
Compassion-Focused Meditations
Training the Mind for Resilience and Happiness
You are invited to listen to the following free compassion-focused mindfulness meditations audio which are aligned with Compassion-Focused Therapy and Compassionate Mind Training. The aim is to train our minds to be compassionate, to promote resilience, well-being, inner peace and happiness.
In the following meditations and visualisations, compassion is defined according to the Compassion-Focused Therapy approach, initially presented by Dr Paul Gilbert. Compassion is recognized as “a sensitivity to the suffering of self and others (and the causes of that suffering) with a deep commitment to relieve it, prevent it from returning, and promote wellbeing.” (Dale-Hewitt & Irons, 2015).
We often think of compassion as being similar to kindness, empathy, gentleness and nurturing, but compassion can also inspire a strong motivation to make a stand, to say “no” to harm, to set boundaries, to defend and to protect. Compassion gives us the courage to be assertive, to act to alleviate the suffering in ourselves and others.
​​In this definition, there are two aspects of compassion:
1. Sensitivity to suffering: turning towards, awareness and tolerance of the presence of suffering.
2. Motivation and engagement to relieve suffering: intention and a desire to alleviate the suffering, which is motivating actions.
All of the following meditations are presented by Marie Bloomfield, Clinical Psychologist.
Please Note: These meditations are psycho-educational and are not intended to replace therapy. Always seek the advice of a doctor or psychologist for any questions you may have regarding your own specific medical or mental health condition. If emotional difficulties arise while listening to these meditations, please stop listening to the meditations and consult urgently a psychologist or other qualified health care professionals.
Warning: please do not listen to the following audio while you are driving or operating machinery.