Communication from the Heart.com

Nonviolent Communication^SM (NVC^SM) is often referred to as Compassionate Communication.  It was developed by Marshall Rosenberg and has been around for more than 40 years.  He chose the name Nonviolent Communication to allign his work with that of Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. The essence of of the philosophy is really the essence of the teachings of all the great masters who spoke of compassion.  However, the techniques that Marshall developed provides clear, simple steps to reach that place of compassion.  It provides us with simple steps to help us get in touch with what we are wanting or needing rather than to blame or judge others when we don't get what we want.   Can you imagine a world were everyone is aware of what it is they are wanting or needing and then finding strageties that meet those needs that, at the same time, value the needs of others to be just as percious as their own?

The purpose on NVC^SM is to :
1. Create human interactions that empower compassionate giving and receiving

2.  Create governmental and corporate structures that support compassionate giving and receiving in a manner that values all human needs as precious

NVC^SM involves both communitation skills that foster compassionate relating and consciousness of the interdependence of our well being and using power wth others to work together to meet the needs of all concerned.

This approach to communication emphasizes compassion as the motivation for all action rather than fear, guilt, shame, blame, coersion,  or threat and justification for punishment.  In other words, it is about getting what you want for reasons you will not regret later. Yet, NVC^SM is NOT about getting people to do what we want.  It is about creating a quality of connection where we value everyone's needs as precious and are willing to find strageties that meet everyone's needs.

Nonviolent Communication^SM Process

The process of NVC^SM encourages us to: focus on what we and others are observing (a neutral observation - just the facts ), to connect our thoughts and feelings to underlying human needs/values (e.g. safety, support,  recognition, love), and to be clear about what we would like towards meeting those needs.

Nonviolent Communication^SM skills will assist you in dealing with major blocks to communication such as demands, diagnoses and blaming.  In NVC^SM trainings you will learn to express yourself honestly with out attacking.  This will help minimize the likelihood of facing defensive reactions in others.  The skills will help you make clear requests. They will help you receive what sounds like critical and hostile messages differently and support connection with yourself and others.

NVC offers practical, concrete skills for manifesting and creating connections of compassionate giving and receiving based in a consciousness of interdependence and power with others.  These skills include:

1.  Differentiating observation from evaluation; being able to clearly observe what is happening free of evaluation; and to specify behaviors and conditions that are affecting us

2.  Differentiating feeling from thinking; and being able to identify and express internal feeling states in a way that does not imply judgment, criticism or blame/punishment

3.  Connecting with the universal human needs/values (e.g. sustenance, trust, understanding) in us that are being met or not met in relation to what is happening

4.  Requesting what we would like in a way that cleary and specifically states what we do want (rather that what we don't want), and that is truly a request and not a demand (i.e. attempting to motivate, however subtly, out of fear, guilt , shame, obligation, etc.  rather than out of willingness and compassionate giving).

These skills emphasize personal responsibility for our actions and the choices we make when we respond to others, as well as how to contribute to relationships based in cooperation, collaboration, and connection.

With NVC^SM we learn to hear our own deeper needs and those of others, and to identify and clearly articulate what is alive in us.  When we focus on clarifying what is being observed, felt, needed, and wanted, rather than on diagnising and judging, we discover the depth of our own compassion.  Through its emphasis on deep listeining--to ourselves as well as others--NVC^SM fosters respect, attentiveness and empathy, and engenders a mutual desire to give from the heart. The form is simple, yet powefully transformative.

Founded on consciousness, language, communication skills, and use of power that enables us to remain human, even under trying conditions, Nonviolent Communication^SM contains nothing new: all that has been integrated into NVC^SM has been know for centuries.  The intent is to remind up about what we already know about how we humans were meant to relate to one another, in a way that fosters joy and life, and communication from the heart.

For addition information about Marshall Rosenberg, his work, and the international NVC community you can go to www.cnvc.org