What is Mindful Compassion? Episode 1 Season 2

We begin our mindful compassion season with an interview with Erik van den Brink, codeveloper of the internationally recognised Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living course. We talk about how mindfulness helps us address the universal mechanisms contributing to suffering and how self-compassion supports us to relate kindly to our inner critic, opening possibilities to transform our relationship with ourselves and those around us. Exploring the interconnection of self-compassion and compassion for the others, we challenge some of the myths and resistance we can commonly encounter. The symbolism of the lotus reminds us how the muddy parts of our lives can offer up opportunities for transformation and growth if we approach them with compassion and kindness. And of course, we join together in some meditation practices, beautifully guided by Erik.

About Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living

Compassion can be described as an awareness of pain and suffering -ours and others- coupled with a motivation to take action to alleviate it. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) is a science backed course designed to enhance our physical, emotional and relational well-being though deepening meditation practice, growing self-compassion, and learning ways to balance kindness and compassion for others with care for ourselves.

The course was developed in 2007 by Dutch, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Dr Erik, van den Brink and Meditation Teacher and Psychiatric Nurse Frits Koster, as a follow-on to foundational mindfulness programs. If you would like to read more about MBCL you can find out more at my website or the links below.

About your Host

Kate is a qualified BAMBA registered mindfulness teacher offering over 25 years of coaching expertise. She has trained with Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster, the developers of MBCL. Having experienced the transformative power of mindful compassion in her own life, she is passionate about sharing that with others in a way that is accessible, professional and infused with her own unique brand of gentle kindness.

About Erik Van den Brink

Erik studied medicine in Amsterdam and trained as a psychotherapist in the UK. Having experienced the benefits of meditation himself, he was drawn to methods that unlock people's self-healing potential. Alongside Frits Koster, he developed the MBCL course to meet these needs. He has co-authored several publications on MBCL and teaches around the world.

You can follow Realise on:

https://www.realisemindfulness.com/

https://www.facebook.com/realisemindfulness

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ensor-a4b4a62a/

https://www.instagram.com/realisemindfulness/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiUm0kgeEX-uU6_PPTc2Zaw

Find out more about MBCL:

www.mbcl.org (Erik van den Brink)https://fritskoster.com/ (Frits Koster)www.mbcl-international international.net (MBCL International)

You can also buy the MBCL course Workbook from the publisher Routledge and all good booksellers: https://www.routledge.com/A-Practical-Guide-to-Mindfulness-Based-Compassionate-Living-Living-with/Brink-Koster-Norton/p/book/9781138228931

A quick disclaimer:

This podcast is intended as an ongoing support resource to anyone who has attended a foundational mindfulness course such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and is interested in deepening their practice in mindful compassion.

The MBCL course is rich and deep & this podcast is in no way a replacement for attending an 8-week course. Rather, it is intended as either an introduction, a companion or a refresher for the course. If you are interested in finding out more, or working with me one-to-one, you can find some helpful links above.

And remember any information you hear on this podcast and my media sites is for information purposes only and should never be a substitute for advice from a doctor, psychiatrist or any other health professional.