Day 41
At my daughter's school, kids are learning about non-violent communication (NVC). NVC is a process developed by Marshall Rosenberg, an American psychologist. It postulates that most conflicts we have with others stem from our inability to communicate our needs.
One aim of NVC is to create a situation in which everyone's needs are met. It advocates that in order to achieve this goal, we need to show compassion and empathy when listening to the other and to express ourselves with clarity in objective and neutral terms rather than in judgmental terms.
Yesterday, my daughter came back from school and told me that they were also learning about visualization. Apparently, the two psychologists that are going around the school teaching them NVC, came and talked about a way to deal with sadness. When this feeling arise, they recommend the kids close their eyes and imagine themselves in a secret garden, one that would only be theirs. They suggest to mentally travel to this beautiful self-created paradise when they are feeling sad and to stay there until they are feeling better.
Most adults I know don’t have adequate communication skills and most adults I know have not learned to deal with their pain. These 9-10 year old kids are being taught, at their age, that it is better to express your needs calmly when you’re upset; that you need to listen to other people’s needs with compassion. They are being told that they have control over their state of mind, that they could better their mood by using their creativity and their imagination.
Will these teachings have a long lasting impact on their lives? Is this approach really appropriate for school aged children? It is hard to say. All I know is that many of us adults find ourselves struggling to control our minds and unable to deal with conflict. NVC and visualization could definitely serve as an added tool in our journey toward a better and happier mental state.
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