Compassion Connection | 3 Days of Practice at Stanford in October

Save the Date: CCARE Immersion at Stanford

Many of you have expressed a longing to gather in person, so we are excited to welcome you to Stanford for this special assembly in October. There is something deeply meaningful about coming together as a community, united by our shared commitment to compassion.

This 3-day, in-person immersive event brings together compassion research, experiential practice, and meaningful connection. Join us at Stanford University for a powerful weekend exploring what compassion in action truly looks like.

Early registration opens May 15th. Space is limited. Please join the interest list to be notified when registration opens.

Join the List

The next offering of Cultivate a Compassionate Heart (CCH) starts on April 7, 2026, and meets virtually on Tuesdays from 4-6 pm PDT.

This 8-week course is designed to help students cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness and access to compassion that in turn leads to greater happiness and well-being. The program combines contemporary psychology and scientific research on compassion practice with contemplative techniques, including daily meditations. You can review the syllabus here.

CCH is for anyone who wants…

More calm, focus, and inner peace
To embody greater resilience
To cultivate a compassionate response to life’s everyday challenges

Steady in the Storm: Compassionate Self-Regulation

This month in the CCARE Compassion Lab (CCL), participants are exploring how to practice self-compassion under pressure.

For the February seminar, Dr. Al’ai Alvarez, MD, Interim Director of CCARE and Director of Well-Being for Stanford Emergency Medicine, led a powerful session highlighting an essential distinction: while we may have the intention to be compassionate, we don’t always have the capacity in a given moment.

Through guided reflection, small-group dialogue, and embodied practices, participants noticed what happens to compassion under pressure—and what helps them return to compassion in life’s difficult moments.

By designing and engaging in compassion micro-experiments, participants are learning to recognize the conditions that expand their capacity for compassion: toward themselves and others. In the CCARE Compassion Lab, self-compassion isn’t just a concept. It’s something we practice together in real time, especially in the very moments when it's hardest to access.

Join us on the last Thursday in March at 12 pm PT for CCARE's Compassion Community Gathering.

Refresh your practice and renew your dedication to creating a more compassionate world by spending an hour with your peers on Zoom.

*Reminder* Daylight savings time starts in the US on March 8, so for this gathering only, the time difference between the US and Europe will be one hour less.