I recently attended Breathworks' Introduction to Mindful Compassion as a Health care Intervention in Manchester. The three days are a mixture of practice and theory during which we were able to see how self compassion is central to how we manage difficulty in our lives, and how it facilitates a deep connection with others. We were given models to work with as well as meditation practices and small group exercises to explore the process of becoming more compassionate. The group came from a wide range of backgrounds within health care, and included one person from Brazil and one person from Portugal. This helped us to realise that different cultural expectations, even when positive (i.e., the desire to be happy) can still obscure compassionate engagement. The exercises we were given were personal tools to use for ourselves and to share with (but not teach) others in the workplace if we should chose to. The group was 'held' supportively and sensitively by two Breathworks teachers, and I would fully recommend this course.
