Mindful Movement
Carolyn McCarthy - 10 minute audio

Think of Mindful Movement as a "body scan in motion" where we practice deeply feeling the sensations in the body as we move it and as we hold different postures. We offer a few suggestions for getting started as well as diagrams of our standard full mindful movement...

Open Awareness Meditation
Carolyn McCarthy - 22 minute audio

Open Awareness is the practice of stabilizing attention with a broad, wide-open focus that allows mental objects, sensations, and sensory experiences to come and go. All mindfulness-based practices are oriented towards stabilizing attention. Sometimes a stable...

Self-Acceptance Meditation
Karen Schwisow - 7 minute audio

Karen shares about the importance of this Self-Acceptance practice, which she learned from her mentor Pam Erdman: “Most of us have a tendency to be hard on ourselves. This practice is a way to counter that, to tame it, to help that harsh inner critic to relax...

Relaxed and Alert Tonglen for Self
Tim Burnett - 37 minute audio

A tonglen (“giving and receiving compassion”) meditation with an emphasis on being relaxed and alert in our practice.  You can learn more about tonglen meditation at Tim’s introductory recording. Delivered at the Winter 2023 MSC II: Roots of...

Developing Bodhicitta
Tim Burnett - 34 minute audio

A meditation oriented around developing the quality of heart-mind the Buddhists call “bodhicitta” – the altruistic mind of awakening.  This practice is based on an article by Ven. Thubten Chodron. Delivered at the Winter 2023 MSC II: Roots of...

Balancing Groundedness & Openness
Tim Burnett - 34 minute audio

A meditation focussed on maintaining and exploring the subtle balance of groundedness (stability / shamatha) and openess (curiousity / insight / vipassana). Delivered at the Winter 2023 MSC II: Roots of Compassion class. Balancing Groundedness & Openness - 34...

Beyond Utility Meditation
Tim Burnett - 40 minute audio

A meditation focussed on going beyond any ideas of accompishment, attainment, or utility. Delivered at the Winter 2023 MSC II: Roots of Compassion class. Please listen to Tim’s introductory track below for a full introduction. Beyond Utility Meditation - 40...

Tonglen Compassion Meditation
Tim Burnett - 29 minute audio

Tonglen is a practice developed in Tibetan Buddhism for cultivating compassion. As the 7-minute supplemental audio explains it is also the basis for the Receiving and Giving Compassion practice offering our Mindful Self-Compassion classes. In some ways Tonglen is more...

Loving-Kindness in Three Directions
Tim Burnett - 15 minute audio

Loving-kindness stengthens the natural human desire that you and others be well. A core part of our Mindful Self-Compassion program as well as other compassion cultivation programs, loving-kindness meditation uses a combination of imagery and language to open the...

Full Body Scan
Carolyn McCarthy - 40 minute audio

The Body Scan is a mindful tour through your body. This practice deepens awareness of the body, strengthens attention, and supports a more grounded, present-centered feeling for life. The Body Scan can also reveal stresses and emotional issues that you haven't become...

Affectionate Breathing Meditation
Carolyn McCarthy - 20 minute audio

The practice of Affectionate Breathing is a core Mindful Self-Compassion practice. This practice "warms up" the core mindfulness practice Awareness of Breathing by bringing elements of self-kindness and inviting a feeling of being nurtured by the breath. Affectionate...