stone, or sea. Your body is made
entirely of elements that have been other things, and will be again. You
realize that you are not separate or cut off from the rest of nature.
Feeling calm, open, and grounded in your conscious breathing, become
aware of the presence of your ancestors in you. It’s possible to see that your
body is a continuation of your mother’s and father’s bodies. The color of
your eyes, the tone of your skin, your height and facial features—it’s
possible to find your parents’ bodies present in all of these parts of you.
You have biological ancestors, and you also have spiritual ancestors.
These are the people who have taught you or your family how to live life.
All of these ancestors are present in your strengths and abilities. You can
see that their strengths and abilities have found a continuation in you. And
you can see that their suffering is present in you as well. In many ways,
your suffering can be seen as the continuation of the suffering of your
ancestors. It’s possible to see that every aspect of who you are is the
continuation of the strengths as well as the suffering of people who have
come before you. Now that you’ve been exposed to transformative
practices, you have the opportunity to choose to cultivate the strengths and
happiness in you. You can also choose to embrace and heal the suffering
that has been transmitted to you. As you heal this suffering, you heal many
generations in the past as well as the future.
PART III
Maintenance
Living Self-Compassionately
6 Everyday Practice
Peace Is Every Step
IF YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRACTICE WITH THE MAP TO SELF-COMPASSION for 30
minutes a day for 14 days, that is a wonderful accomplishment. Take a
moment to celebrate what you’ve done. This is an extraordinary investment
of time and energy into your own well-being and the well-being of your
friends, family, coworkers, and society. It’s important to take time to
celebrate what is good in life. Otherwise, we miss out on so much beauty
and happiness.
Many causes and conditions have contributed to your completing this
program. You may have had family members or friends who helped you
develop the ability to persist and prioritize when you see something that can
help you. You might have experienced some loss or misfortune that
prompted you to work on developing self-compassion in your life. The
qualities or strengths that helped you arrive where you are today are the
product of many positive and negative experiences, as well as your learning
from many people. Take a moment to reflect on the various experiences and
people that helped you arrive where you are right now, and let yourself feel
gratitude for them. You might pause for a few breaths to see how all the
causes and conditions in your life have brought you to a place of greater
self-compassion.
Moving Forward
Now that you’ve completed your 14-day program, it’s time to consider how
you want to incorporate self-compassion practice into the rest of your life.
Although scientists have established that just 30 minutes a day for 14 days
is sufficient to create measurable changes in your brain and behavior, this is
just a taste of what is possible. Those same scientists have shown that the
benefits of compassion training continue to expand the longer a person
practices. Just as in learning a new language or musical instrument, the
more time and energy you invest in developing compassion and self-
compassion, the greater the rewards will be.
If you believe—as I do—that self-compassion is a quality with limitless
value, then it makes sense to adopt this practice as an important part of your
life. Eventually you might find that self-compassion practice stops feeling
like just a part of your life, and begins to feel more like a guiding principle
that informs your entire life. While you might have begun this training with
the goal of alleviating depression or changing a specific behavior, the goal
of your practice could broaden to responding with compassion to
everything in you and around you.
Four Forms of Practice
Once you decide that you want self-compassion practice to be an important

part of your life, the next step is to create a way of practicing that fits who
you are. I will review four major categories of personal practice, and I
recommend trying to incorporate at least one element of each into your life.
DAILY FORMAL PRACTICE

Your daily formal practice can be a powerful anchor in your life. It is the
time you set aside each day to deliberately cultivate compassion and self-
compassion. It can include sitting meditation, walking meditation, prayer,
chanting, studying inspirational or spiritual texts, tai chi, yoga, or listening
to the sound of a bell. Part II of this workbook can be an effective guide to
your ongoing daily formal practice. However, you can include many other
forms as well. It is wonderful if you can continue to devote 20–30 minutes a
day to formal practice, but if you can’t, 3 minutes is much better than none.
MOMENT-TO-MOMENT PRACTICE
It is also possible to practice self-compassion in every moment of our daily
lives—not only while we’re meditating, but also while we’re walking,
driving, doing the dishes, and so on. We can consider this our informal
practice, and it can be just as transformative as formal practice.
When my meditation teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, first became a Buddhist
monk in 1942 in Vietnam, he was given a small book of poems. He was
instructed to memorize them and recite them throughout each day. There
was a poem for waking up, one for putting on his robes, one for washing his
face, and so on. This was his introduction to Buddhist monastic training.
The poems were reminders to bring mindfulness and compassion to every
action and every moment of life. He has adapted these poems for
contemporary use in his book Present Moment, Wonderful Moment. This is
the poem for waking up:
Waking up this morning, I smile.

Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment,
and look at all beings with the eyes of compassion.xiii
This is just one example of how we can bring self-compassion into every
moment of life. Instead of taking a shower to “get clean,” imagine taking a
shower in a way that felt like a gift to yourself. Before stepping into the
steaming water, you say to yourself, “Now you can enjoy this moment of
showering. You have nothing else to do, and nowhere else to go.” Even if
you are already late for work and can only afford to take a 5-minute shower,
those 5 minutes can be a gift that is enjoyed deeply.
When I lead retreats, I often ask people to choose at least one activity
that they do each day, and write a little poem to help them do it with self-
compassion. It could be getting out of bed, starting your car, or returning
home after work. You reflect on how you could perform this action with
generosity and compassion for yourself, and you recite your poem to create
this awareness during that part of your busy day.
One of the most important practices for me, in my own life, has been
paying attention to the sensations in my body throughout the day. I have
several specific actions (such as standing up, sitting down, and the end of a
conversation) that I use as reminders to pay attention to the current state of
emotions in my body. The goal in this practice is to be able to monitor
sensations like tension, agitation, and heaviness in my body all day long.
The incredible benefit of this practice is the ability to notice suffering when
it is still very small and subtle, which makes it much easier to embrace with
compassion.
RETREATS
Retreats offer the best possible conditions for developing self-compassion. I
think of meditation retreats as analogous to an immersion experience when
trying to learn a foreign language. You have a period of time—from one
day to several months—in which you are reminded to come back to your
self-compassion practice from the time you wake up until you go to sleep.
There are many different types of retreats and retreat centers in the US
and around the world. Some retreats, like the 10-day silent retreats you’ll
find at www.dhamma.org, are very strict and spartan. Some are luxurious,
like those offered at Esalen Institute or Miraval Resort. My personal
favorite retreats are those offered at Plum Village Monastery and the related
practice centers. They are led by monks and nuns who have dedicated their
lives to developing mindfulness and compassion, and they include not only
sitting meditation, but also singing, outdoor walks, and discussion circles. I
believe there is a type of retreat for everyone, and I strongly suggest
exploring different retreat centers until you find one in which you feel
comfortable.
If you are able to go on a retreat (for a day or longer) each year, that is
wonderful. If not, it’s possible to have a day of retreat in your own home.
Clear your entire schedule for a day, and do nothing other than meditating,
reading, journaling, prayer, yoga, and so on. Each day of retreat can provide
a tremendous amount of energy that will carry over into your daily practice.
Some people even dedicate one entire day a week to rest and retreat.
THE SUPPORT OF A COMMUNITY

Practicing mindfulness and compassion is so much easier with the support
of other people. When we practice alone, we must rely on our own
willpower to avoid getting carried away by negative habits. In contrast,
practicing with a group of like-minded people can create a type of
collective momentum that helps us live in harmony with our values.
If you’re lucky, you might find a meditation group or a church group
that is specifically focused on cultivating self-compassion—and is also a
group of people with whom you can feel comfortable. There are meditation
communities from many traditions all around the US; the website for
finding groups in the Plum Village tradition is
www.mindfulnessbell.org/directory/. Most of these groups meet in
someone’s home and include sitting meditation, walking meditation, and
discussion. However, just having one friend or family member who
supports your aspiration to develop self-compassion can be extremely
helpful as well.
Deepening Your Practice
I hope you find the practices described in this book to be healing and
liberating. However, these practices should be viewed only as an
introduction to the extensive teachings on mindfulness and self-compassion
that are available. I recommend exploring the teachings of Thich Nhat
Hanh, Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, Kristin Neff, Chris Germer, Paul
Gilbert, and Richard Schwartz. Finding teachers that you trust can be
incredibly helpful to you on your path.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching of “interbeing” is one that can be
particularly helpful in cultivating compassion. He coined the term
interbeing to refer to a special way of perceiving who we are and how we
are connected to something much greater than ourselves.
If we believe that we are completely cut off and disconnected from
others, it can seem as though there is a conflict between self-compassion
and compassion for others. The teaching of interbeing explains how this is a
mistaken view.
We can begin to understand interbeing by examining the piece of paper
from which you are reading right now. This paper might seem like nothing
special, but you are also aware that it used to be part of a tree. Without that
tree, the paper couldn’t exist. Thich Nhat Hanh would say that the tree is
present in the paper if you know how to look deeply.
The tree was made out of sun, soil, and rain. Without any of those
things, the tree couldn’t exist, so they must be present in the paper as well.
At some point the tree was cut down and brought to a factory, so without
those workers and all their ancestors, it could never have become paper. If
we continue this line of thought, very quickly we can see that everything in
the universe has had some role in bringing this paper into existence. Thich
Nhat Hanh uses the word interbeing, because he says that nothing can be by
itself. It has to interbe with everything else.
Now think about yourself in this way. Every water molecule in your
blood came into your body as food or drink. Before that, it was rain, and
before that, every bit of water in you has been part of every ocean on the
planet. Every calcium molecule in your bones used to be part of the soil.
Every word you use to speak or think was taught to you by someone. Your
ideas and perceptions have been shaped by countless people and events.
Looking deeply, you can see that the earth, the rain, and innumerable people
are present in you. You are deeply connected to something much greater
than yourself. Recognizing this, you can see that self-compassion is not
selfish at all. It means having compassion for all of these elements that are
part of you.
7 Physical Self-Care
SELF-COMPASSION IS NOT ONLY ABOUT CARING FOR OUR THOUGHTS AND

emotions. It also means treating our bodies with kindness. Scientists now
understand that mental health and physical health are deeply
interconnected. If we are under too much psychological stress, our blood
pressure goes up, our immune system goes down, our digestion has
problems, and we are at higher risk for every kind of malady. The same is
true in the reverse direction. If our bodies are too far out of balance (for
example, our diet, exercise, or sleep), this can harm our emotional health as
well.
This chapter addresses two important elements of caring for our bodies:
motivating ourselves with compassion, and finding a balanced lifestyle.
Almost everyone would benefit from using more kindness and less
criticism when trying to motivate themselves to make healthy choices. This
will be the main focus of the chapter. However, some people will find that
changing some aspect of their diet, exercise, or sleep can lead to dramatic
improvements in mood as well. I’ll share an example of one therapy client
whose diet ended up being central to his emotional distress.
I once had a client who was suffering from anxiety. It had gotten bad
enough that it was affecting his work, so he came to me for help. After three
sessions of exploring various mindfulness, compassion, and relaxation
practices, we were getting nowhere and his anxiety was just as strong as
ever. Based on the advice of a colleague, I asked about his diet and lifestyle,
and I was amazed to learn that he drank eight large cups of coffee each day.
He had never thought that caffeine might be affecting his mood. I suggested
that he gradually cut down to one or two cups per day, and see if it helped.
When I saw him a week later, he explained that his anxiety was completely
gone and thanked me profusely (despite experiencing headaches from
caffeine withdrawal).
Motivating Ourselves With Compassion
We all want to make healthy choices, but in reality it’s not that easy. We’re
often faced with a conflict between what we know is healthy and what feels
good in the moment. Most of us equate making healthy choices with an
inner-voice that is critical, harsh, and withholding. The kind and loving
voice is usually the one saying, “Go ahead and eat more ice cream. You had
a hard day.”
There is certainly nothing wrong with treating yourself when you’re
having a hard time. The issue here is that most of us don’t experience the
voice that tells us to exercise or eat vegetables as kind and loving, and this
can create problems. Instead, the voice advocating healthier choices often
sounds like, “I don’t care if you’re tired. You have to exercise or you’ll turn
into a (insert demeaning insult here).”
What if we experienced both voices within us as compassionate and
caring? There is the voice that says, “You don’t always have to do the
healthiest possible thing. Sometimes you can choose what feels good in the
moment.” But imagine if the other voice said, “I don’t want you to exercise
because you’re scared of being unacceptable. Exercise because you know it
feels good, it gives you energy, and because that is the kind of person you
want to be.”
HELPING YOUR HEALTHY VOICE BECOME A KINDER VOICE

Recall a recent time that you felt some inner-conflict about diet, exercise, or
sleep. It’s likely that one part of you was advocating the choice that would
feel good in the short term, and the other was advocating what would be
healthier in the long term. Imagine yourself back there for a moment, and
get in touch with how these two different voices sounded.
It’s likely that the voice that was in favor of short-term comfort sounded
kind and soothing. Now pay attention to the other voice—the voice that was
encouraging you to make the healthier choice. How was it talking to you?
Did it use insults, bargaining, or intimidation? Write down the kinds of
things it said.
Now, we’re going to try to help that voice express itself in a more
compassionate way. See if you can recognize that this part of you is
suffering—that it’s likely afraid of something. Can you identify the threat
that this voice is afraid of? Write it here.
Seeing how this voice in you is suffering, try to recognize that it just
wants you to be safe and well. It has a positive intention. Now, try to help
this voice in you express its fear and positive intention in a more caring
way. Write down the words it might use.
The more you’re able to understand this health-advocating voice and

encourage it to communicate with kindness and gentleness, the easier it will
be for you to follow its suggestions and make those choices.
Finding a Balanced Lifestyle
Some people experience incredibly positive effects from certain lifestyle

changes that wouldn’t make any difference to other people. For example,
some percentage of the population seems to function much better without
gluten (from grains such as wheat, rye, and barley). Others seem to require
9 hours of sleep or they’re miserable.
Our bodies are different, and what is healthy for you might not be
healthy for me. This means we have to experiment to see what kinds of
lifestyle changes might be helpful. The problem with most nutrition and
lifestyle research is that it’s looking for what is good for everyone. That
means it can miss the possibility that a minority of us might not respond
well to a diet or exercise regime that is great for most people.
For example, I have a friend named Lothar who has always had a tough
time sleeping. It seemed that his body really wanted to stay up late and
wake up around noon. This made him incredibly groggy in the morning. He
had searched high and low for insomnia cures and better alarms, but
nothing seemed to help very much. Whatever insomnia cure you might be
thinking about right now, it’s likely he tried it. Finally, he read that some
people are sensitive to blue light in the evening—that it affects the
hormones that govern their sleeping patterns. He removed all the full-
spectrum light bulbs from his home and replaced them with low-blue bulbs,
which give off orange or red light. The result was almost immediate. He
started getting sleepy around 10 PM and popping out of bed bright and early,
which had never happened to him before. I know other people who have
tried this same strategy and seen no effect at all. The important point here is
that we’re all different, and if we’re willing to experiment, we might find
something transformative.
Now let’s look at four major components of a healthy lifestyle and
reflect on whether there might be some specific changes that could improve
your life.
DIET
There are thousands of conflicting views about what makes a healthy diet.
Some are based on excellent research, and some are just fads or worse. I’ll
focus mainly on areas where most dietary experts agree.
Vegetables are good for you. It’s possible for vitamin deficiencies to create
mental health problems in otherwise well-adjusted people. Further,
scientists are learning that there are many important nutrients that aren’t
part of multivitamin supplements. So just taking a vitamin pill won’t give
you all the nutrition that you get from eating whole foods. Therefore,
increasing the amount of vegetables in your diet is something that every
dietary expert agrees is a good thing. But how many vegetables should you
eat? This answer is not totally clear, but it’s safe to say there’s very little
danger of eating too many vegetables. Eat a variety, and as much as you’re
willing to. Fruits and berries are important sources of balanced nutrition as
well.
Too much sugar, caffeine, or alcohol is bad. Some people can function
just fine with these substances, but most people experience negative effects
from excessive sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. You might consider abstaining
from these substances altogether for a couple of weeks and notice whether
you feel any better by the end of that time. (If your consumption of these
substances is truly excessive, you might need to withdraw from them
gradually to avoid headaches and other symptoms of detoxification.) If the
idea of total abstinence is scary, that might indicate that you’re using a
substance for emotional coping. If so, I suggest that you consider phasing it
out of your life in favor of using self-compassion.
Do you have a food sensitivity or allergy? Dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts, and
soy are just a few examples of foods that are tolerated well by some people
but not by others. One of the most common ways to discover if you have a
sensitivity to specific foods is to try an elimination diet, which is a process
of removing suspected foods from your diet and slowly reintroducing them
over a period of several weeks. Unless you are highly knowledgeable about
nutrition, it’s best to have medical supervision during this period.
EXERCISE
Exercise has been shown to be just as effective as antidepressant medication
in treating depressionxiv. When experimenting with exercise, however, it’s
safest to consult your doctor.
Do you spend too much time sitting down? There is a saying that sitting
is the new smoking. Science is learning that spending most of our time
sitting at computers has a negative impact on our health and mood. You
might experiment with taking breaks every hour or two to move around, or
try using a standing desk if you can.
What kind of exercise makes you feel good? Some people love the
runner’s high they get from aerobic activity. Others prefer playing
basketball or some other team sport. Whether you try a spin class or weight
training, look for some way of incorporating regular physical exercise in
your life in a way that you actually enjoy. It could make a huge difference in
your day-to-day mood.
SLEEP
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more
than 30% of U.S. adults are suffering from chronic sleep deficiency. This
raises our risks for nearly every physical and mental health problem.
Personally, when I’m in a bad mood and can’t really figure out why I’m so
upset, I often take a nap and feel completely better.
Try 8 hours of sleep for 7 days in a row. Some people need more than 8
hours, and some people are fine with a little less. The CDC recommends
that no adult sleep less than 7 hours each night. Experiment with giving
yourself more sleep than usual for 7 days and see if it makes a difference in
how you feel.
Do you have trouble sleeping? After consulting with your doctor, you
might try taking a dose of vitamin D in the morning, practicing self-
compassion before bed, making your bedroom darker and cooler (65° or
cooler, according to many sleep researchers), and getting outdoors to
exercise during the day. You might try turning off all devices and screens 1
hour before you go to sleep. Experiment with these ideas and see if they
help.
CONNECTION
Feeling connected to others and to something greater than yourself can be a
significant source of well-being.
Try volunteering. Many people find that being of service is a great way to
feel connected. In fact, there is a large amount of research that shows
volunteering can be as effective for reducing depression as therapy or
medications. The gratitude you experience and the feeling that you have the
ability to make a positive impact in other people’s lives can be a source of
joy. You might consider the possibility of walking dogs for a local shelter or
SPCA, delivering food for Meals on Wheels, spending time at an elder care
facility, or volunteering with whatever organization appeals to you.
Try spending some time in nature each day. There is abundant evidence
that time in nature supports emotional well-being. There are measurable
factors in these studies, such as direct sunlight, better air quality, exercise,
and so on. However, the impact of spending time in nature likely goes
deeper than that, and relates to the feeling of being part of a greater whole.
8 Compassion and Self-Compassion in
Relationships
THE PRACTICE OF SELF-COMPASSION HELPS US TO RECOGNIZE THE BEAUTY OF our

own humanity. When we are able to do this, we can then see the same
beauty in other people, which makes it easier to feel compassion for them.
In this way self-compassion supports our compassion for everyone,
strengthens our relationships, and helps us to reconcile and resolve
conflicts. This chapter describes how to use self-compassion training to
improve all the relationships in your life.
Two Relationship Poisons: Criticism and Demand
Marshall Rosenberg, the creator of Nonviolent Communication, believed

that every criticism is a tragic mis-expression of a need. In other words, we
have an unmet need, and rather than telling people about our need and what
they could do to help, we criticize them. This is often because we aren’t
explicitly thinking about our own need or suffering. Instead, we are
evaluating other people and blaming them for their mistakes. He calls this
type of thinking “tragic”, because the thing that would actually help us feel
better—other people understanding us or helping in some way—becomes
less likely when we criticize them.
Rosenberg also claimed that every demand is a tragic type of request.
Demands are tragic because we all wish that people would support us or do
things for us simply because they want to, yet this becomes impossible
when we make a demand. If I want my wife to listen to me talk about my
hard day, what I really want is for her to feel good about listening to me. I
want her to enjoy making me happy. If I make a demand, her only choices
are to allow herself to be forced into listening to me, or to refuse. My
preferred response isn’t even an option anymore.
Nearly every conflict or disharmony in a relationship contains criticism
or demand. We don’t need to feel ashamed about the presence of criticism
or demand in us. These are manifestations of our own suffering, and they
need our compassion rather than hatred. Fortunately, it’s often possible to
remove these relational poisons through deep understanding and
compassion.
A Practice for Transforming Criticism and Demand
Choose a relationship in which you’ve been experiencing conflict, and we

will explore whether there might be something you could do differently that
would help. Admitting that you harbor some criticism or demand toward
the other person does not mean that you are accepting full responsibility for
the conflict. This practice is not about assigning blame. It is about seeing if
you can make things better.
(Note: If you are trying to decide whether to end a relationship, this isn’t
the right practice for you. Rather, it is a practice for when you are certain
that you want to make things better.)
If you are sure that you want to stay in this relationship, the first thing to
do is to completely abandon any attempt to determine who is at fault for the
conflict. Instead we are going to focus on whatever piece of the conflict is
yours, and attempt to transform it.
ASSESSING CRITICISM AND DEMAND IN YOURSELF

Imagine the other person. Picturing them clearly, do you notice any tension,
agitation, or other form of suffering arise in your body? If so, ask yourself if
you wish that person were different in some way or would act differently.
Do you wish they were kinder, more understanding, or that they would do
something you’ve been asking for? If you recognize any way that you wish
the other person were different than they are, then it is likely that criticism
or demand is present in you.
Reflect on what your criticism or demand might be. A criticism comes
in the form of evaluating the other person. There is some way that they are
not meeting your approval and you think they should change. What is the
criticism you have?
A demand is a strong attachment to the other person behaving in a
particular way or doing something differently. What is your demand?
Again, please try not to feel bad if you recognize criticism or demand in
yourself. There is nothing wrong with feeling this way, and it doesn’t mean
you’re accepting full responsibility for the conflict. However, if we can
identify the roots of your criticism or demand, resolving the conflict
becomes much easier.
RECOGNIZING AND HEALING THE ROOTS

Every criticism or demand is the result of an unmet need or emotional pain.
Can you identify the suffering in yourself that is fueling your criticism or
demand? You might be feeling some grief about a loss from your past. You
might be afraid of being rejected. You might deeply want to feel understood
and be worried that it won’t happen. If so, bring your attention to this pain
in yourself and use the practices from Chapter 5 to embrace it with
compassion. Allow yourself to feel this pain as sensation in your body
without getting carried away by your stories. Then direct the energy of love
and compassion toward yourself—right at the part of you that is suffering.
Continue to practice self-compassion until you feel more peaceful.
Now, while you are filled with self-compassion, imagine the other
person again. How does your perspective on the conflict change when you
are deeply grounded in compassion for yourself? What happens to your
criticisms and demands? In my experience, I’m much better at
communicating my needs and listening to others when I’m feeling rooted in
self-compassion.
The Beauty in Me and the Beauty in You
I believe that the essence of compassion consists in seeing what is beautiful

in oneself and other people. To feel compassion for ourselves, it can be
helpful to begin by looking deeply to see the beauty of our own needs,
feelings, thoughts, and actions. When we reflect about this, we can see that
everything we think, feel, and do is our best attempt in that moment to
create happiness or to find relief from suffering.
Here’s a story that I believe illustrates how we can find compassion for
everyone and even beauty in them. Several years ago, I had a therapy client
named James who was having an extramarital affair with a woman named
Vanessa. Realizing that the affair was damaging his marriage, he decided
that he had to break it off. When he told Vanessa that he wanted to stop
seeing her, she threatened that if he did, she would kill herself. He believed
that she was just trying to manipulate him, so he decided to break up with
her anyway. The day after he ended their relationship, James got a phone
call informing him that Vanessa had committed suicide just an hour after he
left her apartment.
When he heard this tragic news, he was overcome with both shame and
regret. He not only realized that his actions had hurt his wife, but he was
also blaming himself for Vanessa’s death, and he wanted to talk to me about
what had happened.
To be honest, it was hard for me not to blame him as well when I first
heard his story. Thankfully, I had been practicing self-compassion for many
years, so when I noticed tension in my chest and face, I began to breathe
mindfully (as explained in Practice 2: Self-Acceptance). I gave myself
complete permission to feel all the sensations in my body, and I sent myself
compassion. After a few breaths, I noticed a deep sadness in myself.
I thought about Vanessa’s death, and I wished I could have helped her. I
saw the depth of despair on James’s face, and I deeply wished that I could
have prevented this tragedy. There was a part of myself that felt
overwhelmed with grief for everything that had already happened, and that
part was desperately in need of compassion.
As James was crying, I allowed myself to feel all my sadness, because I
knew that if I tried to ignore my own reactions and focus on him, I wouldn’t
be as present as I knew he needed me to be. I silently told myself, “There
are tragedies like this that happen every day in this world, and you can’t
prevent them all. I know that you would if you could, but it’s just not
possible.” I could see that the part of myself that was suffering so deeply
was the part that wanted to help people. There was so much pain and loss in
James’s story, and that part of me was struggling to accept it.
I empathized with that part of myself, silently saying, “I know that all
you want is to help people, and you’re afraid you can’t do anything to make
this situation better. You feel powerless.” That was exactly what I needed to
hear. I needed to recognize that the aversion in myself came from a desire to
help people, and I had to accept that I might be powerless to really change
this situation. I was experiencing something that is a universal part of the
human condition: I wanted to help but I didn’t know how. When I
recognized this, I told myself, “You want to help but you don’t know how.
Everyone feels like this sometimes.” This statement released a flood of self-
compassion, after which I was able to let go of my judgments about James
and see him much more clearly.
I looked at James, and I could see that he was overcome with regret.
Then I repeated the statement to myself, “You want to help, but you don’t
know how,” and somehow this acknowledgement opened up a powerful
feeling of warmth toward James. I wanted to help him, but I didn’t know
how. This recognition helped me to be fully present with what was going on
with him and with me.
When I looked at him now, I saw a deeply lonely man who had never
wanted to hurt anyone. He was lost and didn’t know what to do. We both
didn’t know what to do, and this felt like a powerful connection between us.
We were both imperfect human beings who wanted to undo what had been
done, but we couldn’t.
Through the practice of self-compassion, all my resistance to James and
what had happened was gone. I could be present and open to all of it, and
this allowed me to see James much more deeply. I saw his suffering and his
desperate search for happiness, which had been motivating all his decisions.
He had looked to Vanessa as a way out of his suffering, but the affair hadn’t
helped. Then he had left Vanessa to return to his marriage, for the same
reason. This whole time he was a sad, lonely, and confused human being,
looking for something that could bring him happiness. While you and I
might not have made the same mistakes that James did, we’ve made our
own, and for similar reasons.
If we remember that every human being suffers, wants to be happy, but
often doesn’t know how to find happiness, we can then see something
deeply human that we all share. When we can see the beauty in this part of
the human condition—that none of us is perfect, but we are all just looking
for happiness in our own way—then it becomes possible to find compassion
for anyone.
The Greatest Gift You Can Give
In 2005, I was living in Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastery in

southern France, and I heard him give a talk about a banana tree. He had
been asked a question about the meaning of life by one of his students, and
responded by telling a story about a deep insight he had experienced while
meditating in the jungle in Vietnam many years earlier.
He said that he was sitting by the foot of a young banana tree and
contemplating its leaves. It had just three leaves. One was fully grown,
broad and flat, and dark green. The second leaf was still partially curled up
beneath the first, and the third leaf was very light green and tender, just
beginning to unfurl. Looking deeply, he saw that the eldest leaf was fully
enjoying her life as a leaf. She was absorbing the sun and rain, radiating
beauty and peacefulness. However, she had not abandoned the other leaves
to pursue her own happiness. In fact, as she nourished herself, basking in
the sunshine, she was also nourishing the younger leaves, the banana tree,
and the entire jungle. He went on to explain that human beings are just like
this leaf. As we nourish ourselves with peacefulness and compassion, we
are also supporting the well-being of every other living thing.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on this image. Imagine yourself as this
beautiful, fully grown banana leaf. Recognize that, although you are unique,
you are also deeply connected to the rest of the tree and to the whole jungle.
The more you nourish yourself with the sunshine of serenity and self-love,
the more those energies are available to support everyone and everything to
which you are connected. As you become more aware of your connection
with all that is, you can see that the greatest gift you can give the world is
your own peacefulness and happiness.
Reflection Journal
A space to write down your personal reflections, quotes, ideas and anything
else you want to remember.
Ongoing Practice Journal: Day 15
and Beyond
A space for journal entries and practice notes after Day 14.
Remember: Begin each of your practice sessions with Practice 1: Self-
Compassion Body Scan. Then follow the Map to Self-Compassion to find the
most appropriate practices for you. Use this journal to keep track of the date,
length of your practice sessions, which practice(s) you used, and notes about
what came up for you. If possible, try to set aside 30 minutes a day for your
practice sessions.
Day No. Length of Which

(if you’re session (in practice(s)
counting) Date minutes) used (1–8) Notes
Notes
i You can read more about this study at www.mindful.org/how-to-train-the-compassionate-

brain/ or read the original research: Weng, H. Y., Fox, A. S., Shackman, A. J., Stodola, D.
E., Caldwell, J. Z., Olson, M. C., . . . Davidson, R. J. (2013). Compassion training alters
altruism and neural responses to suffering. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1171–1180.
ii Learn more in Panksepp, J., & Biven, L. (2012). The archaeology of mind:
Neuroevolutionary origins of human emotions. New York, NY: Norton. 
iii Learn more from Davidson, R. J. Neuroplasticity: Transforming the mind by changing the
brain. In Mind and Life Conference XII: Neuroplasticity: The Neuronal Substrates of
Learning and Transformation, October (pp. 18–22).
iv Ibid.
v Panksepp, J., & Biven, L. (2012). The archaeology of mind: Neuroevolutionary origins of
human emotions. New York, NY: Norton. 
vi Ibid. 
vii Weng, H. Y., Fox, A. S., Shackman, A. J., Stodola, D. E., Caldwell, J. Z., Olson, M. C., . .
. Davidson, R. J. (2013). Compassion training alters altruism and neural responses to
suffering. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1171–1180.
viii Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Rawlings, N. B., Ricard, M., & Davidson, R. J. (2004). Long-
term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental
practice. Proceedings of the National academy of Sciences of the United States of
America, 101(46), 16369–16373.
ix Ibid.
x Breines, J. G., & Chen, S. (2012). Self-compassion increases self-improvement
motivation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(9), 1133–1143.
xi Ibid
xii Ibid
xiii Hanh, N. (1990). Present moment, wonderful moment: Mindfulness verses for daily living
(p. 3). Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.
xiv See Understanding Depression: A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report (2013).
Acknowledgments
Everything I’ve learned about how to transform suffering and cultivate joy
in myself and others, I have learned from Thich Nhat Hanh, the monks and
nuns of Plum Village, and the other spiritual teachers I’ve been fortunate
enough to meet. I can’t thank them enough.
I also feel deep gratitude for the support and encouragement I’ve
received from mentors and friends, especially Joanne Friday, Chris Germer,
Richie Davidson, Dick Schwartz, Tara Brach, and Larry Boyang.
All of the people at W.W. Norton have been incredibly helpful in
bringing this workbook into existence. Thanks so much for your guidance
and believing in this project. Huge gratitude to Ben Yarling and Chuck
Millar for your brilliant editing.
To my wonderful wife and son, Annie and Finnegan, thank you for
being such an inspiration and source of love in the world.
Index
Page numbers listed correspond to the print edition of this book. You can use your device’s search
function to locate particular terms in the text.
acceptance
self-, 51-59 see also self-acceptance practice
alcohol
in balanced lifestyle, 134
allergy(ies)
food, 134
alone
not being, 10, 6-8
anger
self-compassion exercises for, 28-29
anxiety
self-compassion story about, 27-28
assessment quizzes
self-compassion–related, 40, 40t
avoiding responsibility for life
as reason for holding onto self-criticism, 93
balance
self-compassion practice in, 38-39
balanced lifestyle
alcohol in, 134
caffeine in, 134
components of, 133-36
connection in, 136
diet in, 134
exercise in, 135
finding, 133-36
food sensitivity/allergy in, 134
sleep in, 135-36
spending daily time in nature, 136
sugar in, 134
volunteering in, 136
beauty
seeing, 141-43
bodily sensations aversion
self-acceptance practice for, 58
body
mindfulness of see mindfulness of body
body scan
self-compassion, 47-50 see also self-compassion body scan practices
Brach, T., 126
brain
Care Circuit in, 15, 14
functions of, 89-93
self-compassion and, 14-15
breathing
mindful, 47
caffeine
car dent
Care Circuit
in brain, 15, 14
natural compassion practice for, 99
CDC
on adults suffering from chronic sleep deficiency, 135
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
on adults suffering from chronic sleep deficiency, 135
chronic sleep deficiency
CDC on, 135
commitment(s)
competing, 89-98 see also competing commitments; competing commitments as obstacle to self-
compassion practice
community support
in everyday practice, 125
compassion
described, 87
essence of, 141-43
motivating ourselves with, 130-32
natural, 99-107 see also natural compassion practice
obstacles to, 87
for ourselves, 69-70, 27-29
receiving from someone else, 61, 63-65 see also receiving compassion from someone else
in relationships, 137-44 see also relationship(s)
seeing beauty in me and in you, 141-43
sending to yourself, 62, 66-68 see also sending compassion to yourself
when it is difficult, 87-98 see also competing commitments as obstacle to self-compassion practice
competing commitments
described, 90, 89
group responses to description of, 92
important concepts in working with, 92
competing commitments as obstacle to self-compassion practice, 89-98
example of, 89-93
instructions for, 93-98
question related to, 98
conflict(s)
in thoughts and feelings, 89
connection
maintaining, 93
control
maintaining illusion of, 93
criticism
assessing in yourself, 139-40
practice for transforming, 139-40
recognizing and healing roots of, 140
relationship effects on, 138-40
cultivating joy, 109-17.see also cultivating joy practice
interbeing in, 116-17
letting go in, 115
nothing to do in, 115-16
cultivating joy practice, 109-17
alternative practices, 115-17
uses for, 112
daily formal practice, 123

date(s)
Davidson, R., 33, 14
demand
assessing in yourself, 139-40
defined, 139
practice for transforming, 139-40
recognizing and healing roots of, 140
relationship effects on, 138-40
depression
can’t let go of, 90-93
holding onto, 89-93
Desmond, T., 165
self-compassion in life of, 3-4
diet
divorce
egotism, 10
embracing suffering
described, 61-62
types of, 61-62
embracing suffering practice, 61-68
receiving compassion from someone else, 61, 63-65 see also receiving compassion from someone
else
sending compassion to yourself, 62, 66-68 see also sending compassion to yourself
Esalen Institute, 125
everyday practice, 121-27
daily formal practice, 123
deepening your, 126-27
forms of, 123-25
moment-to-moment practice, 123-24
moving forward, 122
retreats, 124-25
support of community in, 125
exam(s)
exercise
experience(s)
impact of past, 69
fairness
maintaining, 93
feeling(s)
conflicts among, 89
overwhelmed see overwhelmed feelings
first date
first marathon
self-compassion story about, 20
food sensitivity/allergy
Germer, C., 126

Gilbert, P., 126
going deeper
described, 75
methods for, 75-76
going deeper practice, 75-85 see also listening to parts of yourself practice; listening to past self
practice; listening to suffering in body practice
“Guided Meditations for Self-Compassion,” x
Hanh, T.N., 4, 75, 126, 144, 165, 123

happiness
as gift to others, 144
sources of, 109-10
healing
trauma-related, 10
healing pain from past practice, 69-74
example of, 70
healthy lifestyle
finding, 133-36 see also balanced lifestyle
illusion of control
maintaining, 93
interbeing, 126
in cultivating joy, 116-17
Internal Family Systems, 91
journal(s)
practice, 41-44, 151-60
joy
cultivating, 109-17 see also cultivating joy; cultivating joy practice
of mindfulness, 110
of optimism, 110-11
Kegan, R., 90
kinder voice
helping your healthy voice become, 130-32
kindness
motivating yourself with, 18-20
letting go
in cultivating joy, 115
of perfectionism, 7-8
life
avoiding responsibility for, 93
life is hard
self-compassion as skill when, 21-23
lifestyle
balanced, 133-36 see also balanced lifestyle
healthy, 133-36 see also balanced lifestyle
listening to parts of yourself
described, 76
listening to parts of yourself practice
example of, 84-85
instructions for, 83
listening to past self
described, 75-76
listening to past self practice
example of, 82
listening to suffering in body
described, 75
listening to suffering in body practice
example of, 79
living self-compassionately, 119-44
loneliness
self-compassion story about, 10, 6-8
love hormone
oxytocin as, 14
maintenance, 119-44
Map to Self-Compassion, 14, 31-117
feeling overwhelmed, 37
finding the right balance with, 38-39
how to use, 35
introduction to, 33, 34f
navigating, 33-44
practice(s) in, 41-117 see also specific practices and practice(s)
practice journal, 41-4
self-compassion assessment quizzes, 40, 40t
tips for setting up your practice sessions, 36
marathon
motivations for, 20
memory reconsolidation, 69
mindful breathing
in self-compassion body scan practices, 47
mindfulness
functions of, 110
joy of, 110
stages of, 52
mindfulness of body
described, 52
in self-acceptance, 58, 51-56
in self-compassion body scan practices, 47-48
mindfulness of body practice
described, 52
example of, 56
questions related to, 56
mindfulness of thoughts
in self-acceptance, 51, 57-59
mindfulness of thoughts practice
with difference types of thoughts, 58-59
mindfulness practice aversion
Miraval Resort, 125
moment-to-moment practice, 123-24
Morning Sun Mindfulness Center, 165
motivation
compassion in, 130-32
for first marathon, 20
with kindness, 18-20
moving forward
everyday practice for, 122
natural compassion, 99-107

natural compassion practice, 99-107
types of, 99-107 see also sending and receiving practice; sending practice; specific types, e.g.,
receiving practice
uses for, 99
nature
spending daily time in, 136
Neff, K., 126
Nonviolent Communication, 138
not being alone
self-compassion story about, 10, 6-8
nothing to do
in cultivating joy, 115-16
obstacles to self-compassion
competing commitments as, 89-98 see also competing commitments as obstacle to self-
compassion practice
overwhelmed feelings as, 88
types of, 87-98 see also specific types
ongoing practice journal
day 15 and beyond, 151-60
optimism
joy of, 110-11
overweight
self-compassion story about being, 25-26
overwhelmed feelings
Map to Self-Compassion for, 37
as obstacle to self-compassion, 88
oxytocin
as love hormone, 14
pain from past

healing, 69-74 see also healing pain from past practice
parts of yourself
listening to, 76, 83-85 see also listening to parts of yourself practice
passivity, 9-10
past
healing pain from, 69-74 see also healing pain from past practice
self-compassion as skill for dealing with, 24-26
past experiences
impact on present, 69
past self
listening to, 80-82, 75-76 see also listening to past self practice
peacefulness
as gift to others, 144
perfectionism
letting go of, 7-8
physical self-care, 129-36
finding balanced lifestyle in, 133-36 see also balanced lifestyle
helping your healthy voice become kinder voice in, 130-32
motivating ourselves with compassion in, 130-32
Plum Village Monastery, 125
practice(s), 45-117 see also specific types, e.g., embracing suffering practice
cultivating joy, 109-17
embracing suffering, 61-68
everyday, 121-27
going deeper, 75-85
healing pain from past, 69-74
natural compassion, 99-107
self-acceptance, 51-59
when compassion is difficult, 87-98
practice journal
Map to Self-Compassion–related, 41-44
ongoing, 151-60
practice sessions
setting up, 36
Present Moment, Wonderful Moment, 123-24
protecting relationship
as reason for holding onto self-criticism, 93
receiving compassion from someone else

described, 61
example of, 63
receiving practice
described, 99
example of, 105
who can I use in, 105
reconsolidation
memory, 69
reflection journal, 145-49
relationship(s)
compassion and self-compassion in, 137-44
criticism effects on, 138-40 see also criticism
demand effects on, 138-40 see also criticism
protecting, 93
responsibility for life
avoiding, 93
retreat(s), 124-25
Rosenberg, M., 138
Salzberg, S., 126

Schwartz, R., 91, 126
self
past see listening to past self; listening to past self practice
self-acceptance
types of, 51
self-acceptance practice, 51-59
mindfulness of body practice in, 51-56 see also mindfulness of body; mindfulness of body practice
self-care
physical, 129-36 see also physical self-care
self-compassion
assessment quizzes related to, 40, 40t
in author’s life, 3-4
case examples see self-compassion stories
defined, 3
described, 3-11
developing, 14
essence of, 141-43
experiencing, 87
introduction to, 1-29
is it bad?, 9-10
living with, 119-44
map to, 31-117 see also Map to Self-Compassion
obstacles blocking, 87-98 see also obstacles to self-compassion
practicing, ix
promise of, 11
in relationships, 137-44 see also relationship(s)
seeing beauty in me and in you, 141-43
self-esteem vs., 7-8
time/day for developing, ix
training sessions for, ix-x
what it looks like, 16, 17-29
when life feels hard, 5-6
when life is going well, 5
your brain and, 14-15
self-compassion as skill, 13-16
deepest meaning of, 27
developing, 14
scientific discoveries about, 15
success story, 16
when life is hard, 21-23
self-compassionate
becoming, 13
self-compassion body scan practices, 47-50
examples of, 49-50
mindful breathing in, 47
mindfulness of body in, 47-48
questions related to, 48-49
Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy, 165
self-compassion practice. see also self-compassion training
finding balance with, 38-39
self-compassion stories
anger, 28-29
anxiety, 27-28
dent in car, 22-23
diet, 25-26
divorce, 24-25
exams, 18-19
first date with new woman, 21-22
first marathon, 20
healing trauma, 10
letting go of perfectionism, 7-8
not being alone, 10, 6-8
what 20 years of practice looks like, 16
self-compassion training
two sides to, 38
self-criticism
reasons people hold onto, 93
self-esteem
defined, 7
overly focusing on, 7
self-compassion vs., 7-8
self-indulgence
defined, 9
self-pity
defined, 9
sending and receiving practice
described, 99
example of, 107
sending compassion to yourself, 62, 66-68
described, 62
sending practice
create your own phrases in, 102
described, 99
example of, 102
sensitivity(ies)
food, 134
shame
erasing, 24-26
skill(s)
self-compassion as, 13-16 see also self-compassion as skill
sleep
in balanced lifestyle, 135-36
sleep deficiency
CDC on, 135
management of, 135
stories you are telling yourself
suffering
embracing, 61-68 see also embracing suffering; embracing suffering practice
suffering in body
listening to, 75, 77-79 see also listening to suffering in body practice
sugar
support
community, 125
The Self-Compassion Skills Workbook, 165

thought(s)
conflicts in, 89
mindfulness of see mindfulness of thoughts; mindfulness of thoughts practice
types of, 58-59
unrelated to emotion you’re experiencing, 59
training sessions
for self-compassion, ix-x
trauma
healing from, 10
vegetable(s)
voice(s)
healthy voice becoming kinder, 130-32
kinder, 130-32
volunteering
well-being
researchers who study, 109
when compassion is difficult practice, 87-98 see also competing commitments as obstacle to self-
compassion
More Praise for Tim Desmond
“This book shows us why self-compassion is at the heart of therapeutic

healing, and how to integrate compassion training into clinical practice. A
long time meditator and skilled clinician, Tim Desmond offers
exceptionally clear, accessible, and insightful guidance in how to facilitate
deep transformation while addressing a spectrum of emotional suffering.”
—Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge
“This book is an extraordinarily practical and useful guide to the

importance of self-compassion in psychotherapy. It is also a ‘how-to’
manual of simple practices that can be used to kindle the development of
self-compassion. . . . [Desmond’s] wonderful insights, vignettes, and wise
teachings . . . will be of great benefit to any clinician who wishes to
incorporate compassion practices in his or her work.”
—Richard J. Davidson, PhD, Founder of the Center for Investigating

Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“Tim Desmond takes clinicians on a compelling journey to the heart of both

mindfulness and psychotherapy. He offers clear principles and vivid
examples for how to integrate self-compassion into relationship-based,
individual therapy. A unique contribution is showing how at-home practices
can emerge naturally from a mindful and compassionate co-exploration of
the client’s experience. Highly recommended for clinicians who wish to
more deeply integrate mindfulness and psychotherapy.”
—Christopher Germer, PhD, author of The Mindful Path to Self-

Compassion
“Masterfully written, this book is a timely treasure trove of practical tools

and exquisite examples of how to incorporate self-compassion practices
into every moment of the therapeutic process. Tim Desmond expertly
weaves together ancient teachings and modern insight into a clear, in-depth
road map for the integration of two powerful paradigms of healing and
transformation.”
—Linda Graham, MFT, psychotherapist and author of Bouncing Back:

Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being
“Vividly described vignettes from the author’s therapeutic work with

clients, and an excellent review of the research interweave in this book. The
author is a gifted storyteller, and his writing is easy and compelling to read.
. . . He brings each client to life with affection and insight, and offers a
simple step-by-step process for therapists to use each vignette as a guide. . .
. He shares original practices he has created, ancient Buddhist practices he
has adapted, and practices created by modern teachers.”
—The Mindfulness Bell
“Desmond describes mindfulness and self-compassion in a way that is

useful for the neophyte or well informed. . . . [His] case studies wonderfully
demonstrate not only a straightforward way of working with clients, but
also how to work past the defenses the client uses to maintain their ‘story.’ .
. . I highly recommend this book for practitioners at any level. The ideas
apply across the board from client’s to therapist’s mental health and
wellness.”
—The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter
“[I]n its integration of Buddhist philosophies with evidence-based

scientific findings, this book offers a clear and heartfelt examination of the
power of self-compassion in building the resilience needed to cope with
suffering and achieve an enduring sense of happiness. Moreover, it comes
as a much-needed, kind and gentle reminder for therapists to tend to their
own emotional needs in order to provide improved service to their clients.”
—Somatic Psychotherapy Today
“This book is intended especially for clinicians, but can also be useful for
researchers, teachers and students at all levels of expertise. I heartily
recommend it both for clinicians who wish to build the capacity for self-
compassion in their clients as well as themselves, and therefore more
deeply integrate mindfulness and psychotherapy, and also as a valuable tool
for classroom use to facilitate discussions for any classes in clinical
psychology.”
—Metapsychology Online Reviews
“[S]elf-compassion and compassion toward others allows us to strategically

empower our clients — and it also allows us to help ourselves cope with the
stressors and duties of the profession. . . . [Desmond] does a good job of
providing general tools that therapists can easily incorporate into their
sessions.”
—PsychCentral
ALSO BY TIM DESMOND
Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy
About the Author
Tim Desmond is a practicing psychotherapist, author, and student of Zen

Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Distinguished Faculty at Antioch University and
co-founder of Morning Sun Mindfulness Center, he lives in Alstead, NH,
and teaches mindfulness and self-compassion practices to professional and
popular audiences all over the world. He has presented at hundreds of
conferences, seminars, and universities, including Yale Medical School, the
Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, and the Institute for Meditation and
Psychotherapy, helping thousands of people discover the wisdom and
powerful benefits of self-compassion. In addition to The Self-Compassion
Skills Workbook, his publications include Self-Compassion in
Psychotherapy (W. W. Norton, 2015).
Important Note: The Self-Compassion Skills Workbook is intended to provide general information on
the subject of health and well-being; it is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment and
may not be relied upon for purposes of diagnosing or treating any illness. Please seek out the care of
a professional healthcare provider if you are pregnant, nursing, or experiencing symptoms of any
potentially serious condition.
Copyright © 2017 by Tim Desmond
All rights reserved

First Edition
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book,  write to Permissions, W. W.
Norton & Company, Inc.,  500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special
Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830
Production manager: Christine Critelli

Cover design by Adly Elewa
Cover illustration © bauhaus1000/Getty Images
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Names: Desmond, Tim, author.

Title: The self-compassion skills workbook : a 14-day plan to transform your
relationship with yourself / Tim Desmond.
Description: First edition. | New York : W.W. Norton & Company, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016035695 | ISBN 9780393712186 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Self-acceptance. | Compassion. | Meditation—Therapeutic use.
| Mindfulness (Psychology)
Classification: LCC BF575.S37 D475 2017 | DDC 158.1—dc23 LC record
available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016035695
ISBN 978-0-393-71219-3 (e-book)
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110
www.wwnorton.com
W. W. Norton & Company Ltd.

15 Carlisle Street, London W1D 3BS

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What is the purpose of this workbook?

What is the purpose of this workbook?

How should one use this workbook?

How should one use this workbook?

Contents

How to Use This Workbook

PART I Introduction to Self-Compassion

PART II The Map to Self-Compassion

PART III Maintenance

Just 14 days of self-compassion training can create significant and

SELF-COMPASSION IS JUST WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. IT MEANS BEING COMPASSIONATE

I grew up in and around Boston with a single, alcoholic mother. We were

Self-Compassion When Life Is Going Well and When It Feels

When life is going well . . .

• This means something bad is • I don’t know what the future

• People are going to discover I’m a • If people really understood me,

When life is going well, self-compassion allows us to enjoy it without

When life feels hard . . .

• This is happening because I’m a • When life is challenging, I can

• If I weren’t so stupid and • Every human being experiences

• My entire life is pain and • No matter what I do, difficult

Self-compassion is particularly important when we’re dealing with

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: JARED ISN’T ALONE

How Is Self-Compassion Different From Self-Esteem?

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: LETTING GO OF PERFECTIONISM

The short answer is no.

Self-indulgence: The term self-indulgence, which is defined in the

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: HEALING TRAUMA

Whatever challenges you are facing in life—whether it’s trauma,

Can I Really Become Self-Compassionate?

“I have a chemical Science has proven that

“I’ve tried everything, and We might have tried many

“I don’t deserve We absolutely do deserve

Self-Compassion and Your Brain

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: THIS IS WHAT 20 YEARS OF PRACTICE LOOKS LIKE

IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU’LL SEE WHAT SELF-COMPASSION LOOKS LIKE IN vignettes

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: MARCUS’S EXAMS

A comparison of these two possible reactions might suggest that Marcus

EXERCISE: MARISHA’S FIRST MARATHON

Self-Compassion When Life Is Hard

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: JACK’S DATE

Looking at Jack’s self-compassionate response, a few things stand out.

He named his feelings. Rather than looking to blame anyone, he

SELF-COMPASSION EXERCISE: SASHA’S CAR

Erasing Shame: Self-Compassion for the Past

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: CHERYL’S DIVORCE

For Cheryl, self-compassion meant accepting her feelings without

SELF-COMPASSION EXERCISE: ANNA’S DIET

The deepest meaning of self-compassion is relating to every part of

SELF-COMPASSION STORY: NANCY’S ANXIETY

It’s easy to empathize with Nancy’s self-critical response. She has a

SELF-COMPASSION EXERCISE: JERRY’S ANGER

“Well-being can be learned but it requires practice.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ANYONE CAN DEVELOP SELF-COMPASSION. ALL THAT is

When and Where: Tips for Setting Up Your Practice Sessions

If You Feel Overwhelmed

Highly elevated heart rate

Finding the Right Balance

Self-compassion practice shouldn’t feel like a chore. It shouldn’t be something