“Finding your voice, learning how to say what you mean, and how to listen deeply: this is one of the most rewarding journeys you can take.” — Oren Jay Sofer
Today we have Oren Jay Sofer on the podcast. Sofer teaches meditation and communication nationally. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, and is a member of the Spirit Rock Teacher’s Council. He is also a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for healing trauma, and he is the Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools. Sofer is author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
In this episode we discuss:
- The importance of slowing down
- Marshall Rosenberg’s system of nonviolent communication
- How our behaviors can viewed as an attempt to meet a deeper need
- Entering relationships from a sense of deprivation vs. a place of growth
- The importance of relational awareness
- The undervalued skill of healthy communication
- Why intention is the single most important ingredient in dialogue
- Martin Buber’s distinction between the I-Thou vs. I-It relationship
- The importance of the “do over”
- How to heal after a breakup
- The importance of forgiveness and how it happens on its own time schedule