http://www.youtube.com/watch?
“David is one of those rare teachers who tunes in completely to his audience. You feel heard, seen and empowered through his work and that is a great gift. His skill as an Aikido master blends forcefully with his creative program of Somatic Consensus. You leave with deep awareness of your own embodied habits, and exciting new skills to help you return to center, stay neutral in crisis, and lead with your heart. I can’t recommend him and his workshops highly enough.”
–Jane Falkner Therapist and Coach
Thank you so much for such an inspirational and life altering workshop. I have never experienced such peace, belonging and connection. The workshop and the group were amazing! I am grateful for your teaching and also for your and Judith’s ‘presence’. It has had a very positive impact on me, my family and my friendships. I also have a sense of excitement that the workshop’s effects are by no means over.
–Julia Boles- Duncan, BC
“It was such a powerful experience and it really helped draw together a few of my loose ends in terms of realigning myself with my intentions in life and affirming my direction. It was fantastic! I loved the pace of it too.. I’ve taken so much from the workshop, a restored sense of spark and enthusiasm for the work I want to do in the world, a centered sense of being and tools for re-centering for when I inevitably fall off balance. Thank you so much, I would LOVE to participate again.”
-Kailan Tyler-Babkirk, Multicultural Counselor
“I was breath-taken by some of the examples he brought, and filled with hope connecting to the possibilities of teaching NVC through these examples. I was also very impressed with David’s presence and ease as a facilitator. It seems that more and more NVC practitioners are including the body in their work; David has his own unique way of doing that and I just hope that as many people as possible could access his work.”
– François Beausoleil Executive Coach and trainer
“David’s work is a labor of love and a gift to all those fortunate enough to experience it. His collaborative, experiential teaching encourages subtle reflection on core behavioral patterns, and more skillful expressions of centered, compassionate ways of being in the world.”
-Karen Sella, Therapist and Yoga instructor
“Foremost in my mind is my excitement and joy in how deeply the Aikido movements actually support and facilitate the embodiment of NVC consciousness as I understand and hold it. I was enthused to use some of the movements the very next weekend in a workshop I gave. I sense that David has the ability to deeply self- connect, to be transparent and available to the moment, to hold an empathic presence with others and to share his gifts with humility.”
–Loren Swift Psychotherapist and Certified NVC Trainer
I personally experienced substantial shifts in perspective as a result of how thoughtfully and skillfully I was encouraged to step out of my box, and guided along. David’s leadership touched the hearts and moved the minds of others’ present, as well. The depth of his ability to listen, to meet each person where they were, and to hold both the empathy and the tension, were remarkable.
– Lou Ann Street, Therapist and Transformational Breathing Instructor
Here you’ll find a coherent approach to NVC through your body and perceptions. You’ll discover you have unsuspected and unused strengths in your own body.
– Bill Leicht, President of Urban Visions
I enjoyed and have longed to see NVC combined with the body! My perspective comes from training as a yoga teacher and therapist. When I share one move of David’s in one of my NVC classes, one student cried! The man loved the simplicity demonstrating the NVC consciousness in one move. The student experienced a shift in consciousness that I saw deepened his NVC understanding and skills throughout the rest of our classes….
David’s competence and Aikido training show in his fluid and graceful movements. His explanations about the body and psychological and emotional reactions show his level of understanding and respect for the human body. His presence shows his compassion and enjoyment while sharing NVC in a new more kinesics form which I find very exciting and worthwhile
Taylor Duvall, Psychotherapist and Yoga Instructor
Specifically, I have learned how to ‘reprogram’ visceral responses by integrating one’s head, heart and gut in a holistic way with David!, David has an approach that embodies integrity and presence!”
–Andrew Koch Consultant
“The body and breathing practices I learned re-connected me with my body and literally changed the way I am in the world. I stand straighter and walk with purpose. David’s way is gentle and strong. He helped me clarify and live my values and my commitment so that I could realize the life I want to live. The workshop literally changed my life.”
– Paul Bartick Bartick Consulting Group
Impressions from other NVC Trainers
What I experienced very powerfully throughout the day was your sincerity of presence and embodiment of NVC consciousness. I felt so touched, embraced by that essence of NVC through you. I enjoyed having movement and experiential learning being center-stage in the way you structured the day. As many of us expressed, the quality of connection and the learning environment you created were deeply nurturing and supported us in living the practice.
–Lucy Leu, NVC Trainer and author of The NVC Workbook
“I love the opportunity to pay attention to what is happening sensation-wise in the body, to explore what stimulates that, what it means, and how I can become more empowered to choose to better meet my needs based on that awareness. I am still meditating on some of the awareness’s I got on Saturday.”
–Barbara Larson Certified NVC trainer
“Foremost in my mind is my excitement and joy in how deeply the Aikido movements actually support and facilitate the embodiment of NVC consciousness as I understand and hold it. I also appreciated David’s fluidity with integrating those and sharing them in a very accessible way. I was enthused to use some of the movements the very next weekend in a workshop I gave, as streamlining the integration of NVC consciousness in students is my foremost intention, and his presentation certainly supports that. I sense that David has the ability to deeply self- connect, to be transparent and available to the moment, to hold an empathic presence with others and to share his gifts with humility.”
–Loren Swift Certified NVC Trainer
“I found what he presented to be engaging and compelling. I suspect his approach may be unusually effective in helping certain concepts “stick.” I found David’s Aikido and movement based metaphors for NVC ideas to be powerfully engaging. Now, several months later, I still vividly remember his demonstration of “stepping off the line” to let jackal energy pass one by, supporting staying grounded in and hearing in NVC consciousness. This is an image I would want to use myself in a conflict situation, and which I would potentially teach to my own students to present his work in a workshop here.”
–Bob Wentworth, NVC Trainer
“I was breath-taken by some of the examples he brought, and filled with hope connecting to the possibilities of teaching NVC through these examples. I was also very impressed with David’s presence and ease as a facilitator. It seems that more and more NVC practitioners are including the body in their work; David has his own unique way of doing that and I just hope that as many people as possible could access his work.”
–François Beausoleil, CNVC Certified Trainer
I continue to work with some of your exercises and ways to use and adapt them. Glad to have the new tools and experiences to draw on.
–Selene Aitken Certified NVC Trainer
“I have been leading NVC workshops in prisons in Washington State through the Freedom Project since 1999, David to be highly skilled in Nonviolent Communication and he has many tools and talents to enhance his teaching of NVC, making it a fun and highly experiential workshop. He uses music, somatic awareness and aikido to support others to a deeper understanding of NVC consciousness, coupled with high energy and compassion to others.”
–Janice Eng NVC Freedom Project trainer
For me, this work is a direct way into cultivating the intrinsic trust i’ve been seeking. This unified somatic internal consensus among body-mind-spirit that David has been honing is NVC in motion for me. it’s opening up a piece of the empathic field that has been out of my reach… one that includes other people & my body, so i’m not afraid of being afraid. so i can start to be free. “
– Shana Deane NVC instructor and coach
David created and held a space that enabled honesty, authenticity, learning, and realization. What I enjoyed most was (is) the feeling of love that I’m left with and the gift of self-awareness that I’ve been supported in realizing.
–Emily C. NVC teacher-
NVC is a whole practice like Aikido (Marshall “Art” Rosenberg) is a life practice; and we need to learn how to bring into being what we really love. And these (NVC & Aikido) are beautiful ways to change the default settings.
–Nora R.
What I loved: The openness and vulnerability of David. Lots of experiential exercises.
Rachel M.
” David’s integration of body based practice with NVC is effective at helping students integrate mind and heart. Also I think his methods, by making the practice physical, help to speed recall and learning, Indeed, on many occasions, remembering the felt experience of an exercise has prompted me to check in with myself at moments and more consciously chose my present state. I would highly recommend this workshop and teacher and hope very much he will return to teach at Evergreen again.”
-Josiah Mitchell, age 29, Evergreen Junior
This workshop was absolutely amazing. I feel grounded, powerful, and passionate after participating. David’s work fits perfectly with Evergreen’s commitment to personal action, activism, self-awareness. His creative, centering approach to nonviolent communication helped me deepen into my own meaning and values as a way to communicate my needs, and sort out conflict with others. He provided me with a set of skills that I’ve been searching for to deepen into my personal commitment to my interests and loves as a way to facilitate life and relationships. I’ve shared some of the activities with friends and family because I feel that these practices are a great way to form community and help individuals in a community process and deepen into their own sense of personal meaning and strength, for the benefit of the whole.
Chloe Brown, Senior Evergreen State College
“It was such a powerful experience and it really helped draw together a few of my loose ends in terms of realigning myself with my intentions in life and affirming my direction. It was fantastic! I loved the pace of it too. After a hectic quarter taking 20 credits and working and all sorts of other activities it was such a privilege to slow down and be present with a community of lovely people. I’ve taken so much from the workshop, a restored sense of spark and enthusiasm for the work I want to do in the world, a centered sense of being and tools for re-centering for when I inevitably fall off balance. Thank you so much, I would LOVE to participate again. “
--Kailan Tyler-Babkirk, Multicultural Counsler
“In my experience, David Weinstock fully lives the teachings that he offers which include ‘living alignment with oneself’. Specifically, I have learned how to ‘reprogram’ visceral responses by integrating one’s head, heart and gut in a holistic way with David! This way of being with NVC speaks to me deeply as its hold the nonverbal, energetic aspects of this practice equally with the verbal, visibly seen aspects of NVC! In my opinion, David shines a light on really living the consciousness first and foremost as an avenue for then fully embracing the practical skills; an approach that embodies integrity and presence!”
–John Clark Executive Coach and trainer
