Nonviolent Communication

Abstract

Experienced meditation teachers Oren Sofer and Sietske de Haan noticed how day-to-day interactions could be so emotionally triggering that despite many years of intensive practice they were not always able to navigate them with mindfulness and compassion. They became fascinated with Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a well-known communication model developed by Marshall Rosenberg (1934–2015) primarily as an instrument to facilitate social change. It provided them with a structure for cultivating more relational awareness and they became NVC trainers, developing programmes combining mindfulness and NVC. NVC training involves learning to identify observations, feelings and needs during communication situations and then making clear and specific requests. As mindfulness enhances awareness of body sensations and illuminates mental habits and patterns, it can make it easier for participants to let go of unhelpful habits of blame, defensiveness and control. The chapter provides instructions for several simple exercises to show how NVC and mindfulness can combine to provide a powerful catalyst for personal transformation and also offer great potential for anyone working to facilitate change at a societal level.