Speaking and Listening with Authenticity and Kindness

In our tradition, so many of the things about which we seek t’shuvah, return, have to do with the ways we speak to each other.  We speak harshly, or we neglect to speak up when truth or justice demand that we do so. We dismiss what we hear others say, or we don’t slow down enough to really hear.  We avoid conflict or we stir it up unnecessarily.

We learned to speak — and to keep silent — as toddlers, and our patterns of communication are as deeply engrained as our mother tongue. Though the ways we tend to react under stress or in conflict sound normal and feel familiar to us, these patterns often get in our way.

“Nonviolent Communication” is a set of ideas and practices for having more choice about how we respond in any situation; it’s essentially a mindfulness practice around speech, with specific and learnable skills for listening, speaking, and understanding our own reactions. This four-session series will introduce the core concepts of the practice.  Scheduled for right after Passover and during the counting of the Omer, the series will support a mindful and practical approach to many of the concepts that are part of the Kabalistic meaning of this time, including lovingkindness, strength, and compassion.