Selfie Compassion Class

We pick up the camera, see at the person looking back at us, and click the button to take a selfie.

For most of us, there are ‘old stories’ awaiting there. Ones of whether we are enough or beautiful or lovable.

In the Be Your Own Beloved classes and this program in particular, we’re learning to show up with compassion.

Showing up with compassion for ourselves doesn’t mean those old stories aren’t there.

It means we pick up the camera and say “I’m listening”.

And it’s in that choice to listen rather than push away or hide or put down the camera that our stories begin to change, where we start to see ourselves looking back at us without those stories encircling us. That’s not to say our critic won’t still show up, but in this program, I’m going to help you ground yourself in the tools of what to do when it does.

Then slowly as we show up with compassion photo after photo, those old stories lose their grip on us and we can see ourselves clearer in photos, without judgement.

It is about creating safe space for ourselves to acknowledge and then release self-judgment. 

In the Selfie Compassion class we meet ourselves in the lens each day using guided tools to meet our inner critic…cause this isn’t about it not being there…this is about building resilience and another kinder voice outside of our critics voice.

It is because it is a place of self-critique that it can be a place of self-compassion.

It is an invitation to explore self-compassion and mindfulness tools through the camera. We’ll show up for ourselves, forgive ourselves if we have a tough day with our self-image and welcome in self-trust and resilience.

I know, that might sound like a lot of work but I promise you it will also be a GIGANTIC amount of fun too (cause that’s my teaching style) and as I love to say in the classes, ‘Playfulness is an antidote to fear’. The playfulness is part of this process of self-compassion too. 

And if you participate in the class, you’ll leave it a month later with a full memory card of amazing photos and a more open heart to seeing them all with kindness (even the outtakes)!

THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU IF:

• You want to start the new year with compassion and make this a year where photos aren’t a source of self-critique. You want to be a part of your visual story this year.
• You are done with seeing photos of yourself and feeling deflated or devastated. You want to be able to see yourself with kindness in photos and in your life in general.
• You are ready to let go of photos needing to be ‘perfect’ and are willing to meet yourself in the photo with compassion as you are.
• You have been looking for tools to let go of old stories or future ‘I’ll love myself when’ stories and show up for the person you are right here right now.

In this class we will:

• Explore a daily prompt inviting us to take a selfie with compassion for the month of January
• Explore body acceptance, not seeing our bodies as something we need to change in order to see with love.

What you’ll need for class:

• A camera of any sort. iPhones and Androids (or camera phones of any sort) are most welcome. As are point and shoot cameras or DSLRs. No fancy gear or camera skill required, just a willingness to be inquisitive and have fun with your camera in the process!

Dates: Class Runs January 1-31st

Register:

The class is a part of the Beloved Body Program and is the foundational class for the year ahead. So if you sign up for Body Peace you’re registered for Selfie Compassion too!

You can join in for the year long program here.

 

 

Selfie Compassion:

Cost: $99 CAD (Approximately 75 US Dollars)

Registration is closed, but you’re still welcome to join in and get the content through the Body Peace Program. We have a month before our next Body Peace class so lots of time to explore this content at your own pace. You can join us here!

 

 

 

FAQ:

How does this class differ from Be Your Own Beloved?

In the Be Your Own Beloved class we explore 30 days of seeing ourselves with kindness through the lens. The prompts invite in personal story telling and activities that help us slowly emerge into the photo. It is where I recommend folks begin (or with Beloved Beginnings) if they find themselves absent from the visual narrative of their life. In that class we claim space to be the narrator of our own lives and how we see ourselves and build that narrative throughout the class.

The Selfie Compassion class is different in that it is more focused on making peace with our inner critic. In it we build a narrative of self-compassion, of seeing ourselves and our bodies through a kinder lens. It’s as though in Be Your Own Beloved we’re meeting ourselves through the lens, getting to know her, letting that relationship build. In Selfie Compassion we’re deepening that relationship with the person in the photo, opening our hearts wider to them and inviting in more love, more compassion for the YOU in the lens and in your skin. But that process doesn’t happen without our inner critic appearing so in this process we’re arming ourselves with tools of self-trust, just like if we were opening our hearts to someone else…it is vulnerable, scary even! So we’ll practice tools for communicating with our inner critic and inviting in compassion and non-judgement towards ourselves in the process.

What is similar in both class is that they will be fun, that we’ll be taking selfies that invite us to feel seen, supported and inspired!

What kinds of selfies will we be taking?

We’ll be taking a variety of selfies during the program. Much like with Be Your Own Beloved we’ll start gently with exploring parts of ourselves being in the photo (like our hands or feet) as well as shadow and reflection selfies and will ease towards full body photos. The prompts of course are different than Be Your Own Beloved!

How much time do I need each day for the class? 

The prompts are designed to take only a few minutes to read and then about 5-10 minutes to take a selfie. I’ll remind you regularly that these aren’t about taking fancy selfies that you need to take hours for. It’s about showing up for ourselves in front of the lens and going for it.

You mentioned its about accepting our body as it is…what if I’m on a weightloss journey right now or am planning on changing my body?

Yes, we’ll be exploring the idea of body acceptance but that doesn’t mean you have to 100% accept your body here and now. What it does mean is that we’re going to work on seeing our bodies in these photos with compassion during this month and not save compassion and love for ourselves until we have changed or are in a different place with our bodies. Because honestly, our critic is going to follow us through our change so why not work on making peace with it no matter where our body is at? It’s about releasing self-judgement and letting our worthiness not be all about our size or shape, but about claiming our inherent worth no matter what.

My inner critic doesn’t show up when I take selfies and I love capturing photos of myself. Can I still take the class?

If you take selfies with ease and never have your inner critic show up and curate what you share…awesome! But in that case, this class probably isn’t for you and you may find yourself thriving more in a more artistic based self-portraiture class or another program. This one really is for folks who struggle with taking selfies and resist being in images (which by the way…is where most of us fall)!

Should I take Be Your Own Beloved first?

It is recommended but not mandatory that you’ve taken Be Your Own Beloved or Beloved Beginnings first. That said, if this class draws you in and you’re seeking making that space for self-compassion with your inner critic, please do join us.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me via the contact form if you have any questions or are wondering it is a good fit for you.

I took Be Your Own Beloved but didn’t do all the activities. Should I take this class?

YES! Absolutely. If you have taken one of the other classes but perhaps didn’t finish all the activities, let’s invite that to be a place of self-compassion. This isn’t about having done ALL the activities first, but instead having offered ourselves some space for exploring selfies with kindness either through a class or on our own. Whether it be one photo or a hundred. This class actually isn’t for folks who have no problem taking selfies, its moreso for those of us who find ourselves facing our inner critic when we do. It’s about letting ourselves have more tools to meet our inner critic there and invite in kindness.