The Science and Soul of Living Well is a podcast hosted by clinical psychologist, educator, trauma-informed mindfulness, meditation and yoga teacher, and Ayurvedic doula, Dr. Melissa Ming Foynes. Melissa and her guests dive deeply into ways to integrate evidence-based information from psychological science and complementary and alternative medicine into our daily lives so that we can cultivate resilience and live with more meaning, purpose and alignment with our values in all life domains (e.g., relationships, parenting, career, physical, mental, and sexual health and well-being, spirituality, identity) even in the most stressful and darkest of times.
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The Science and Soul of Living Well is a podcast hosted by clinical psychologist, educator, trauma-informed mindfulness, meditation and yoga teacher, and Ayurvedic doula, Dr. Melissa Ming Foynes. Melissa and her guests dive deeply into ways to integrate evidence-based information from psychological science and complementary and alternative medicine into our daily lives so that we can cultivate resilience and live with more meaning, purpose and alignment with our values in all life domains (e.g., relationships, parenting, career, physical, mental, and sexual health and well-being, spirituality, identity) even in the most stressful and darkest of times.
Understanding our inner critics: The power of insight & compassion
The Science and Soul of Living Well
1 hour 15 minutes 51 seconds
4 years ago
Understanding our inner critics: The power of insight & compassion
In this episode, I emphasize how essential it is to understand your relationship to self-criticism & the ways in which it shows up in your life. From this foundation of insight, you can then enhance your ability to respond to self-criticism more effectively, particularly with a compassionate stance, so that it becomes a less dominant force. I begin by offering examples of the multitude of influences that can cultivate & perpetuate self-criticism & then guide you through a self-assessment exercise that you can engage with as either a guided meditation or written inquiry to help deepen your understanding of the role of self-criticism in your life. I then introduce self-compassion as a useful antidote to self-criticism by clarifying what it means on a practical level to cultivate self-compassion in your life. I also share important research that both supports the benefits of self-compassion & debunks common myths of self-compassion. I end with a guided self-compassion practice that targets self-criticism & can help soften its impact in difficult moments. This guided practice is intended to be a tool that you can readily integrate into your life & implement when you notice self-criticism arise, even if you only have a few moments.
To connect more with Dr. Foynes:
Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series
1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program
Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.
References & Additional Resources
Germer, C. K. (2009). The mindful path to self-compassion: Freeing yourself from destructive thoughts and emotions.New York: Guilford Press.
Neff, K.. (2015). Self-compassion: The proven power of being kind to yourself. New York, NY: William Morrow.
Salzberg, S. (2005). The force of kindness: change your life with love and compassion. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
Dr. Kristin Neff's website: https://self-compassion.org
Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, & is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
The Science and Soul of Living Well
The Science and Soul of Living Well is a podcast hosted by clinical psychologist, educator, trauma-informed mindfulness, meditation and yoga teacher, and Ayurvedic doula, Dr. Melissa Ming Foynes. Melissa and her guests dive deeply into ways to integrate evidence-based information from psychological science and complementary and alternative medicine into our daily lives so that we can cultivate resilience and live with more meaning, purpose and alignment with our values in all life domains (e.g., relationships, parenting, career, physical, mental, and sexual health and well-being, spirituality, identity) even in the most stressful and darkest of times.
