Much more than a self-care program, Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT) cross-trains in the science of well-being, mindfulness and compassion meditation, and the art of embodied practices giving you essential tools for mental and emotional resilience. You will leave the training with the knowledge, experience and confidence to support your ongoing self-healing.
Registration for our March course closed. Please sign up to be notified of future courses.
We are living in a time of heightened stress and trauma due to increased work demands, racial, gender and income inequality, polarizing politics, and threats to our very ecosystem. How do we take care of ourselves and provide the nourishment we need so that we can be there for our friends, family and community? The mindfulness, compassion and embodiment practices taught in this 9-week course are power tools you can use to develop a calmer, more focused, less stress-reactive mind, an open and responsive heart, and a relaxed centered body. The sum of this work is greater than its parts, developing resiliency allows us to face life’s stressors with more equanimity and joy which leads to an increased quality of life with greater purpose.
Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT) was developed in 1998 by Harvard-trained Psychiatrist Joe Loizzo, MD, PhD, Founder and Academic Director of Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, and it has been offered continuously since then at New York Hospital, and the University Hospitals of Columbia and Cornell. The program integrates timeless techniques of contemplative self-regulation from India and Tibet — mindfulness, compassion meditation, imagery and breath work — with contemporary breakthroughs in neuroscience, positive psychology, and optimal health.
Fiona Brandon, MA, MFT, is a Senior CBRT Teacher and Director of the CBRT Program. She is a psychotherapist in private practice who draws upon Buddhist psychology, depth psychology, expressive arts therapy, dream imagery, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy in her work with adults and couples. Fiona is a graduate of the Masters program in Counseling Psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute.
The training begins with four mindfulness-based personal healing modules that break the cycle of stress and lead to a more balanced and rejuvenated state of well-being.
Module I
Embracing Suffering with Body Mindfulness
Practice Body Mindfulness to reconnect with our inner lives and begin releasing the survival habits of stress, trauma and reactivity.
Module II
Stopping Reactive Habits with Mindful Sensitivity
Practice Mindful Sensitivity to deepen the capacity for conscious self-regulation and cultivate balanced awareness.
Module III
Breaking Free of Stress with Mindful Awareness
Practice Mindful Awareness to cut through the mesh of reactive habits and stress instincts that normally block the full openness and clarity of our mind.
Module IV
Mindful Insight: The Lifelong Path of Self-Healing
Practice Mindful Insight to cut the roots of reactivity and grow proactive new ways of being in the world.
The training continues with four compassion-based relational healing modules that build resilience, prevent burnout and increase our capacity to care for ourselves and others.
Module V
Disarming Social Stress and Bias with Equal Empathy
Practice Equal Empathy to unlearn implicit social survival biases while deepening and expanding our sense of connection to others.
Module VI
Healing Reactive Emotions and Beliefs with Self-Compassion
Practice Self-Compassion to develop a wise, caring mind that orients to our common humanity.
Module VII
Cultivating Prosocial Emotions with Wise Give and Take
Practice Wise Give and Take to explore our boundless human potential for care and strengthen our social muscles of love, joy and equanimity.
Module VIII
Embodying a Resilient Self and Life with Caring Imagery
Practice role model visualizations to stretch our sense of self into a fully empowered, resilient and compassionate self.
I feel much happier and able to cope with life’s changes. I feel so grateful to have been able to participate in the [training].
I loved the feeling I had during and after each meditation session. I also felt a great sense of community with the other [participants] present.
What do I need to participate in this training?
You will need a computer with Zoom installed. We also recommend a comfortable and quiet space for the meditations.
How much time will I need to put in every week?
Students participate in 1.5 hour weekly live online meetings, plus 10–15 minutes of mediation at least 2–3 times per week.
I can’t make these course times, will you offer courses at another time?
We are always offering new courses — sign up to be notified when we’ve opened registration for a new training.
Can I download the class materials (audio and video)?
Students can download audio files, the student manual and supplemental reading materials. Videos are not downloadable.
If I miss a class, are there make-up classes?
There are no make-up classes, but instructors record every session and will make that recording available to you after each class. In addition all of the course materials and meditations are available to you online.
Is there homework? How much?
Between weekly meetings students are encouraged to practice the assigned mediation 2–3 times per week. The meditations are generally no longer than 10–15 minutes.
Is this course aimed at novice or experienced contemplative practitioners?
Practitioners of all skill levels will benefit from the guided meditations and group discussions. There are also instructional videos for all practices.
Can I pay in installments?
Nalanda Institute asks that all students pay in full prior to the first class.
More questions? Get in touch here.
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