22 Spirituality Studies 11-2 Fall 2025 1 Introduction Teaching is widely recognised as an emotionally demanding profession. Educators are expected to offer support, create psychologically safe classroom environments, and serve as role models for social and emotional development. In this context, personal resilience and emotion regulation are not just desirable attributes; they are essential professional competencies. Universities and teacher training programmes, therefore, have a responsibility to equip future educators with practical internal tools. Research increasingly identifies self-compassion and mindfulness as protective psychological resources and has been linked to reduced levels of anxiety and depression, as well as to increased resilience, emotion regulation, and overall well-being (Neff 2023; Pérez-Aranda et al. 2021; Hughes et al. 2021; Inwood and Ferrari 2018; Shapiro et al. 2005) Many students in pedagogical fields demonstrate compassion toward others, yet sustaining this care over time also requires the ability to extend the same kindness to oneself. This paper examines the reflections of students preparing for careers in non-formal education (N = 15) who participated in a pilot intervention introducing mindfulness and self-compassion practices. It is part of a larger mixed-methods project involving a total of 57 participants. The present article focuses on the first stage of the project, in which students’ subjective experiences are analysed, aiming to understand what they found meaningful, challenging, or transformative about these techniques. Based on prior evidence, participants were expected to value the introduction of these practices but also to identify personal and contextual challenges in sustaining practice. Although structured mindfulness and self-compassion programmes have been widely studied, research has rarely addressed how Central European students of education engage with such practices. An exception is the study by Dvořáková et al. (2024), which focuses on a Czech teacher population. However, comparable qualitative research with pre-service teachers in Central Europe remains lacking. This study contributes by exploring these personal perspectives. 2 Theoretical Background 2.1 Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: Concepts and Evidence The concept of mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist contemplative traditions but has been adapted and widely applied in secular contexts, including health care, education, and psychology. Kabat-Zinn (2003, 145), who pioneered mindfulness-based interventions in Western medicine and mental health, defines mindfulness as “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.” Mindfulness is typically developed through meditation and other awareness-based practices and is increasingly used as a method for cultivating emotion regulation, resilience, and self-awareness. Self-compassion, as defined by Neff (2003), refers to treating oneself with kindness and understanding in moments of difficulty, rather than with harsh self-judgment. Neff (2003, 89) describes self-compassion as consisting of three interconnected components: self-kindness versus self-judgment, common humanity versus isolation, and mindfulness versus over-identification. These elements work together to support individuals in maintaining emotional balance and perspective during stressful or painful experiences. Both mindfulness and self-compassion are now widely understood as trainable skills (Neff 2023, 205; Barnard and Curry 2011, 299–302) and a number of structured intervention programmes have been developed to help individuals build these skills in both clinical and non-clinical settings. One of the most established programmes is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), originally developed by Kabat-Zinn. This eight-week course focuses on cultivating present-moment awareness through formal and non-formal meditation practices (Kabat-Zinn 2003, 148–149). MBSR has been shown to reduce stress and rumination, and some studies have linked it to increased self-compassion (Shapiro et al. 2005, 170). In clinical settings, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) has been developed as a therapeutic approach for individuals struggling with high levels of shame and self-criticism (Gilbert 2010). A group-based adaptation known as Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) has shown promising results
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