The root cause of conflict escalation lives in the story of our nervous system. Lux Gypsum, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, explains the physiological,  mind/body, and cultural context of how conflict escalates into rupture when we react instead of respond.

About the event

An introductory workshop for anyone who’s found themselves saying, “We know better—so why did this conversation go so badly?”

When conflict comes up, conversations can quickly get heated and lead to escalation rather than resolution. Even with good intentions and communication skills, we can easily slip into defensiveness, people-pleasing, or shutdown. This workshop helps you understand why that happens, and what you can do about it.

Why is it that we can be so eager to show up better in conflict, but still fall into familiar patterns of defense, accommodation, or avoidance? What’s getting in the way of us being who we want to be in our community relationships? If we know better, why can’t we do better? The answer lies in the stories your body holds.

Our reflexive reactions to conflict are deeply influenced by our nervous systems and the cultural context that shaped them. In this workshop, we will explore how our societal and cultural inheritance contributes to our body’s experience of conflict as a threat, often causing us to react to conflict in ways that are self-protective and disconnecting, even when we want to connect and repair..

This workshop takes a very different approach to conflict than a traditional communication workshop.  Instead of trying to fix your communication with top-down (mind to body) strategies like nonviolent communication, this workshop will help you access more grace and choice within conflict by helping you understand how conflict operates from the bottom-up (body to mind).

Through a combination of teaching, discussion, and gentle somatic practices, you will expand your sense of compassion and your capacity to stay connected—to yourself and to others—when it matters most

In this session, you’ll learn about:

• The root of reactive dynamics that turn conflict from a hard conversation into a deep rupture
• How the nervous system shows up in conflict, and how this impacts our ability to respond
• How the dominant culture influences our nervous systems and shapes patterns in conflict
• What your go-to conflict response style is and how it is both serving you and holding you back
• The practice of pausing and noticing your body to interrupt cycles of escalation in conflict

About your presenter

Location

You’ll get the Zoom link after you register in your confirmation email. Please check the spam folder of the inbox you use to register for an email from orders@ic.org.

Download Zoom

Registration