Podcast: Kristin Neff, Fierce Self-Compassion

Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at University of Texas, Austin, specialist in self-compassion research, and author. Her new book is Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive.

Read Neff’s interview by Spirituality & Health’s Stephen Kiesling in the May/June 2021 issue.

In this episode, Rabbi Rami and Neff discuss reclaiming the right to be fierce, fierce vs. tender self-compassion, and Neff’s 3-part model. They also explore yin and yang energy and how women can approach fierce self-compassion beyond the masculine definition of fierceness.

They discuss Neff’s 3-part model of self-compassion:

1. Mindfulness

2. Common humanity

3. Kindness

“The pathway to this fierceness is through kindness, is through compassion.”

They close out their conversation with a discussion of therapy and fixing the self, and the idea of coming to terms with where you are at each point of your life and ultimately becoming a “compassionate mess.”

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