My NVC Journey
My Background
I was born on an island in Estonia, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in pedagogics. In my late thirties, I started to inquire about the meaning of life. Everyday life's trivialities didn't satisfy me, and I yearned for something "deep and real." But I didn't have the slightest idea what it could be.
Change Begins With Me
For years, I tried to change the people around me. I had a colleague I considered "annoying," and my internal environment was polluted by my thoughts about how miserable my situation was because of him. Suddenly, I was blessed with a firsthand experience that change begins with me. I realized, only I could change my attitude, and when I shifted my image of the colleague, the relationship was transformed. From that moment, I began searching for ways to use my discovery in the service of humanity.
NVC Adventure Takes off
My longing was heard and it took only about half a year when "by accident," I ended up in my first Nonviolent Communication (NVC) training in a beautiful cozy coastal town Pärnu, in Estonia. It was August 2002.
This was love at first sight. I was touched to the deepest core of my heart by how the trainers, Liv Larsson and Kay Rung genuinely lived their teaching. First time in my life, I felt accepted and welcomed as I was. It seemed too good to be true. I couldn't believe what I experienced; therefore, I was "spying" on them during the breaks, meal times, and after sessions, wondering, "Are they really living what they are teaching even outside of the training?" I wasn't disappointed. Since then, NVC has become my love, passion, most immense joy, inspiration, and life.
I Began Teaching
About a month after this first training, I reached out to Estonian teachers' forum with my first NVC course, eventhough I had doubts if this "American" model would work in my country. To my great satisfaction, I began getting encouraging and inspiring feedback from participants already after the first few weeks of the course. That was the beginning of my "career" in sharing NVC. And I decided to embark on a journey of becoming a Certified Trainer with the Center of Nonviolent Communication.
My love and passion for NVC were so palpable that I began to get invitations to share NVC in many different forums in Estonia - in orphanages, kindergartens, folkuniversities, to social workers, prisoners, just to name a few.
But after about six months, I felt NVC-consciousness began to fade away, and I started to look around after more trainings to support myself in deepening and truly integrating this new way of being and relating to my everyday life. NVC had become for me like a life air that I couldn't anymore be without.
I began to travel and participate in a number of NVC trainings all over the globe led by the different amazing trainers. I was fortunate enough to meet the founder of the NVC process Marshall B. Rosenberg himself, and got trained by him in his 11-days Intensive International Trainings in Sweden and Hungary, and in a few public trainings.
Jump Into Unknown
In 2005, I quit my eight-to-five job. This was a massive jump into the unknown because my workplace fully maintained me. Besides the salary, my living space and all kinds of other bonuses were provided by my employer. So, I weighed all my needs and finally chose to take this leap of faith. Due to intensely practicing the NVC process, I had a deep conviction that if I serve life, life will serve me, and I followed my calling with a joyful heart. I became a freelancer with a single goal - to learn, live, and share NVC.
Another Milestone
2006 was another milestone on my NVC journey. Under the care and guidance of my lovely assessor Towe Widstrand, I became a Certified NVC Trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) I was the first and only CNVC Certified Trainer in my native country Estonia and, to my knowledge, in all three Baltic Countries.
Unexpected Turn
Around 2008 I began practicing Bhakti Yoga. In 2012 I moved to the Hare Krishna village community in Sweden and focussed mainly on my spiritual life. At that time, I doubted that NVC and Bhakti Yoga were compatible, but my Spiritual Master dispelled all my skepticism. Under his care, guidance, and blessings, I focus now on sharing NVC mainly within the worldwide Hare Krishna movement - the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The Power and Beauty of the NVC Process
Relationships of any kind can become the greatest source of happiness or the greatest source of misery. Within twenty-plus years of studying and practicing NVC and sharing it from kindergartens to prison houses, I have been amazed by the power and beauty of the effect of NVC when applied to relationships. Witnessing stunning transformations in people's lives while reclaiming choicefulness and integrity, repairing relationships, creating a meaningful life, achieving inner peace, and much more brings the greatest joy to my heart.
Change begins with you. Welcome onboard!
Yours Madhuri Radhika
September 22nd, 2024
I was born on an island in Estonia, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in pedagogics. In my late thirties, I started to inquire about the meaning of life. Everyday life's trivialities didn't satisfy me, and I yearned for something "deep and real." But I didn't have the slightest idea what it could be.
Change Begins With Me
For years, I tried to change the people around me. I had a colleague I considered "annoying," and my internal environment was polluted by my thoughts about how miserable my situation was because of him. Suddenly, I was blessed with a firsthand experience that change begins with me. I realized, only I could change my attitude, and when I shifted my image of the colleague, the relationship was transformed. From that moment, I began searching for ways to use my discovery in the service of humanity.
NVC Adventure Takes off
My longing was heard and it took only about half a year when "by accident," I ended up in my first Nonviolent Communication (NVC) training in a beautiful cozy coastal town Pärnu, in Estonia. It was August 2002.
This was love at first sight. I was touched to the deepest core of my heart by how the trainers, Liv Larsson and Kay Rung genuinely lived their teaching. First time in my life, I felt accepted and welcomed as I was. It seemed too good to be true. I couldn't believe what I experienced; therefore, I was "spying" on them during the breaks, meal times, and after sessions, wondering, "Are they really living what they are teaching even outside of the training?" I wasn't disappointed. Since then, NVC has become my love, passion, most immense joy, inspiration, and life.
I Began Teaching
About a month after this first training, I reached out to Estonian teachers' forum with my first NVC course, eventhough I had doubts if this "American" model would work in my country. To my great satisfaction, I began getting encouraging and inspiring feedback from participants already after the first few weeks of the course. That was the beginning of my "career" in sharing NVC. And I decided to embark on a journey of becoming a Certified Trainer with the Center of Nonviolent Communication.
My love and passion for NVC were so palpable that I began to get invitations to share NVC in many different forums in Estonia - in orphanages, kindergartens, folkuniversities, to social workers, prisoners, just to name a few.
But after about six months, I felt NVC-consciousness began to fade away, and I started to look around after more trainings to support myself in deepening and truly integrating this new way of being and relating to my everyday life. NVC had become for me like a life air that I couldn't anymore be without.
I began to travel and participate in a number of NVC trainings all over the globe led by the different amazing trainers. I was fortunate enough to meet the founder of the NVC process Marshall B. Rosenberg himself, and got trained by him in his 11-days Intensive International Trainings in Sweden and Hungary, and in a few public trainings.
Jump Into Unknown
In 2005, I quit my eight-to-five job. This was a massive jump into the unknown because my workplace fully maintained me. Besides the salary, my living space and all kinds of other bonuses were provided by my employer. So, I weighed all my needs and finally chose to take this leap of faith. Due to intensely practicing the NVC process, I had a deep conviction that if I serve life, life will serve me, and I followed my calling with a joyful heart. I became a freelancer with a single goal - to learn, live, and share NVC.
Another Milestone
2006 was another milestone on my NVC journey. Under the care and guidance of my lovely assessor Towe Widstrand, I became a Certified NVC Trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) I was the first and only CNVC Certified Trainer in my native country Estonia and, to my knowledge, in all three Baltic Countries.
Unexpected Turn
Around 2008 I began practicing Bhakti Yoga. In 2012 I moved to the Hare Krishna village community in Sweden and focussed mainly on my spiritual life. At that time, I doubted that NVC and Bhakti Yoga were compatible, but my Spiritual Master dispelled all my skepticism. Under his care, guidance, and blessings, I focus now on sharing NVC mainly within the worldwide Hare Krishna movement - the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The Power and Beauty of the NVC Process
Relationships of any kind can become the greatest source of happiness or the greatest source of misery. Within twenty-plus years of studying and practicing NVC and sharing it from kindergartens to prison houses, I have been amazed by the power and beauty of the effect of NVC when applied to relationships. Witnessing stunning transformations in people's lives while reclaiming choicefulness and integrity, repairing relationships, creating a meaningful life, achieving inner peace, and much more brings the greatest joy to my heart.
Change begins with you. Welcome onboard!
Yours Madhuri Radhika
September 22nd, 2024
