Being Kind to Yourself

Woman with her eyes closed and her hands resting on her chest, surrounded by green plants

A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO SELF-CRITICISM

Saturday 21 November 2026, 10am–1.15pm

At Heruka Kadampa Meditation Centre, Golders Green

With Richard Batty

Many of us carry a quiet but persistent sense of “not being enough”, a feeling that, regardless of our successes, we are somehow falling short. This underlying doubt shapes how we work, how we love and how we see our future.

From a Buddhist perspective, these feelings of inadequacy do not reflect our true nature. They are simply deeply ingrained mental habits, temporary “clouds” obscuring the vast, clear sky of our potential.

In this gentle retreat we will explore how to be kinder to ourselves, by learning to recognise and release these limiting patterns of self-criticism through guided meditation and practical insight.

You will discover how to:

  • Soften the inner critic: understand where self-doubt comes from and how to stop feeding it
  • Recognise your natural worth: shift from “proving yourself” to “understanding yourself”
  • Build authentic confidence: connect with a stable sense of peace and potential that no one can take away

By letting go of the pressure to be someone else, we discover the freedom and joy of who we already are.

About the teacher

Richard Batty has been studying and practising Kadampa Buddhism for many years. He is known for making the teachings clear and practical, so that you can apply them straight away in everyday life. He teaches with warmth, humour and an easy, approachable style.

Schedule

  • Arrive and relax: 9.30–10am
  • Session 1: 10–10.45am
  • Tea break: 10.45–11.15am
  • Session 2: 11.15–12noon
  • Tea break: 12noon–12.30pm
  • Session 3: 12.30–1.15pm
  • Vegetarian lunch: 1.15pm

Book now

£25.00

£6.00

Free for Silver members and above. Lunch £6 for all.
Available live-streamed on Zoom for members. Become a member.

Upcoming Courses & Retreats

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Upcoming Courses & Retreats

"When the turbulence of distracting thoughts subsides and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment naturally arises from within.” 

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso