Evolution Brain, Compassionate Mind

Compassion retreat with Paul Gilbert and Brooke Levelle Heineberg


  • Venue: Ocean of Compassion Buddhist Center
  • Date: March 19, 2016
  • Time: 9:30 am-5 pm
  • Price: $45

Compassion is often defined as a “sensitivity to suffering in self and others with a commitment to try to alleviate and prevent it.”  At centre of this definition are two basic processes. The first process involves developing courage to see clearly into the nature and causes of suffering—not to shun away or avoid. The second process involves committing to acquiring the wisdom to know what to do. In this short one-day experiential workshop we will look into the nature of suffering as arising from the evolutionary process itself—the flow of life which all living things are caught up in. We will then consider ways in which compassionate motivation and a compassion-focused approach can improve our own well-being and that of others. We will explore how our inner compassionate selves can help to work with difficult emotions and in particular our self-critical sides. The workshop will consist of some teaching, mindfulness and breathing exercises, imagery and guided discovery.