SF LoveDojo

MSC Course - and fundraiser!

2026-04-22T09:42:34Z

Hi all,

Long time no hear! I return to my lovingkindness and Mindful Self-Compassion practice frequently - and plan to offer another 8 week MSC class this summer. Reply to this email if you might be interested!

Also, I'm running a fundraiser! This T-shirt fundraiser closes on Friday - to kick off my plan to create a podcast on the science and narrative of love and compassion, with a major media partner.

Active Compassion T-Shirts to fund SOCIETY IS THE SUM OF OUR LOVE

Here is the Substack post about it:

Fundraiser for Active Compassion Podcast Project
Help me build a communal “house”

You can also become a free, paid, or founding subscriber to my Substack - check out all the posts here:

Letters From a Psychiatrist on Substack

Or if you'd like, donate directly to SF Love Dojo, a 501c3 nonprofit:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sflovedojo

Thanks for your spirit in the world! I hope you're finding joy and ease in these difficult times.

Ravi

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SF Love Dojo Postcard Party Aug. 24!

2024-08-06T15:16:22Z

Hi all,

I have thousands of postcards coming from the Blue Wave Postcard Movement! Join me and others interested in active compassion for a Postcard Party for democracy, mental health, and social well-being!

Postcard Party for Democracy, Mental Health, and Social Well-Being!

Saturday, August 24, 2-5 pm - location provided upon emailing me back (in San Francisco Japantown)

Reply to this email if you are interested!!!! Also specify how many people you can bring! Looking for 20-30 volunteers!

Blue Wave is supplying pre-printed postcards with a pro-democracy message encouraging vote-by-mail or registration in Pennsylvania. They are targeting "low propensity, pro-democracy voters" - especially meaning those from vulnerable and minoritized populations who would be most affected by abusive power or a shift to autocracy.

This is not candidate or issue focused, and Blue Wave is a non-profit, like SF Love Dojo. They are also providing mailing lists and postage (actually I paid for all of the above, but they are supplying the items. If you wish to help support financially, you can donate to my GoFundMe.)

We will sit down and put on the postage and labels, and hand-write a simple one-line message, personalized with your first name.

My goal is to get 20-30 people so we can do 2000 postcards in an hour or so. Let's go!!!!

Voting has been determined a Social Determinant of Health and Mental health by both the AMA and the American Psychiatric Association.

Here are some articles on the subject:

August is Civic Health Month - Vote-ER
Recognizing Voting as a Social Determinant of Health Physicians Weekly, June 25, 2024
Stanicki B, Grade M, Pacheco J, Dugan L, Salerno A, Martin A. Expanding voter registration to clinical settings to improve health equity. Health Serv Res. 2023 Oct;58(5):970-975. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14218. Epub 2023 Aug 14. PMID: 37580058; PMCID: PMC10480081.
O’Reilly KB Another question for patients: Are you registered to vote? AMA Blog, September 1, 2022
And my own article from 2016: What Is Psychological Voter Suppression? | Psychology Today

I hope you can make it out. At the very least it will be a time of conversation and community building. If there's interest, maybe I will do a little teaching or practice of Mindful Self-Compassion skills.

Warmly,

Ravi

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Fundraiser for mental health and arts!

2023-05-29T11:30:31Z

Hi all,

I started a fundraiser yesterday, with the T shirt I am wearing above (“I’m with collective genius”) based on the words of Daniel Kwan at the Oscars (“genius emerges from the collective - we emerge from context”) Much better than the usual “I”m with stupid” t-shirts!!

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/withcollectivegenius

Proceeds will be split between the APA Moore Foundation for mental health and equity, the Center for Asian American Media, the African American Arts and Culture Center, and Eth Noh Tec.

Hope you might support and share!

Also, here is a video presentation I did recently on self care and burnout.

“Self-care and Dealing with Burnout” with Dr. Ravi Chandra ‘89, for Brown Alumni Network

Warmly,

Ravi

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Announcing Fall 2022 SF Love Dojo Workshops

2022-07-09T10:24:42Z

Words of wisdom, worth sharing today -

Creating a Culture of Peace: Statement of the National Council of Elders – East Wind ezine

I wanted to also let folks know I will be facilitating 3 hour and 8 week workshops in Mindful Self-Compassion, to cultivate inner peace and relatedness in this time of change, growth, and distress. I am able to offer sliding scale to those in need. I offered the 8 week course by donation 2 yrs ago, and some reviews are here. These skills (in addition to what I’ve learned from Healing Circles) have been vital to me and many others. Please let me know if you are interested.

SF Love Dojo 3-hour Mindful Self-Compassion workshop will be held on Zoom on Saturday, September 10 from 10 am – 1 pm PT. Register here. $95. Inquire for sliding scale option.

SF Love Dojo 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion class will be held on Saturdays from 9:30 am – 12 noon PT beginning Saturday, September 24th. Register here. $475 early bird (before September 11)/$575 full fee/$350/sliding scale compassionate care.)

Warmly,

Ravi

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Self compassion in wake of recent trauma

2021-03-20T08:23:14Z

Dear all,

This has been a horrific week after a extremely difficult year. Here's what I recently offered as a summary quote about the times:

“The hate rhetoric from political leaders, the 4,000 verbal and physical assaults over the last year, and the recent homicides and mass murder at the Georgia spa’s have made it clear that Asian Americans, particularly women and elders, are not safe in the current climate. Asian American history over the last 200 years makes it clear that we were never intended to be full citizens. Asian Americans have worked hard to contribute to this country and participate in democracy. When we are targeted physically, emotionally and psychologically, it reminds us our sense of belonging is precarious and conditional. Belonging, safety and understanding are critical for well-being. The current traumas trigger memories of historical trauma, particularly the subordination of and violence done to women, and floods us with the sense of not being understood or cared about. That our pain and suffering is invisible and marginalized.

This is a moment of potential awakening and awareness in the broader culture for the histories and identities of Asian Americans, and our still frustrated quest for belonging, equity and justice for our entire community.

Asians are easily identifiable, and thus easily othered. For the last year, political leaders persisted in calling COVID the "China virus.” Many people’s distress about the pandemic was thrust onto Asians, as if they were the cause. Most recently, the spa shooter seems to have blamed massage parlor workers for his sexual desire, desire which his Church taught him was evil. Mainstream White American culture needs help with distress tolerance and managing emotions like shame and vulnerability with compassion. America also needs responsible gun regulation. Asian Americans are low utilizers of mental health resources as well, and there needs to be more cultural competence and compassionate understanding of their needs.”

I hope you are finding ways to care and nurture yourself as only you know how. The central question in MSC was "what do I need, in this moment?" For me, while I am so proud of the knowledge and wisdom in our community, in academia and in the media, the social media "hamster wheel" can be churning instead of soothing. I'm taking a break from being online for a while, and returning to practices like tonglen and self-compassion, finding time to be with friends, and cultivating the spirit for what we'll need for the long haul to overcome these issues: mindfulness, compassion, relationship, creativity and insight.

At some point, it would be good to do a session with any who wish. In the meantime, here's this from my FB author page:

For the Asian American community, the Atlanta Spa mass murder and a year of accelerated, visible anti-Asian hate and homicides have pushed our survival brains into fight, flight and freeze. We're all at different places and capacities. When you've been overwhelmed, it's best to restore your own sense of comfort and safety, before pushing out into "growth and challenge" again. Reconnect with loved ones, with nature, with your own body. Restore your equilibrium. Reiterate your awareness of history, and rest assured that we can change the trajectory of these incidents just by being here for each other. In all the ways that family, community, friends and allies are here for each other. If this is the time to reach out for mental health care, do that. Don't be isolated in your suffering. Personally, my 'love language' is caring for others - and times like this remind me that caring for others is an ongoing and necessary journey, as is caring for oneself in the midst of distress. We also need to find ways to care and ask for care across gender lines. Check out the mindful self compassion resources at my website www.sflovedojo.org and remember: our journeys of identity, belonging and wellness are connected.

Warmly,
Ravi

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T-shirts! And announcing a film

2021-02-27T11:28:42Z

Hi all,

Welcome to my occasional email list, if this is your first time! This one is for SF Love Dojo.

I am doing another round of Umami t-shirts -

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/sf-love-dojo-winter-2021-fundraiser

This round will be printed, as we have met the minimum required - so if you'd like a reminder of Umami, please chip in :)

All funds raised will go to support my first film, which is completely self-funded at this point. There is a thanks to all SF Love Dojo workshop participants in the closing frame - so thanks for your participation. You can watch the trailer here -

THE BANDAGED PLACE: FROM AIDS TO COVID AND RACIAL JUSTICE

The finished doc is just under an hour long, and is being submitted to festivals now. I'll keep you up to date on the festival run, particularly if you subscribe to my ravichandramd.com writer email list.

Hope you and your loved ones are safe and well, and that you continue to take gentle care.

Warmly,

Ravi

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Happy New Year! Upcoming Short Course

2020-12-31T14:08:19Z

Hi all,

Happy New Year to you all! May 2021 bring relief, wellness, and community to us all once again.

I will be offering the 6 week short course in Mindful Self Compassion beginning January 13th. I chose 5:30 pm on Wednesdays to be the most available for East Coast and West Coast and points in-between. Please join, and spread to your networks of interested people.

The Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion for Liberation and Healing (SC- MSC), Winter 2021

Online
5:30 – 6:30 pm PST
Wednesdays, January 13, 2021 – February 17, 2021
Cost: Sliding Scale – $60-325 ($60, $90, $150, $225, $325)
Discount codes at checkout: 60SCMSC, 90SCMSC, 150SCMSC, 225SCMSC, or full price)
No one turned away for lack of funds – contact sflovedojo <at> icloud <dot> com if you are in need.

Warmly,

Ravi Chandra, M.D.

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SF Love Dojo fundraiser :)

2020-11-14T13:04:05Z

Hi all,

I'm just about to finish teaching my 8 week Mindful Self Compassion workshop. I modified the Center for MSC's program for the BIPOC community, and over 20 participants engaged and learned self compassion techniques. I'm very passionate about MSC, and am a member of the steering committee for the Self Compassion in Psychotherapy certificate program starting up next March. I offered this course for free or by donation, because there are many people who can't afford the going rate of $400-600. While I applied for a grant, this grant didn't come through - new things are rarely blessed on sight, as we all know!! But I hope to do my best to reach the communities that really need these skills as they deal with the emotions generated by facing oppression, devaluation, stigmatization, racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of discrimination. I know that compassion can transform the web of suffering and trauma into a web of healing.

The image above signifies how the extra flavor of friendliness and compassion is the umami of the inner life and relatedness - making them more tasty and delicious. I really hope you might help support SF Love Dojo's work by purchasing an Umami t-shirt or hoodie. The fundraiser only goes til November 30. The last time I did this, the shirts didn't get printed because there weren't enough orders. I only need three (3!!) more shirts or hoodies in the order for this to go through this time, though!! You can remind yourself of the importance of these tender but necessary emotions, and also be an ambassador of compassion. I gifted these to some children last year, and they loved them :) Available in youth sizes. (You can also add a donation to support SF Love Dojo - that would also be greatly appreciated.)

SF Love Dojo 2020 Fundraiser!

Also, here's the latest from the blog and YouTube. On 11-4-2020, the day after the election, I sat down with members of the San Jose Chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals to do a "post-election de-stress." I spoke about meeting difficult emotions with self-compassion.

How to Cope with Election and Post-Election Emotions

Here are a couple of slides from my course - reminding us how compassion can liberate us from the prison of difficult emotions, and also help us become compassionate liberators in this world of suffering.

Warmly,

Ravi

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More Contagious Compassion Zoom Sessions announced!

2020-04-01T10:16:42Z

Hi all,

Many of you are new subscribers, added from the list of Zoom attendees last weekend. Please feel free to unsubscribe at any time. This list is pretty infrequent, and usually only announces SF Love Dojo Events.

Upcoming events

Contagious Compassion Zoom Sessions

April 11
April 25
May 9
(all Saturdays, from 4-5:30 pm PDT)

Mindful Self Compassion 8 Week Workshop (Fall 2020): Wednesdays beginning September 9, 2020
Earlybird price thru August 10 - $395, includes half-day retreat.

Blog and Videos

You might also like this blog recap of my last Contagious Compassion Zoom Session

COVID19: From Uncertainty and Vulnerability to Compassion

This includes a link to a video which I just posted - which has the highest retention rate (about 70%) of any video I've ever done - so it seems to be striking a chord. Here's the video. (The blog post is the transcript of the video.)

Contagious Compassion #2 Vulnerability and Uncertainty during COVID19

Warmly,

Ravi Chandra, M.D.

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SF Love Dojo Contagious Compassion Zoom session

2020-03-22T21:57:34Z

Hello all,

I hope this note finds you and yours healthy, well and safe, as we practice shelter-in-place and social distancing. More information on the crisis in the links below.

I'm hosting a Zoom group session next Saturday, March 28, 2020 from 4-5:30 pm PDT. You can register for this free event at Eventbrite. Please share with your networks.

SF Love Dojo: Contagious Compassion Zoom Session

In this time of COVID19 crisis, with attendant anxiety, stress, uncertainty, and isolation, we need ways to connect, heal and grow. Self compassion and compassion cultivation are critical at this time. Self-compassion boosts resilience, prevents burnout, and reduces depression and anxiety. Compassion, among other benefits, boosts the immune system and helps us build better relationships with ourselves and others during difficulty.

In this Zoom session, Dr. Ravi Chandra will introduce some specific self-compassion skills for this time of crisis. We'll also break out into pairs and connect with a prompt to discuss. Depending on the size of the group, we'll have opportunities for large group discussion and question and answer.

This session is open for all who think they might benefit. In the checkout process, you'll be able to say whether you're a health care provider, other care provider, or person of color (some groups to which I have particular connection.) There will also be a waitlist.

If this session is oversubscribed, I will offer another session. Also, if there is a need, I will have future sessions for health care workers, caregivers/teachers, and people of color.

Reach out with questions to sflovedojo@PROTECTED. For more information about SF Love Dojo, go to sflovedojo.org.

There's a limit of 100 participants, with a waitlist. If there somehow are more than 100 interested, I will set up a second Zoom session.

Some links to COVID19 information:

Calling COVID-19 a “Chinese Virus” or “Kung Flu” Is Racist | Psychology Today (March 18, 2020)

60 Minutes 3/22/20: In clinical trials and laboratories, the hunt is on to find vaccines and drugs to treat, prevent novel coronavirus

60 Minutes 3/22/20: Coronavirus and the economy: Best and worst-case scenarios from Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari

Let me know if you have questions or comments, or special requests -

Warmly,

Ravi

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Lecture series online - and Compassion workshop in January-February

2019-11-09T09:46:09Z

(The 4000 year old skeleton is of a young man in what is now Vietnam - he had a spinal disability and was cared for by his community until he died around age 20 - evidence of our caring nature, which is essential for our survival. See the lectures on Self Compassion and Compassion in Difficult Times for more details.)

Hi all,

Our San Francisco warmth abruptly turned to chill this week, and night is falling faster. Many of us go through seasonal changes in our moods, affected by the changing light and shorter days. No wonder so many cultures light up this time of year with festivities. We're fast approaching Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Year's, and some traditions celebrate the Enlightenment of Buddha in December as well. We just passed the Festival of Lights, or Diwali, in the Indian tradition, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil in each person's heart. I certainly view mindfulness, compassion and relationship as lights in these dark times, helpful year round but especially for dealing with difficult emotions.

My SF Love Dojo 2019 lecture series is now online. I covered Asian American men’s and women’s psychology, narcissism and relatedness in the American psyche, the psychology of technology, internet addiction and cyberbullying, and self compassion and compassion in difficult times. I think the best lecture is probably the last, on Relatedness, Narcissism, Technology and Power in the American Psyche, which brings together a lot of the themes I've been thinking about recently.

Also, in January-February 2020, I will be offering an 8 week Compassion Cultivation Training workshop in SF. Earlybird pricing through December 6th :)

T-SHIRT FUNDRAISER!!!!

Just like Umami is the fifth flavor that makes food tasty and delicious, friendliness and compassion are that extra taste that makes our inner lives and relatedness more tasty and delicious! Remind yourself and everyone to add some umami to whatever they are experiencing, and support SF Love Dojo with your T-shirt purchase :) Proceeds to help fund sliding scale spots for my upcoming workshop. Please share with your friends and family!

Buy a T-shirt and support SF Love Dojo

Warmly,

Ravi

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