Episode Description

For episode 159 Kristin Neff returns to the Metta Hour to talk about her new book, Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive. Kristin is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion almost twenty years ago. Kristin is the author of the book Self-Compassion and is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide. Her newest work focuses on how to balance self-acceptance with the courage to make needed change. The conversation begins with Kristin defining self-compassion and how that compares to self-pity and self-esteem. They discuss the differences between compassion, shame, and self-criticism as means to grow or face adversity, as well as compassion through the lens of the Buddhist teachings, the Brahma Viharas. Sharon teaches about the near and far enemies of compassion and what states compassion can masquerade as when we are out of balance. Kristin speaks about what inspired her new book to focus on those who are socially conditioned as women and the difficulties women face in claiming their power due to socialization. Kristin closes the conversation with a guided meditation on balancing fierce and tender energies.

Additional Resources

To learn more about Kristin’s work, you can visit her website.

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