The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions

The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions

Christopher K. Germer

Language: English

Pages: 306

ISBN: 1593859759

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


“Buck up.” “Stop feeling sorry for yourself.” “Don’t ruin everything.” When you are anxious, sad, angry, or lonely, do you hear this self-critical voice? What would happen if, instead of fighting difficult emotions, we accepted them? Over his decades of experience as a therapist and mindfulness meditation practitioner, Dr. Christopher Germer has learned a paradoxical lesson: We all want to avoid pain, but letting it in--and responding compassionately to our own imperfections, without judgment or self-blame--are essential steps on the path to healing. This wise and eloquent book illuminates the power of self-compassion and offers creative, scientifically grounded strategies for putting it into action. You’ll master practical techniques for living more fully in the present moment -- especially when hard-to-bear emotions arise -- and for being kind to yourself when you need it the most. Free audio downloads of the meditation exercises are available at the author's website: www.mindfulselfcompassion.org.

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Self-Help Book of Merit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

whenever something good happened to him, such as getting a raise at work, buying a new car, or going on vacation. He thought about his sad childhood with his sister and how she had never had a chance to enjoy her life. His regret would not allow him to be happy. Sometimes George had flashback memories when he read news reports of battered children. His wife became concerned that she was losing her connection to George, who seemed to become increasingly preoccupied with his past as good things

research is needed to define the default network and separate out the functions of the different parts of the medial prefrontal cortex.) Creswell’s research suggests a neurological “mechanism of action” for why we feel better when we talk to a friend, write in a journal, or otherwise put our feelings into words. The best words for emotions are often quirky little expressions that may carry personal meaning. For example, if I’m feeling agitated, I might label it “squirrelly” after the little

established by Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield. Those rich and nuanced teachings inform this entire book, and any unwarranted deviation from them is my responsibility alone. I also owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to my colleagues at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, with whom I’ve been in monthly conversation for almost 25 years, and to Jon Kabat-Zinn, who introduced the Buddhist practice of mindfulness and compassion into modern health care. My other

when you least expect them. For example, when I first stood up to give a speech after learning metta meditation, I found myself saying, “May I and everyone here be happy and free from suffering.” To my amazement, my anxiety subsided considerably. After using the metta phrases for a number of years, I’ve become significantly happier and less upset when things go wrong. As I said in the Introduction, self-­compassion is like having a good friend around providing encouragement at just the right

asleep and when I wake up in the morning. This habit seems to have transformed the irritation I first felt as my wife yanked the blankets off the bed during her hot flashes. These days, as the covers suddenly disappear from my shoulders in the middle of the night, I find myself muttering something mildly sympathetic, like “Estrogen depletion sucks, doesn’t it?” as I wave the sheets in the air and create a little breeze for her. That’s a minor marital miracle. It’s always good to keep some

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