Pixabay: BM10777

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Dr. Richard Davidson, one of the leading neuroscientists in the world, has studied how compassion training affects your brain.

He’s concluded that anyone can develop greater compassion and self-compassion, but that it requires practice.

If you practice a little, you can develop a little self-compassion.

If you practice a lot, you can develop a lot.

According to Davidson’s research, there is no limit to the amount of compassion and self-compassion that we can develop if we dedicate ourselves to practice.

In fact, when he studied Buddhist monks who had undergone decades of intensive compassion training, he reported that they had developed a level of inner peace and freedom beyond what most people would believe possible.

In other words, the sky is the limit.

If you are willing to train yourself in the practices that make up the Map to Self-Compassion, you can transform your life.

All humans (in fact, all mammals) have a Care Circuit in their brain.

Every time you feel warmth and love, that brain circuit is active.

If we could take a detailed image of your brain, you would see it.

Your Care Circuit releases oxytocin (sometimes called the love hormone) and natural opiates to give you that warm fuzzy feeling.

As you begin training in self-compassion, your Care Circuit is going to be your best friend.

You’ll be learning different practices that can activate it, strengthen it, use it for emotional regulation, and to become kinder toward yourself.

Developing self-compassion is relatively simple.

It is about strengthening the Care Circuit in your brain and learning how to use it when you need it.

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