Day 4: Practice Through Poetry: Love and Acceptance

In the third and final installment of the Practice Through Poetry Series, Galia leads us cultivating love, acceptance, and inclusivity, through a poem by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel. The essence of loving-kindness, Galia reminds us, is being able to offer happiness. And you can’t offer happiness unless you have it for yourself, by accepting yourself, and […]

Day 3: Practice Through Poetry: Deep Listening

In the second installment of the Practice Through Poetry Series, Galia leads us in the practice of deep listening, through Denise Low’s poem “Walking with My Delaware Grandfather.” The intention of deep listening and loving speech, Galia reminds us, is to restore communication. Because once communication is restored, everything is possible, including peace and reconciliation.

Day 2: Practice Through Poetry: Connecting to Nature

This is the first of a series of three guided practices using poetry to inspire ourselves to follow the heart-mind connection, and cultivate inner and outer compassion through art. In this first session, we connect with nature as part of ourselves, through Wendell Berry’s poem “The Peace of Wild Things.” It is by observing nature’s […]

Day 5 Practice: Chris Germer – The Compassionate U-Turn

In this practice, we explore the three universal expressions of compassion—soft gaze, soothing touch, and gentle vocalizations—in order to activate kindness toward ourselves. 

Day 4 Practice: Soles of the Feet

In this practice, we use the soles of our feet as an object of attention, in order to literally ground ourselves in the present moment, and to stabilize ourselves. This is especially helpful if we’re experiencing difficult emotions.

Day 3 Practice: Loving Kindness for a Loved One

In this practice, we bring to mind a loved one who we feel natural kindness for, and then include ourselves in the circle of compassion as well. 

Day 2 Practice: A ‘Fierce Self-Compassion’ Break

In this practice, we invoke the clarity, power, and bravery of self-compassion to protect us (or our clients) in a difficult situation.

Day 1 Practice: The Self-Compassion Break

This practice offers a direct experience of the three main components of self-compassion—mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness—and can be done on the spot, in daily life, anytime you or your clients feel stress.