The MSC Course is not group therapy. However, participants experience therapeutic effects in different ways. For most, the experience provides new perspectives and tools that are helpful in daily life. For some, it is a life-changing experience. The following statements came directly from MSC Workshop participants in their original and unedited form.
“I have struggled with depression since I was a teenager. Over the years I’ve tried therapy, antidepressants, specialized workshops for the clinically depressed, meditation, and read countless self-help books. While some of these proved helpful, nothing has been as beneficial as this Mindful Self-Compassion workshop. The term “emotional resiliency” is what attracted me to the course; I realized immediately that was what I was lacking. Previously, I was not able to “bounce back” after losing my health, having a relationship end, or any kind of failure on my part. The teachers led the group through exercises that incorporated a few methods I had learned before, but this time, as one participant put it, “we lived it.” I also learned many new skills, and for the first time feel confident I can face whatever the world throws at me without sinking into depression. The cost of the course seems minuscule in comparison to what I’ve gained, and I’ve seen every person in my group make positive changes in their lives. The Mindful Self-Compassion workshop has changed my life significantly and I fully recommend it as the single most powerful gift you can give to yourself.”
VK, Grand Junction, CO
“Tired of being hard on yourself? You are not alone. I heard about MSC from my counselor. I was intrigued because it gets old beating myself up every time I screw up and not ever resolving my internal conflicts. This course has provided me the tools and a new mindset in dealing with my shortcomings and my failures. Yes, I still experience pain and I still fail up but the amount of time I take to recover has shortened because I now have an avenue of resolving my inner critic. If you are done with fighting with yourself and are ready for new strategies I would highly recommend the course. You honestly owe it to yourself to find some relief and to be compassionate with yourself.”
MS, Grand Junction, CO
“In these times of great fear and violence, there is more need than ever to love and soothe ourselves, with the possibility that we may actually be the love we want to see in the world. And what a fantastic way to begin a new year, giving our Self the gift of love. The facilitator, Skip Hudson, guides the 8 classes with kindness and passion. He is excited to be offering a similar course for teens in the near future. Evelyn Anglim co-facilitates bringing her wise, seasoned experience as a therapist and human being. Together they are fun-loving pillars of support as you learn skills that for most people are either never learned or easily forgotten in the milieu of our busy culture. Enough can’t be said about how valuable and timely these skills are. The mindfulness practices awaken one’s interest in being an embodied human, directly experiencing the life we’re given. The self-compassion practices provide opportunities for exploring how we disregard and mistreat ourselves, unlike our regard for friends or even strangers. The material, very skillfully constructed, stirs and reveals beliefs that drive us, yet viewed from a compassionate place. A subtle but galvanizing change occurs when presented with new choices and behaviors. I recently took the course and am passionate to pass along the news about good works that work!”
LK, Grand Junction, CO
“The main reason I signed up for the MSC Class was because I thought it was something that my wife would like me to do with her. The MSC Class ended up meaning a lot more than that to me. The techniques and philosophies that were taught have been and will continue to be invaluable in my life both personally and professionally. They have allowed me to asses situations, that in the past, would have somewhat derailed my day. I now, more easily, recognize these are things that are out of my control and I can accept that more readily and move on. The experience has made me a happier and more productive person. Thank you Skip and Evelyn.”
SB, Grand Junction, CO
“I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to join your workshop in Grand Junction. This was an extraordinary experience for me! I learned concepts I was not familiar with which brought extreme peace and joy into my life. While I’ve heard the term compassion, and have tried to live a life of compassion for others, I truly did not understand what I was missing- self-compassion, love and compassion for myself, which is the place where love and compassion experience begins. It must start here before I can truly impart compassion for others and truly create a space for others to feel compassion. Through the experiences in this workshop, I reconnected with a part of myself I had not connected with for over 40 years. This was an amazing experience to acknowledge- to see the spirit within my body and work through the layers of emotions to reach this treasure within myself. I feel a great sense of peace knowing now, through mindful self-compassion, that I can meet my own needs. I feel whole again!!! Thank you for bringing the awareness of self-compassion to others, because the world will greatly benefit.”
JH, Grand Junction, CO
“At some point, life got hard, and I reached within myself to find some way to get past the struggle. And I found that the ability to scream at myself gave me some strength to carry on. But I had unwittingly entered into a self-destructive battle – and I was blind to the costs that self-hating language was exacting. And after a few years life got even harder and that battle became a self-destructive war. And a few years after that, I realized the toll that this self-hatred was exacting and I started screaming at myself to stop the fighting. But now I was screaming to stop the screaming and I had so many years to improve my weapons – to make better war on myself. And just screaming at myself to stop screaming, just stopping the screaming wasn’t enough – the self-destructive thoughts were still there and the energy I was expanding screaming had to go somewhere. Finally, after too many years at war, I discovered what to do – a way to fill the silence that rang in my ears from all the screaming – a way to utilize the energy that I had been using berating myself. I found the strength to actively hold myself in a state of compassion. And in that compassion I was able to stop fighting and finally win the war.”
AG, Grand Junction, CO
“This class offered me the opportunity to practice self-compassion in a very loving and respectful environment. It was a very balanced approach, educational as well as experiential, allowing and accepting of individual differences of the participants. I have also used material from this class with my therapy clients and family members. It is an antidote to anxiety and depression. We all experience challenges in life, importantly this class teaches us to live with more gentleness towards ourselves and others. Without self-compassion we have a tense constricted response to life’s ups and downs, when we practice self-compassion we have a wise, soothing friend on board to help (of course that’s yourself).”
MT, Grand Junction, CO (Counselor)
“Thank you for introducing me to Mindful Self-Compassion. As a new practitioner to mindfulness meditation, I feel a feel a level of peace I haven’t experienced before. During these last 8-weeks, I feel my belief system has changed as I allow myself to feel loved, accepted, and cherished with fewer negative barriers. It was so helpful to practice this meditation in class. I now have a practice started with tools in my tool chest. I loved the poetry. Thanks for sharing your time, energy, and expertise.”
SF, Grand Junction, CO
“Thank you for facilitating a wonderful 8-week journey. I really appreciate your time, energy, insight, and enthusiasm for the curriculum. I’m not sure I knew what to expect, but know that I am leaving with more tools to address my suffering and have a greater sense of self-compassion. I look forward to continuing my practice. Thank you so much.”
PA, Grand Junction, CO
“Taking some time this morning to describe what the MSC class meant to me. As you know it’s difficult to describe something unseen. Like a slow, soaking rain the experience continues to permeate my days since ending the class. It’s more an atmosphere of love, ease, compassion and remembering that there are other scripts I have for speaking compassionately to myself – an atmosphere that you both modeled for me/us. I’m so grateful to both of you for holding such a loving, generous, accepting space, for the tools you passed along, and the sacrifices you made to make that happen. As a result I have the chance to keep holding that space for myself or at the very least, in a moment, know it’s a direction to lean into. So much has bubbled up for me to work on privately, but all is well. The class just magnified the space that my counselor has already been creating for me to love more…others and myself where so much healing is possible on so many levels. Guilt used to be the gift that keeps on giving. Now I think MSC is. I’m so appreciative to both of you. I’m actually having pangs of wanting to take the class again and to be with another group of amazing people. Much love and gratitude to you both.”
JD, Grand Junction, CO
“My experience in MSC class was amazing! I am not going to lie, I am a thinker and I was trying to think my way through, which got me nowhere! At the retreat day, I learned how to just “be” and “be in the moment” and how valuable mindfulness is to my daily life! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to take the class and have life-long skills I can use to have a happy life for the rest of my life!”
BN, Grand Junction, CO.
“Attending the Mindful Self Compassion workshop (twice!) has been a life changing experience for me. I have always been able to understand the spiritual oneness of everything/everyone. It is easy for me to recognize that Spirit is in every instance, but have been confused at my pain in spite of my beliefs. Having had an unpleasant childhood full of pain and shame and abuse I honestly thought I was alone in my suffering. The most freeing experience of the workshop was when I learned our common humanity is suffering and that we are all connected in this. Because I was very isolated as a child and feelings were never expressed, I never had the opportunity for a “reality check”. I discovered in the workshop that our common suffering comes from our very simple and complex yearning to be loved. Who knew?! The other “Aha” moment for me was the beautiful video about the Japanese bowls. Having had many physical scars from various surgeries (on top of the emotional scars); especially the horrific scars left from breast cancer, radiation and subsequent bilateral mastectomy my feelings of self worth had never been very healthy. I felt deformed, mutilated, ugly, sexless, and useless. What I learned from the video about the broken bowls, lovingly mended with gold I have been able to apply to myself. I have been broken but am mending myself with gold (love), and have more value because of the mending. It was a fabulous moment of self-compassion. Thank you again for being part of my healing.”
PT, Grand Junction, CO
“My father is 90 years old. I volunteered to make sure he has the best quality of life for this stage of his life. He is a proud man, veteran of 3 wars, father to 5 children, generous with his time in volunteering. He is also practically deaf and not as quick in body and mind. The MSC class teaches compassionate touch that I find myself doing naturally now as I think about my father, on my way to see him and even when I see he is calling. I place my hand on my heart; it is hard to see a person I love grow old.”
EP, Grand Junction, CO
“I found the class to be helpful because it emphasized that just because you are not feeling ‘”happy & anxiety free” all of the time does not mean you are abnormal. The human experience for all of us is one of having feelings that are uncomfortable & at times maybe even unmanageable. The class taught us some constructive ways to help navigate through the challenging times. One of my favorite techniques is “name it & tame it.” The most powerful practice for me though is the one of breathing in self-compassion on the in breath & breathing out compassion for ‘the other’ on the out breath. That really helps to soften & ease uncomfortable or painful situations that can arise in various kinds of relationships. We were also reminded that it is a misnomer to think that at some point life will stop handing us challenges. Life is a continuous growth process. We are always moving & morphing through circumstances that push us along on our path toward greater understanding. Resistance to that causes suffering. Having more tools in our toolbox helps. Thank you Skip & Michelle for your time, effort & compassion.”
LC, Grand Junction, CO