http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-brain-and-emotional-intelligence/201310/how-focus-changed-my-thinking-about-emotional-intel

Andy talks to Harpers Bazaar about how mindfulness supports relationships through better communication, being fully present and less judgemental. It helps us manage the strong emotions that arise in our most important relationships, and even helps improve our sex lives by bringing us fully into our bodies instead of being caught up in thinking.

Read the short article here:
http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/going-out/who-what-where/Free-mindfulness-lessons-with-andy-puddicome-headspace-valentines-day

You can start the brilliant Headspace 'Take10' Programme FREE and see how 10 minutes of mindfulness for 10 days makes a difference in your relationships:
http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/index.aspx

In this 27 minute video, Kristin Neff outlines the three components of Self-Compassion (Neff, 2003):

• Notice that you are suffering, with kindness rather than harsh self-judgement
  
• Recognising that suffering is part of common humanity, we are not alone in this experience
• Using Mindfulness to see things clearly, as they are, no more and no less.

Feeling is believing
Before going into the extensive scientific research basis for Self-Compassion, she gets us to try powerful gestures which demonstrate the experience of self compassion and the felt sense in the body. Do try these for yourself as you watch, it's so compelling.

What are some reasons for developing a Self-compassion practice? 
Self-compassion is negatively linked to depression, rumination, anxiety, stress, perfectionism, shame and negative body image. Conversely it's linked to well-being states including happiness, connection, confidence, optimism and life satisfaction.

You can take Kristin's Self-Compassion Test on her website:
http://www.self-compassion.org/test-your-self-compassion-level.html

Just fifteen minutes of mindfulness meditation can improve your decision making

Christian Jarrett's article for the BPS Research Digest blog discusses research from Andrew Hafenbrack and colleagues  who "claim that just fifteen minutes practice at mindfulness meditation reduces people's vulnerability to the sunk-cost bias - our usual tendency to persist with lost causes because of what we've already invested." 

Read Christian's blog report here http://bit.ly/1f2NsOd

http://www.emergingwomen.com/2014/01/power-practices-the-self-compassion-break-with-kristin-neff/

Tickets are still available for the Action for Happiness Event -  An Evening with Daniel Goleman 
Thursday, 24 October 2013 from 18:30 to 20:30 at the Camden Centre, Euston Road, London WC1H 9JE