Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a way of life disguised as a communication practice.Frequently people's entryway into NVC is as a training in communication skills or conflict resolution. While I find this to be true, it barely scratches the surface about the potential and essence of NVC as a spiritual practice or way of life.
More and more, I regard NVC as a, "moment by moment spiritual practice," which requires of me to be in the present moment in every moment. Many spiritual practices teach this concept, so there seems to be some consistency with this idea as leading to a more fulfilling life.
And while I have been influenced by various other spiritual approaches -- for instance Buddhism, meditation, yoga, New Thought/Unity, and others -- there is something about how NVC captures the essence of these spiritualities and presents them in a doable, learnable and teachable format.
I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, the creator of NVC, for assembling these various spiritual principles into a system that is now formally known as Nonviolent Communication.
1 comment:
I really resonate with the ideas you present here, of the externally visible verbal communication process part of NVC being only the outer manifestation of a much deeper experience. I found NVC so exciting because, to me, it made abstract ideals ACTIONABLE and LEARNABLE to anyone, making these levels of consciousness concretely accessible. It is so beautiful to watch as people start to practice NVC, the sudden (and often unexpected) shift that they experience, whether it is the heart-opening experience of genuine connection, the liberation of being free from criticism and judgments about the self or others, or the bliss of realizing (not just "thinking about" but experiencing) the boundless interconnection between all of life. That these things can spontaneously arise out of practicing NVC is, to me, a testament to its benefit in supporting the evolution and liberation of human consciousness.
I, too, give much thanks and appreciation to Marshal Rosenberg.... and to trainers such as yourself who spend a great deal of energy and focus incorporating and living these principles to then support others in finding their own liberation, and doing so in the service of one's own needs, as the needs of self and other are not in conflict, or necessarily even separate.
Namaste,
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