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Speaking from the Heart: Cultivating Wise Speech Through Nonviolent Communication (in-person)

Program Type:
Teacher:,
Time:10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Date:Saturday - June 14, 2025
Sessions:1
$125
$100
$85

This program will be held in person at our Center in Cambridge. Please bring a vegetarian lunch or plan to go out during the lunch break.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a consciousness and a skillset based on awareness, empathy, and connection.  We invite you to join us for a day-long workshop exploring the foundations of NVC to understand how they align with the Buddha's teachings on Wise Speech. This introduction will cover the core principles of NVC, emphasizing the value of connecting at the level of universal human needs and understanding some common blocks to clear and compassionate communication.  NVC principles can enhance your relationships and in this workshop you will gain practical skills to transform judgments and conflict into opportunities for genuine connection and understanding.

Workshop Highlights:

  • Overview of NVC's core principles
  • Learn the 4 Ds of disconnection and their antidotes
  • First-hand experience with the core Buddhist principle of Wise Speech
  • Interactive exercises to practice compassionate and effective communication

There are no prerequisites for this workshop, all are warmly welcome.

Full and partial scholarships are available. Please submit your requests to office@cambridgeinsight.org at least 72 hours prior to the start of the program.

A follow-up daylong workshop, Strengthening Wise Speech: A Deeper Dive into Nonviolent Communication, will be offered by Bonnie and Philippe at CIMC on July 26, 2025.

Bonnie Mioduchoski & Philippe Daniel are seasoned practitioners of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and Insight Meditation with two decades of experience each. Both have practiced intensively for many years at Spirit Rock and the Insight Meditation Society (IMS). They began studying NVC in 2006, seeing it as a practical tool for embodying wise speech. Having applied NVC in their 30-year marriage and other relationships, they understand firsthand its transformative power. Bonnie has facilitated NVC workshops for diverse audiences, including at CIMC, and applied NVC principles as a Harvard Mediation Program small claims mediator. Together, they’ve led NVC workshops for the general public, meditators, and organizations. As graduates of a 2-year NVC program, the Spirit Rock 2-year Dedicated Practitioner Program, and David Treleaven’s Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Program, they bring a profound depth of knowledge, sensitivity, and practice to their teaching.

Their interest is in integrating ancient wisdom and contemporary healing practices. By addressing both spiritual and psychological aspects, they help participants move beyond the cycle of perpetual self-improvement and uncover their innate freedom and compassion.

Learn more: www.speakingoflistening.com

There are no prerequisites for this workshop, all are warmly welcome.

Workshop

Attending an In-Person Workshop at CIMC (see below for attending online workshops)

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to check-in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
  • While at the Center all phones, pagers, beeping watches and other electronic devices must remain completely turned off at all times.
  • Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest taking public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
  • Lunch will not be provided. Participants are invited to bring their own vegetarian meal to the Center or may buy lunch in the neighborhood. A list of local restaurants and food stores will be available.
  • Food and beverages, including water, are not allowed in the meditation halls.
  • We strongly recommend you dress in layers since the temperature in the meditation hall will vary throughout the day. The hall thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature range; however, please give yourself a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
  • Please leave shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor and keep your valuables with you at all times.
  • CIMC provides zafus (round cushions), zabutons (large mats), meditation benches, blankets, and chairs for your use. At the end of the program, we request that participants brush off their zabuton and plump up their zafu. All other items should be returned neatly to where they were found.
  • CIMC is a refuge. Out of compassion for those who may have chemical sensitivities, please avoid using scented products—lotions, deodorant, after-shave, hair products, perfume, clothes laundered with scented detergent, or dryer sheets—before you come to the Center.

Attending an Online Workshop

  • We will be using Zoom for this workshop. Before your workshop begins, be sure to download Zoom and familiarize yourself with using the program, including the chat feature. Specifics about how we will be using Zoom during your workshop will be covered at the beginning of the workshop; however, we are not able to provide technical support during the workshop.
  • We ask that you treat our virtual meditation hall as if we were together in person, in the same room. The teachers and other yogis benefit greatly from your full presence and careful attention.
  • Join each session of the workshop a few minutes early. This will support the teachers and your fellow participants.
  • Ideally, power off phones and smartwatches for the entire time scheduled for the workshop on each day. Please don’t check your devices during breaks. We suggest that you put an “away” message on your email and voicemail and leave your devices in another room during your workshop hours.
  • Please keep your video on during our time together as much as you can. This supports a sense of connectedness and sangha.
  • Closed Captions for CIMC Programs are generated through “live streaming” via Rev.com. CIMC programs are not live-streamed to any other platform for any other use.
  • You will receive a welcome email from CIMC a day or two before your program that will include the zoom link and further information.