Self-compassion – the anti-depressant of choice – free, affective and without any negative side effects. By enlisting the tools and skills of self-compassion, immediately we can begin to benefit from the amazing and life changing natural health-inducing neuro-chemicals our brains are capable of producing. With a simple self-compassion training schedule we can turn our mental health around and improve our general daily sense of wellbeing.

Research shows that with as little as eight minutes of loving kindness meditation per day, you can make a positive long lasting impact on improving your overall sense of happiness and wellbeing. When things are balanced on the inside, you can get through most anything on the outside.

With self-compassion practice, our sense of wellbeing and contentment increases along with increases in energy levels, productivity and creativity. While stress levels, irritability and reactivity decrease. A daily dose of self-compassion can change the course of our lives including the lives of those around us.

Self-compassion is different to self-focus or self-permissiveness, or self-indulgence. It is none of these things. It is more about a focus on being real, authentic, realistic and behaving kindly towards ourselves instead of critical berating, arrogant cover-up or shameful hiding. It’s about realizing we are wonderful human beings with both amazing gifts and wounds and scars and fears. Self-compassion says yes to all of the above without hiding, posturing shaming, blaming or acting out of hurtful arrogance. Self-compassion welcomes you as you are, in all your wonder and wounding, offers the hand of kindness and says, well done, take a rest and, when you’re ready, get going again – you’re doing well, you’re awesome and the world needs to hear from you.