Learn to listen without judgment and be honest without blame
November 19 - 21 2010
$300 - includes room, meals, and tuition
There are few things more important now than learning to communicate with each other in a way that supports our individuality while also recognizing our interdependence. Most of our familiar social rules are changing so rapidly that it is difficult to pinpoint what is essential in our relationships with other people. We are experiencing an unprecedented degree of personal independence, yet the price we are paying is an increased sense of isolation from each other. This leaves many of us feeling confused about where we belong, and with whom we feel genuinely connected.
The old formulas
for relationships are failing because they do not allow for each of us
to be
our own person. And, our new emphasis on personal growth and individual
freedom
has left us without a good way to connect with each other. We think we
cannot
be ourselves and maintain close
relationships with other people. Yet this is not so; we
simply have not yet learned how.
Conscious
Communication presents a new way of approaching
relationships that shows you how to care about other people,
while also
taking care of yourself. In
this workshop we will explore together the
roots of our
most common communication habits and learn to evaluate how well these
are working. Experiential exercises will help change the way you
think about your relationships. From this
new perspective you will learn how to communicate your
ideas, feelings, and needs effectively and honestly
without attacking or blaming others, and listen to others without
judgment
or evaluation.
Sky Meadow Retreat, 63 Winchester Rd. Greensboro Bend, Vt. 05842 Enrollment limited to 16 people. Registration deadline 7 days before retreat.
rooms with shared bathrooms in a beautifully renovated century old barn on 120 acres of
wild land at the end of a quiet town road. Meals are wholesome vegetarian cooked from
scratch with ingredients from our own organic gardens and served buffet style.
communication skills since 1980 and taught in college classrooms and private trainings since 1990.
His teaching emphasizes simple tools that can be put to immediate use in daily relationships.
He explains and demonstrates each skill and offers experiential exercises for people to practice
the skill with direct guidance and support within the workshop. He is the author of
Conscious Communication: How to Establish Healthy Relationships
and Resolve Conflict Peacefully while Maintaining Independence,
which is available for purchase at www.LanguageofConnection.com
For more information:
802 - 533 - 2505
miles(at)skymeadowretreat(dot)com
Click here for an Introduction to Conscious Communication
Testimonials
From a staff workshop participant - Omega Institute
"As a facilitator, Miles brings with him a
graceful
balance of intuition, sensitivity and practicality to the art of
conscious
communication. His style is clear and directive as well as
empowering and caring. I have attended several workshops and
trainings in
the area of communication and empathic listening, and I found Mile's
workshop
to be one of the most helpful and balanced thus far. The simple
and
useful communication tools Miles teaches and shares are invaluable for
helping
to improve the quality and depth of all relationships and facets of
life---
both personally and professionally. This work he teaches in
the
area of conscious communication creates a powerful opening for more
caring and connected relations."
From College students
"
Miles is good at what he does. He keeps
the class focused, centered, and in control.
He also has a good sense of humor."
"The
instructor was excellent. He
knows his material.
Miles was well prepared and it is evident that he does this
often."
"Miles
is very enthusiastic about the subject and
did a great job."
"Miles
is a very good instructor of this class.
He really understood the different issues we deal with and helped to
find ways
to solve communication problems."
"Miles
is great at creating a safe place the
classroom to discuss and practice these new skills"
"The
instructor was very enthusiastic about the
subject and genuinely involved. He used all the skills that he was
trying to
teach us very effectively, which made me trust in his own communication
ability. For example; he was excellent at summarizing and
paraphrasing
our messages. He also demonstrated in a conversation with one of
the
students how to listen well. Overall I thought he knew a lot
about the
subject
and did a great job in teaching this to the students."
"Miles
is an excellent instructor. He was easy to
follow, humorous, and empathetic. Despite the fact there was a great
deal of
territory to cover, the workshop did not feel rushed. He listened
patiently to
his students and was effective at keeping the conversation on track."
"The
instructor was very clear and interesting in
his presentation. He kept the class alert at all times.
Everybody was
participating. Miles is a great instructor."
"Miles
was very effective as an instructor due to
his ability to effectively use the principles he was teaching. He knows
his
subject extremely well. He is very organized and very proficient."
"The
instructor, Miles Sherts, is a gifted
teacher, speaker, and listener. I wish he was on core staff as a
course
instructor. Many other teachers could benefit from his teaching."
"Even
though I hate role-plays, once we got into
them Miles made it a lot easier to deal with. He knows his
material and
he knows when to let things be serious and when to inject humor.
He does
a fantastic job with the group!"
"Miles
was very effective. He made me feel
comfortable, which in turn made me want to participate in discussions
and role
playing."
"I
truly enjoyed the way that the instructor
presented the material from the book. He is also very good at
role playing
with situations thrown at him."
"Miles
was a wonderful instructor. He made all of
us feel very comfortable from the first day. He really helped me
personally identify my weaknesses and strengths with communicating and
asserting myself."
"This
workshop was immensely helpful! I
feel that I am using the tools already that I learned, and the quality
of
communication between myself and others (family especially) has
improved.
Miles is an effective instructor and I learned a great deal."
"I
felt that Miles is a very impressionable and
eager instructor. The role play that he used was very useful to
demonstrate the materials that we covered."
"We
are all taught to be reflective listeners,
but no one really explained how we might go about doing this, much less
why.
This workshop gives the understanding needed to be an effective
communicator. I feel that Miles' role plays were extremely
significant to
this workshop. He was quick to think of scenarios for the class to
become
active in. I like this because problems arise all the time and
take us by
surprise. We didn't have time to prepare for the scenarios, and
in the
real lives of people, active listeners as well as assertive people
don't have
time to plan out responses. It was these role play scenarios that
helped me
understand the process."
"Loved
the class and loved Miles' relaxed way of
running the class. Thank you for helping my life!"
“He
really exceeded the expectations I had for this
class.
It was challenging work, but he
helped you through it and really knows his stuff!”
“I
wish I had more teachers like this in my previous
years here”
“He
knows his stuff, and loves what he does”
“He
was very organized and kept on track”
“Very
open atmosphere, unlike other classes”
“The
best I’ve had. It adds another dimension
to the learning to know each
student’s name
and a little about them.”
“Comfortable
setting. Everyone feels safe”
Miles,
I just wanted to thank you for
this course. When I first enrolled in it, I wasn’t sure I was actually
going to like the course. But I did feel that it would be useful to me
when I obtain my Human Services Degree. I felt that it would be useful
with clients. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought it would utterly
and completely change me and my relationships with others. Nor did I
ever think that by taking one course that I could change my children’s
future communication skills. So thank you for that. I will definitely
keep trying to use the skills you’ve taught me. And as I said before, I
know that at times I’ll fail miserably. But then I’ll think, “Use what
Miles taught you” and be able to rectify my mistakes.
Americorps*VISTA Basic Needs Specialist