6-week LIVE Online Course

October 15 - November 19, 2026
Thursdays 4:00 – 5:30pM PT

Most of us know know the sinking feeling after a conversation that didn't go well—we may have spoken too forcefully, or held back too much. Learning to navigate conversations with more presence and skill is a practice we can strengthen.

Communication is at the heart of our lives—personally, professionally, and spiritually. This six-week online course offers practical training in mindful, skillful speech grounded in the Buddha’s path of practice.

Rooted in the teachings of the Noble Eightfold Path—especially Right Speech and mindfulness—this course integrates ancient wisdom with modern tools from Nonviolent Communication and trauma-informed awareness. You’ll receive concrete practices to stay grounded, listen deeply, and speak with clarity and care—even in difficult conversations.

Through a combination of guided meditations, reflections, and interactive exercises, you’ll develop a stronger sense of presence, deeper compassion, and more skillful ways of relating.

This course is open to all and especially supports those in roles of service—including therapists, educators, healthcare workers, chaplains, and other helping professionals. No prior experience is necessary.

In this course, you’ll learn to:

• Notice reactivity before it drives your words
• Listen to the real human needs beneath
• Speak a difficult truth without attacking
• Make clear requests and hear "no" without collapsing

Program Details:

• When: Thursdays, 4:00-5:30pm PT Oct. 15 – Nov. 19
• Where: Online via Zoom.
• Who: Open to all, no prior experience required.
• Cost: Early bird $300 through Sep. 15, reg. $349; scholarships + payment plans available.
• Can't join live? All sessions will be recorded.
• Questions? Please contact Spirit Rock here.

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About the course

The Six Weeks:

• Week 1 — An Ancient Map for a Divided World: The Buddha's teachings on Right Speech—an ancient, practical map for using words to reduce harm, deepen understanding, and support awakening.
• Week 2 — Leading with Presence: The three foundations of mindful communication, and how to stay grounded when a conversation activates you.
• Week 3 — Intention and the World of Needs: Recognizing our habitual intentions, cultivating the intention to understand, and seeing the shared human needs beneath our views and disagreements.
• Week 4 — The Skill of Inner and Outer Listening: Listening inward as the ground for listening to others—including the skill of helping another person feel truly heard.
• Week 5 — Speaking Your Truth with Love: Translating blame and reactive judgment into speech that is honest, kind, and attuned to the moment.
• Week 6 — Compassion, Interdependence, and Change: Making clear, collaborative requests—compassion in action—carried into our relationships, communities, and the challenges of our times.

EACH LIVE SESSION INCLUDES:

• Teachings on a key aspect of meditation and communication
• Expert instruction on integrating mindfulness into conversation
• Guided meditations on cognitive, emotional, and somatic aspects of communication
• Stories and examples of the intersection between spiritual practice and relationship

WHO'S IT FOR?

This course is appropriate for those newer to Buddhist meditation and/or Nonviolent Communication, as well as for experienced practitioners seeking to deepen their skills.

Past students include: psychologists, therapists, doctors, nurses and healthcare practitioners, chaplains, teachers, writers, artists, life coaches, lawyers, police officers, engineers, civil servants, and many more.

WHAT ELSE YOU RECEIVE:

• Live interactive Q&A with the teacher (during classes)
• Written online forum (with program assistants)
• Weekly practice assignments and journal topics
• Optional weekly calls with a practice buddy
• Lifetime access to course recordings

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About the Teacher

Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation and communication internationally, integrating Buddhist wisdom with Nonviolent Communication and Somatics. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, is a nationally recognized teacher of meditation, mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication. Oren is the author of several books including Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Adolescents, and Your Heart Was Made For This. A husband and father, he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaches worldwide through courses and guided meditations.

FAQs

Do I need experience with meditation, Buddhism, or Nonviolent Communication?

No. The course is designed to be fully accessible to beginners, while offering experienced practitioners a disciplined way to bring their practice into a broad range of conversations. There are no pre-requisites, nor any religious or devotional requirements — only an invitation to be open-minded and curious.

How is this course different from Oren's summer Wise Speech course through the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies?

Both courses offer a core introduction to Wise Speech and mindful communication. The fall Spirit Rock course revisits the material from the BCBS summer course with some fresh framing and updated examples, but the arc is the same. If you've already taken my summer Wise Speech course, this course will review and deepen what you've already learned. You may also want to take your training further with my Say What You Mean online course series here.

What is a practice partner, and how does it work?

A practice partner (or "buddy") is a fellow participant you pair with to practice each week's skills in real conversation — usually about 30–45 minutes a week by phone or video, guided by simple instructions in the weekly handout. You can be matched through a sign-up form, or invite a friend taking the course. It's not a requirement, but is highly recommended, as it's often where the skills take root.

What if I miss a session?

Sessions are recorded, so a missed Thursday is never a lost week.

How long will I have access to the recordings and course materials?

Once you've completed the course, you will retain lifetime access to all course materials, allowing you to revisit lectures, exercises, and meditations whenever needed.

What's Spirit Rock's cancellation policy?

Spirit Rock offers a generous cancellation policy. If you need to cancel before the course begins, we'll provide a refund minus a $25 cancellation fee. For cancellations made by the end of day on October 22, we'll refund your payment, minus a $50 course fee. After October 22, we're unable to offer refunds. Thank you for understanding. To assist you with your cancellation, or if you have any questions, please reach out to Spirit Rock directly at courses@spiritrock.org. We'll take care of the process for you.

Are scholarships or payment plans available?

Yes. You can register with a payment plan — 8 payments of $38 early bird (8 × $49 regular) — and scholarships are open to anyone who needs one; the application link is in the registration section. We don't want cost to ever be the reason you don't join us.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

Registration for this course is handled by Spirit Rock. If you have further questions, please contact Spirit Rock here.