Garden of Aliveness: Presence Within & With Each Other
Within us, there is a blooming garden of aliveness: our delight, our curiosity, our doubts, our desire to connect, our human messiness―the beauty of our lively inner experience.
Welcome to a space to drop into our inner spark. A space to explore: What’s it like to connect with fellow human beings from a place of shared aliveness?
Join us for the first workshop in my new series, Cross-Pollinating Authentic Relating & Compassionate Communication. I'm eager to share my insights on weaving together these modalities to cultivate spaces of experiential discovery, invite an embodied understanding of core concepts, and explore real life application of ideas and practices.
What this space offers:
🧡 Games & practices that bring presence, attunement, and shared curiosity to life, inviting growth alongside play
🌱 A supportive environment that meets you where you are, fostering gradually deeper connection with yourself and others at your own pace
🧠 Neuroscience-informed approaches to integrate insights and practices into your everyday life
Open the door to your inner being.
Soak in your spirit.
Unleash your verve.
Take in the zest of likehearted humans
who are here to deepen connection just like you.
Bask in the delights of the present moment.
Together, we’ll cultivate a space where human interaction becomes an open field of possibility:
Where a moment of reflection evokes self-connection and clarity
Where a conversation transforms into a chance to hear the deeper layers of each other’s experience
Where a new person begins to feel like a friend who welcomes you as you are
All experience levels are welcome.
This will be an intimate gathering of up to 14 participants.
Vegan-friendly snacks provided.
Cross-pollinating Authentic Relating & Compassionate Communication (NVC) Series
Authentic Relating is a practice of bringing presence and depth of connection into our everyday experiences.
Compassionate communication (NVC/nonviolent communication) is a framework for transforming any experience into self-understanding, insight, and a pathway to connection and collaboration.
I’m eager to share my discoveries on weaving together these modalities into a grounded and illuminating pathway to bring our inner aliveness and whole self to each moment and every area of our lives
Whether you're new to Authentic Relating and NVC or have experience with one or both, this series invites you into a fresh weaving of both approaches.
Upcoming workshops in this series - Foundations Pathway:
Nov 22 - Empathy: Doorway Between Worlds 🚪
Dec 6 - Self-Awareness Laboratory 🧪
Each workshop stands on its own while weaving into a larger journey of learning and discovery, inviting you to connect insights across themes and deepen your practice with each experience.
Meet Your Facilitator: Vanessa
I’m finding writing a bio about myself surprisingly challenging. How do I capture years of learning, discovery, and experiences in a few paragraphs, in words that feel as alive and meaningful as how it lives inside me?
I'm not sure yet. So, for now, I’ll share a moment that expresses a little of the spirit I bring to my offerings.
This morning, I’m supposed to be writing this bio, yet as the clock crosses noon, I realize I've spent the morning immersed in ideas for upcoming workshops. One idea leads to another: Oh! This AR game offers an experience around this NVC theme! And then we can explore our habitual responses here—in a way that encourages curiosity, a sense of togetherness, and an embrace of our shared humanness!
I have so much enthusiasm running through my body I can hardly keep still as I rapidly add each new idea to my outline.
There's something deeply exciting to me about bringing together years of learning, personal practice, and ongoing discovery in ways that invite meaningful experiences of connection.
My offerings draw from:
Compassionate Communication (NVC): 400+ hours of training, including Connecting2Life's year-long Embodying and Sharing NVC program and a Center of Nonviolent Communication International Intensive Training.
Authentic Relating: An evolving practice informed by an ongoing Master Facilitation Skills course with Authentic Revolution and ART International Levels 1 & 2.
A distinct perspective on the learning process: A lifelong exploration of how we learn, beginning at a young age through chess―a rich laboratory where decision-making, practice, and growth can be explored with unusually precise and consistent feedback―earning the National Master title in my 20s, and nearly two decades of teaching chess to people of all ages, complemented by extensive independent study of the neuroscience of learning and habit formation.
"Working with Vanessa has not only deepened my understanding of NVC but more importantly, has empowered me to make a positive difference in my relationships, both at work, and with family and friends.
Their thoughtful approach creates a space where everyone feels seen, supported, and safe.”
— Jade B.