Since this course is about cultivating compassion, the most important work between classes is the daily meditations. Each week you are given various versions of the same guided meditation, ranging from 10-20/min each. Students are strongly encouraged to practice one of these daily, as the development of compassion during the class is “dose dependent” and the meditations support that development. The course is as much about experiencing compassion as learning about it. (60-120 min/week)
Each week students are also given optional Daily Informal Practices intended to be done in the midst of their daily lives. On average, these take a few minutes a day. (0-30 min/week)
Participants are encouraged to take on an optional Peer Support Partner who they can connect with between classes on their own terms. This is someone to discuss the material with and also share wins and challenges in your growing compassion practice. (0-30 min/week)
Finally, there is recommended, but not required, reading for the course that ranges from books to peer-reviewed and popular articles, to first-hand writings from ancient and contemporary compassion meditation experts, leaders, and poets. Each student can take on as much or as little of that as they like (0-60 min/week)
