A Practical Guide to Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living: Living with Heart

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Introduction: a warm welcome
	The gift of mindfulness
	The mindfulness wave
	Heartfulness
	How MBCL began
	Based in science
	Is MBCL for you?
	How to use this book
1 Wired to survive rather than thrive: Session one: how we evolved - threat, drive and soothing systems
	Being human is a challenge
	Compassion: not for the faint-hearted
	※ Breathing Space with Kindness
	The human brain and its flaws
	Like Pandora's box
	Insight: the good fairy
	Three emotion regulation systems
	The stress of threat and drive
	Rest and digest
	※ Contemplating the Three Systems in Your Life
	Getting out of balance
	Restoring the balance
	※ A Safe Place
	※ Kindness Meditation: Yourself
	Suiting your soothing system
	※ A Pleasure Walk
	※ Calendar: Soothing System
	Summary Chapter 1
2 Embracing inner demons: Session two: threat and self-compassion
	Exploring inner landscapes
	※ Compassionately Relating to Resistance
	Outer and inner threats
	Three components of self-compassion
	※ Self-Compassion mantra
	※ Breathing Space with Compassion
	Tend and befriend
	Me-first, you-first or we-together
	Survival of the kindest
	Pathways to self-compassion
	※ A Hand on Your Heart
	When compassion itself seems to be the demon
	A gentle pace
	Wobbles on the way
	Using Imagery
	※ A Compassionate Companion
	※ Kindness Meditation: A Benefactor
	※ Calendar: Threat System
	Summary Chapter 2
3 Treating habits kindly: Session three: untangling desires and patterns
	Ulysses' courage
	※ Compassionately Relating to Desire
	Urge-surfing
	Why we can't get no satisfaction
	Habits and patterns
	Three basic modes
	Love thy inner critic as thyself
	Self-conscious emotions
	Don't kill the messengers
	※ Compassionately Relating to Inner Patterns
	Comfort zones without comfort
	Befriending inner patterns
	Taking a more scenic route
	※ Kindness Meditation: A Good Friend
	※ Calendar: Drive System
	Summary Chapter 3
4 Out of the mud into the light: Session four: embodying compassion
	Flow directions of compassion
	Pretend play
	※ Doing as If
	※ Embodying Compassion
	The Lotus of Compassion
	Feeding an inner helper
	※ Kindness Meditation: A Neutral Person
	※ Kindness for the Body
	Mindful movement
	※ Examples of Mindful Movement
	※ Walking with Kindness
	※ Calendar: Inner Critic
	Summary Chapter 4
5 Receiving and giving with every breath: Session five: self and others - widening the circle
	'Dear Self'
	※ A Compassionate Letter
	Who are you?
	The problem with over-identifying
	'Selfing' on autopilot or by choice
	※ Kindness Meditation: A 'Difficult'  Person
	Notes on Kindness Meditation
	Challenges in Kindness Meditation
	A wordless alternative
	※ Compassionate Breathing: Yourself
	Building resilience
	※ Compassionate Breathing: Others
	※ Breathing Space with Compassionate Breathing
	※ Calendar: Inner Helper
	Summary Chapter 5
6 Making friends for life: Session six: growing happiness
	Kissing joy as it flies
	※ Revisiting the Good
	Three doors to happiness
	Four Friends for Life
	Giving peace a chance
	※ Forgiving Yourself
	※ Asking Forgiveness
	※ Forgiving Others
	Gratitude: the memory of the heart
	※ Gratitude
	※ The Silver Lining
	※ Your Values
	※ Kindness Meditation: Groups and All Beings
	※ Calendar: Receiving Compassion
	Summary Chapter 6
	Silent session
	※ An Appreciative Body Scan
	※ The Horse Whisperer
7 Heartful mind, mindful heart: Session seven: weaving wisdom and compassion into daily life
	※ A Day in Your Life
	Draining or sustaining
	Egosystem or ecosystem
	From formal to informal practice
	※ Breathing Space for Wise Compassionate Action
	Action in deed
	Practical ethics
	※ Equanimity Meditation
	※ Sympathetic Joy Meditation
	Caring for the future
	※ A Compassionate Prevention Plan
	※ Calendar: Giving Compassion
	Summary Chapter 7
8 Healing life: Session eight: living with heart
	A crack in everything
	Wounded healers
	※ The River of Life
	At home wherever you go
	Tending your inner garden
	Further support
	Spreading your wings
	Summary Chapter 8
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INDEX