“Courageous communication is one of the ways we can build towards the world we want to see.” ~ Alison Cohen Join The OHMazing® Way podcast creator, producer and host, Beth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, and mindfulness coach and mentor Alison Cohen in a conversation around mindful communication. Alison shares examples of mindful communication in the contexts of family and in schools. This podcast is the first of 2 conversations Beth and Alison had with the next one being on explicit and implicit bias. “Each of us wants to be able to live in ways that are aligned with our conscious values and yet part of being human is that sometimes we miss the mark!” ~ Alison Cohen “There are days when things are really rough. And, it’s different if you’re having a bad day and you’re sitting in front of a computer typing away, and when you’re working with a group of students who have dealt with oppressions of all kinds and have a fragile sense of being able to accomplish what you’re asking.” ~ Alison Cohen Alison Cohen cherishes any and all opportunities to integrate community-building, contemplative practice, social justice, and joy. She incorporates trauma-informed mindfulness into her instructional coaching and leadership work with educators, school leaders, and young adults. Alison also offers mindfulness-based courses and workshops throughout the US and mentors participants in Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield’s two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. She is a Mindful Schools Certified Mindfulness Instructor, an MBSR teacher, and an avid retreat goer. Connect with Alison: Email: alisonc@soundstrue.com Web: www.mindfulchangefromtheinsideout.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonecoh Twitter: @1984AliCo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cohenalison/ Connect with Beth: Email: elizabeth@yoginos.com Web: www.yoginos.com Cell: +1 361 563 7448 Facebook: personal: www.facebook.com/elizreese Facebook: Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®: www.facebook.com/yoginos/ Instagram: yoginosyogaforyouth: www.instagram.com/yoginosyogaforyouth Twitter: @yoginos: twitter.com/Yoginos LinkedIn: Beth Reese, PhD
“Courageous communication is one of the ways we can build towards the world we want to see.” ~ Alison Cohen
Join The OHMazing® Way podcast creator, producer and host, Beth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, and mindfulness coach and mentor Alison Cohen in a conversation around mindful communication. Alison shares examples of mindful communication in the contexts of family and in schools. This podcast is the first of 2 conversations Beth and Alison had with the next one being on explicit and implicit bias.
“Each of us wants to be able to live in ways that are aligned with our conscious values and yet part of being human is that sometimes we miss the mark!” ~ Alison Cohen
In this conversation Alison references and wishes to share the following resources:
Alison Cohen, MST
Certified Mindfulness Teacher / School Coach
www.mindfulchangefromtheinsideout.com
3 Essential Elements of Mindful Communication + Mindful Communication Tips
(adapted from Dr. Lynn Rossy’s Mindful Communication work)
1. Cultivating Presence
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. They listen with the intent to reply.”
~ Stephen Covey
To become a more mindful, effective communicator, consider tuning into:
• Your awareness level: What feelings, thoughts, sounds, etc. are you aware of before the conversation begins and as the conversation begins?
• Your mind: Where is your attention in this moment?
• Your body: What message(s) do you want your body language to send during the interaction?
• Your intention: What is your intention for how you will show up during this interaction?
2. Listening With All the Channels
“People begin to heal the moment they feel heard.” ~ Cheryl Richardson
• Be present and listen “with all the channels,” especially during the first few minutes of any conversation.
• In communication, especially difficult communication, connect with the sensations of your body (feel your feet on the floor and sense the movement of your breath) as a way of staying open to what the other person says. Difficult communication often brings up fear in us, and staying with the breath and the body can be grounding.
3. Speaking Wisely
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” ~ Plato
• If it’s appropriate, consider paraphrasing what you heard the other person say so that you’re sure you understood that person. We often only hear our version of what the person said.
• [WE WILL NOT BE DOING THIS] Before giving someone your advice, ask if it is wanted. We love to help but sometimes people just want to be heard. Simply having a sounding board can often help someone tap into their own internal wisdom.
“There are days when things are really rough. And, it’s different if you’re having a bad day and you’re sitting in front of a computer typing away, and when you’re working with a group of students who have dealt with oppressions of all kinds and have a fragile sense of being able to accomplish what you’re asking.” ~ Alison Cohen
Alison Cohen cherishes any and all opportunities to integrate community-building, contemplative practice, social justice, and joy. She incorporates trauma-informed mindfulness into her instructional coaching and leadership work with educators, school leaders, and young adults. Alison also offers mindfulness-based courses and workshops throughout the US and mentors participants in Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield’s two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. She is a Mindful Schools Certified Mindfulness Instructor, an MBSR teacher, and an avid retreat goer.
Connect with Alison:
Email: alisonc@soundstrue.com
Web: www.mindfulchangefromtheinsideout.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonecoh
Twitter: @1984AliCo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cohenalison/
Connect with Beth:
Email: elizabeth@yoginos.com
Web: www.yoginos.com
Cell: +1 361 563 7448
Facebook: personal: www.facebook.com/elizreese
Facebook: Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®: www.facebook.com/yoginos/
Instagram: yoginosyogaforyouth: www.instagram.com/yoginosyogaforyouth
Twitter: @yoginos: twitter.com/Yoginos
LinkedIn: Beth Reese, PhD