Gina Elementary Teacher

Gina is my co-host for this episode. She originally reached out to me by email, sharing that she thought her perspective on using Nonviolent Communication as a caregiver of young children would be a meaningful companion to the themes of this podcast — and I absolutely agreed. I was immediately drawn to the way she integrates Nonviolent Communication into her work as an early childhood educator. Gina has been involved in a wide range of projects centered on open-hearted living. She’s the author of Heart to Heart: Three Systems for Staying Connected, a book designed to support both parents and teachers.In addition to her writing, Gina has led numerous trainings and workshops on NVC and on the practices she shares in her book. She also collaborates with co-housing communities, helping them develop and implement conflict-restoration protocols.Gina lives in a co-housing community in Massachusetts, where she leads a committee called Care and Counsel. I’m thrilled to have her join me for this conversation.Resources:https://www.teachingfromyourheart.org/CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Become a Supporter of the show BELOWContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.Thank you bunches =)Support the showSupport the show

I met Jason at a school that I frequently substitute at. He teaches middle school Language Arts. I guess they call it Language and literature now. I knew, from the moment that I met Jason there was a level of awareness there. Each morning we would have a brief check in and a couple conversations went longer than expected and left me thinking, yup he gets it! Jason has been a Pastor, a Chaplin, Director of Volunteers for Hospice and now a full time Middle School Teacher. He knew of NVC and with the conversations I have with him I noticed, sometimes people already speak with the idea of feelings, needs and body sensations with out labeling it as NVC or Nonviolent Communication. It is my greatest honor to get to chat with Jason on this episode and learn a little more about him and how we integrate empathy and compassion in our lives and in the world around us.Resource:Very cute video that Jason references in this episode. Sometimes there is nothing to fix, its to be heard and understood that the pain is real in this moment for them. Until we are ready to acknowledge that there is something there then we can attend to the wound and begin to heal.It's Not About the Nail - VideoCONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Become a Supporter of the show BELOWContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.Thank you bunches =)Support the showSupport the show

I had a lovely time having Bryn as my co-host on this episode. Our topic we discussed was about Stimulus VS Cause. According to Marshalls book Nonviolent Communication. “What others do or say may be the stimulus of our feelings, not the cause.” There is a root to our feelings and that root is the cause. One way I like to think of this as, unprocessed trauma (cause) we might have experienced which has lead to these deep rooted feelings. In Marshall’s book he talks about how there are 4 ways we can receive a hard to hear message:Take it personally by hearing blame then blaming ourselvesBlame othersSense of own feelings & needsSense of others’ feelings & needsMindful meditation helps us find that pause between stimulus and response. Viktor Frankl was born 1905, he is an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. His famous quote is, “Between stimulus and response lies a space. In that space lie our freedom and power to choose a response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.”Finding the pause, giving compassion (if needed) & getting curious when we are escalated will help us in regulating and finding the root of the stimulus.CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Become a Supporter of the show BELOWContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.Thank you bunches =)Support the show

I know I haven’t dropped an episode for months. I have been living life to the best of my ability, reading, working and soaking in the time we have on this physical world. I am continuing to record episodes. Thank you for your grace and understanding. Take care of your heart. I got the honor of speaking with Morris again. The last time we had him on my podcast was episode 28 back in 2021. Morris has flourished and continued to spread his love, passion and strength into his communities. He has a memoir that has been released called “Reflections of a Troubled Black Man.” In the last two years of speaking with Morris his journey is sky rocketing. He even was able to create a friendship with Dr. Virgil A. Wood and carry on his legacy for this beautiful work of love and peace in all communities.  The core of Morris’s philosophy is deeply rooted in Social Emotional Learning, Contemplative Education, and Restorative Practices.Morris H Ervin, Jr. is an educator, entertainer, motivational speaker, and Youth Development Professional committed to helping the youth, families, communities, and institutions “turn fear into strength, and pain into passion.”  Resources:1)  Book  “Reflections of a Troubled Black Man.” By: Morris H Ervin, Jr.2) Book By: Virgil A. Wood3) NVC Journal with NVC Chart By: Kady4) NVC Reflection Journal By: Kady5) Video: Dr. Masaru EmotoCONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https:/Support the show

It has been a whirl wind of time that has flown by. I was in a long term subbing gig most of January teaching 3rd grade and there was no time to edit. I did try really hard. I hope y'all have had a wonderful holiday and Happy New Years! Thank you for your support and continuing to listen to Living Connected. =)We have a special guest on Living Connected, his name is Orly. Orly has created a Listening Table in the LA area that people can come and sit to talk, vent, and be 100% authentically themselves without repercussions of judgment, advice, criticisms or blame. The Listening Table is free for anyone needing to feel heard, understood, & seen. Eric met Orly at the IIT (NVC - International Intensive Training). Later on, I messaged Orly on Instagram having my fingers crossed that he would respond and he did!! Listening is a huge part of NVC (Nonviolent Communication), meeting people where there, knowing how to give self-empathy and empathy to others, & being present with them in that moment without stories or judgments of what the other is sharing. Listening is being able to create a safe space for people to feel safe enough and trust that what they share will be held in care. Orly is doing this in his community for others and we get to talk to him how this has helped him in his journey. I absolutely love this and I hope people continue to create Listening Tables all around the world. And with that I will leave you there. As Orly says, “Thank you for listening and have a great listening day!” Resources:Organization : Freedom to ChoseIG: @Oryl'slisteningtableYoutube: Orly's Listening TableBecome a Supporter of the show CLICK HEREContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Support the show

Probably since 2021, I had this dream to have Roxy on my podcast. And what a dream come true. I feel so grateful & honored for this opportunity to have Roxy Manning on as a guest. We talk about antiracism that also goes along with her new book with Sarah Peyton called “The Antiracist Heart”. Often times stereotypical stories like “Asian kids are good at math” will lead to children having this expectation that they are suppose to be and when they are not there is internal shame that is created. Then the support that children need are bypassed because of this stereotype. The child doesn’t even know how to ask for help. I have heard in my lifetime that “Asians are super smart and really bad drivers” and me as a kid didn’t stand up and speak up to this. Question it and ask “how do you know this and why are we stereotyping this group of people.” The more knowledge I have of this, the more I can get curious, address it & talk about it using Nonviolent Communication. These beliefs come from white supremacy culture. We put humans in a box with these stories and this impacts and affects us deeply as a collective unconsciously, subconsciously and consciously. The systems we live in today, are so corrupt & Roxy said “we want to change these suppressive systems in ways that bring us together. How do we name harm when it is happening?”I hope this episode inspires Living Connected listeners to bring about change in being more open & willing to talk about these things in our beloved communities with each other. And with that, I will leave you there. Enjoy. Resources:Books:1) The Antiracist Heart by Roxy Manning PhD & Sarah Peyton2) How to Have Antiracist Conversations By Roxy Manning PhD3) My Grandmother's Hands By: Resmaa Menakem Journal : NVC Journal that I created you can get on Amazon now in two sizes1) 5.75in X 8.25in2) 8in X 10inBecome a Supporter of the show CLICK HEREContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Support the show

I loved that I was able to have Sarah Peyton on the living connected podcast again. In this past year she has been writing a book with Roxy Manning. The book is called “The Antiracist Heart” and the book empowers us on how to have conversations, compassion, and a beloved community when it comes to racism. What are our blindspots? What are we not seeing when it comes to our own implicit and explicit experiences? How can we get more curious, be more open, and grow from our experiences moving forward? This episode only touches the surface on this topic. It is up to us to continue to learn and grow if we want to see change in this world. Please stay tuned Living Connected listeners as we will have Roxy on the next episode. And with that I will leave you there, let’s dive in. NVC JournalWebsite: https://sarahpeyton.com/Books:“Healing resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm” By kazoo Haga“Trauma of Caste” By Thenmozhi Soundararajan"Your Resonant Self Mediations" By Sarah Peyton"Antiracist Heart" By Sarah Peyton & Roxy ManningPodcast: 1619 - The New York TimesBecome a Supporter of the show CLICK HEREContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Support the showSupport the show

We had thee utmost pleasure of having John Kinyon as our special guest for this episode today. I was left feeling lifted, joyous and filled with gratitude. A lot came pouring out and I had needs met for some healing and held in a deep understood way. I appreciate all of you who have been on my journey with me. And just by listening you might have healed parts of you too. I want to honor that in you as well. Raw aliveness seems to flow from my heart sometimes and I thank you all for holding space for me.For me, all parts of this journey is integrating and embodying NVC practice into my daily life. The raw vulnerable expression, attunement & awareness, the teachings, the education, the tools, the movement in the body is all encompassing the path of inner-work. In this episode we will discuss with John his steps he goes through with couples who are in conflict. There will also be the education & tools of NVC that will support the  process of mending or repairing the connection between two or more humans.John has devoted his life and career to human beings developing the ability to shift conflict to connection. John’s mentor was Marshall Rosenberg himself. The one who founded Nonviolent Communication. For over 20 years John has mediated conflicts, and developed trainings throughout the US and in different countries as well. He is a certified trainer in NVC and offers online courses and programs that focus on healing social-political & personal divides & building empathic communities.    And with that I will leave you there, I truly hope you enjoy this episode just as much as I did. Resources:Across the isle - https://johnkinyon.com/conversations-across-the-aisle/Website: https://johnkinyon.com/home/App: Mediate your LifeSOCIAL MEDIAInstagram : @john.kinyonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnBKinyon/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MediateYourLifeTrainingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkinyon/Become a Supporter of the show CLICK HEREContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Support the showSupport the show

What a summer it has been. This episode was from June and it took me awhile to edit. I have been enjoying my warm weather before the cold sets in. We have made it to season 4! This podcast has been going since 2020. We have many episodes to come. Thank you all for continuing to listen and being apart of this NVC journey.We have a special guest with us today, who is dear to my heart. Her name is Jenine. She has been a big part in my teaching career. The first time she came in to the Elementary school I was working at, I clicked with her. She got me and understood my struggle with taking tests. I had a hard time passing my test to get my teaching license and Jenine gave me every resource she had so I could pass. There were many times when we could vent about our experiences in the teaching world that gave me comfort. We had this trust for each other. Eric and I got the honor of talking with Jenine about her sobriety and recovery journey. I feel so much gratitude to be able to explore this topic and I appreciate you Jenine for being open, honest and vulnerable with everyone. I always felt safe to text you for any reason. It’s a gift to know you and continue to know you. I am so so proud of you for how far you have come, to where you are in this moment, taking one day at a time.What I learned from this episode is being apart of a community that understands you, sees you, celebrates you and holds space with no judgment matters a lot. With that I will leave you there, I hope you enjoy this episode.   Become a Supporter of the show CLICK HEREContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Support the show

 Eric and I discuss what it’s like to step in and or stand up for Self and or others. Keeping Nonviolent communication in mind, I think it is hard in some situations when you are caught off guard to have NVC as an automatic response. In my experience in this episode, fight or flight kicked in and I just said, “thanks,” kindly and moved on to my table or went to dance. I definitely looked at this guys wife who is a friend of mine with a face of, “I can’t believe he just said that!” At that moment I think I was searching for some support in how inappropriate that was. Now, reflecting back on this episode and I see her again, I may ask her how she felt about that…And perhaps express how uncomfortable it was for me to hear it. And I will approach this conversation with curiosity and no judgment.  These moments where I don’t stand up for myself can be learning experience to help me have a voice next time. Also, this allows me to find some self-compassion as well. I might say, “I did the best I could with my nervous system activated. It’s not like I am in these situations all the time to practice over and over so my neuro pathways aren’t built up yet, so my response isn’t how I would like it to be. AND that is okay!” Give myself grace and love. What I also noticed is that there is a certain level of attunement that we have as a collective community to pick up facial expression, body language and the choice of words from the person to truly understand how to stand in for someone. That is if we aren’t confused or frozen ourselves to be able to help the other. When we don’t help the other person that can be an opportunity to give ourselves some compassion. These are the ways we can integrate NVC when we do stand up or stand in for Self and others, which is self-empathy, finding feelings that arise in the situation and what our needs are especially in the reflection part. I will leave you with that, and hope you have some take aways from this episode. Let’s dive in.    Resources: leanin.org 50 Ways to Fight BiasBecome a Supporter of the show CLICK HEREContributions go towards my cost of hosting all the episodes on BuzzSprout.CONTACT INFORMATION:Email: [email protected]: livingconnectednvcTikTok: Living Connected NVCLiving Connected Facebook PageWebsite: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1153175Music is brought to you by: https://www.purple-planet.com/Support the showSupport the show