Monthly Empathy Circles – What’s Alive For You in This Moment?
Following the principles of deep listening and nonviolent communication (NVC) we will take this space to connect in a meaningful way with some wonderful people from around the world. Language: English.
These ONLINE sessions will include a check in, short welcoming practice and dyad and large group sharing. Our basic foundation will be that of empathic or deep listening. Authors of the program, Ongo: Everyday Nonviolence, Catherine Cadden and Jesse Chu, write, ‘Empathy turns the listening up in our heart and quiets the mind by engaging our sense of curiosity about ourselves and others.’ They add that empathy has five components… curiosity, mindful presence, intention to connect, focus on universal needs and confirmation. There is more information below about Deep Listening and how the sessions will unfold and you can also download, A Guide to the Empathy Circle. There is no need to have done the Ongo program or any NVC training although an understanding and willingness to follow the guidelines offered will ensure everyone’s sense of safety and trust is upheld.
Second Thursday of the month 6.30-8pm AEDT – Women’s Empathy Circle
Third Thursday of the month 6.30-8pm AEDT – What’s alive for you around Death and Dying?
Fourth Thursday of the month 6.30pm – 8pm AEDT – What’s alive for you in this moment? – General Topic
Please sign up by scrolling to the very, very bottom of this page to receive weekly emails with empathy circle meeting details.
ONGO: Everyday Nonviolence (12 week program written by Catherine Cadden and Jesse Wiens Chu)
Nonviolent Communication, Mindfulness, Somatic Practices, Indigenous Wisdom and more…
Life is precious and yet, at times, the way we talk to ourselves or others, especially those close to us, can leave stir feelings of disappointment, frustration and disconnection. How can you have the difficult conversations without the drama? How can everyone get their needs understood and met? What does it take to get off the ’roundabout’ of destructive patterns?
Using nonviolent communication, mindfulness, somatic practices and teachings from indigenous practices, Ongo, helps you to find peace, wisdom and compassion in everyday situations. It’s time for us ‘to be the change we want to see’ and it starts in those personal intimate relationships – with the way we talk to ourselves and others. It’s about doing the work at home, with loved ones, with those you most care about.
Do you want to:
- relate to others in a more collaborative way that brings connection even when you feel stimulated?
- be able to listen and speak more effectively and with kindness for oneself and others?
- know what’s most important in your life and be able to live by those values?
- live with an authentic quality of presence even when things get tough?
- foster a greater capacity to meet the challenges and resolve emotional and rational conflict?
- make some wonderful friends?
Time for a change
Ongo will support you to increase your capacity to make choices in the moment.
Firstly, you will learn specific mindfulness practices to bring a deeper quality of presence to the moment.
Secondly, you learn a safe, foundational practice of empathy for yourself and others. Because, even though you may created some ‘space’ you may still ‘take the bait’ and before you know it, you can be sliding down the slippery slope of a pattern of a painful interaction.
When this happens, you may have no clear map of how to break free from your familial storylines, social conditioning and other internal and external factors. Furthermore, this can stimulate you into patterns of disconnection, frustration, anger – stirring feelings of wanting to be right, of superiority or feeling you are wrong and totally inadequate. Past trauma’s can resurface that may lead you to behaviours that you feel stuck in. How to stop the cycle and be free?
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
Rumi
This program will help you to know how to connect with yourself, others, set boundaries, make requests and so much more. You are most welcome to join our online group to practice this kind of everyday nonviolent communication
Ongo: Everyday Nonviolence
We are a group of ordinary people wanting to develop our ability to be nonviolence because we care about our own wellbeing, the people around us and the wider community. We will be learning practices like mindfulness meditation, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), gratitude, forgiveness, and more.
This work is grounded in secular practices and embraces people from all walks of life and beliefs. We will meet once a week, for twelve weeks, to study and practice. The program is based upon the guidance offered in The Ongo Book: Everyday Nonviolence, which contains a comprehensive course of training.
You can find mindfulness practices here and, to register your interest email wendy@wendyhaynes.com
Feelings Chart
Universal Needs
Click here to download A Guide to the Empathy Circle which has the feelings and needs chart included on a white background for printing.
