Don’t be pushed around by your inner critic! If the voice in your head is telling you that you need to lose five pounds to be happy or that you can’t make money doing what you love - you can tap into your compassionate mind and turn the caring and compassion you show toward others inwards toward yourself. That's the essential idea of self-compassion and Heather Prete is an expert and master teacher on how exactly we can do this. In this interview, I talk about my own issues to learn about the basics of self-compassion and how to stop the inner critic from preventing us from having joy.  Heather is an LA based Mindfulness Facilitator who works with a diverse range of clientele including those in recovery, people coping with depression and anxiety, cancer survivors, men and women battling chronic health and pain issues and those suffering from PTSD. Her training began with Tibetan Compassion practices in 1998 and trained under masters in India and Europe. In 2011, she became a certified Mindfulness Facilitator at UCLA, where she also taught Mindful Awareness Classes as well as courses online. Currently she’s co-creator and master teacher for The DEN Meditation Teacher Training Program. You can find more about her at www.heatherpretemindfulness.com and book a private healing session or go to one of her classes at The DEN Meditation.