The program dates are June 3 – July 8, 2025. Late registration will remain open until the day before the second session (Monday, June 9 at 5:00 PM ET).
Watch a Program Introduction Video from Oren Jay Sofer
Communication is at the heart of our lives—personally, professionally, and spiritually. This six-week online course offers practical training in mindful, skillful speech grounded in the Buddha’s path of practice.
Rooted in the teachings of the Noble Eightfold Path—especially Right Speech and mindfulness—this course integrates ancient wisdom with modern tools from Nonviolent Communication and trauma-informed awareness. You’ll receive concrete practices to stay grounded, listen deeply, and speak with clarity and care—even in difficult conversations.
Through a combination of guided meditations, reflections, and interactive exercises, you’ll develop a stronger sense of presence, deeper compassion, and more skillful ways of relating.
This course is open to all and especially supports those roles of service—including therapists, educators, healthcare workers, chaplains, and other helping professionals. No prior experience is necessary.
In this course, you’ll learn to:
- Engage in meaningful, effective dialogue
- Feel more confident in conversations
- Strengthen your empathy, clarity, and resilience
- Stay connected to what really matters in any interaction
Each live session includes:
- Teachings on a key aspect of meditation and communication
- Expert instruction on integrating mindfulness into conversation
- Guided meditations on cognitive, emotional, and somatic aspects of communication
- Stories and examples of the intersection between spiritual practice and relationship
What else you receive:
- Live interactive Q&A with the teacher (during classes)
- Weekly practice assignments and journal topics
- Optional weekly calls with a practice buddy
- Lifetime access to course recordings (uploaded within 48 hours)
Who's it for?
This course is appropriate for those newer to Buddhist meditation and/or Nonviolent Communication, as well as for experienced practitioners seeking to deepen their skills. Past students include: psychologists, therapists, doctors, nurses and healthcare practitioners, chaplains, teachers, writers, artists, life coaches, lawyers, police, engineers, civil servants, and many more.
COST: By donation
We are honored to offer this course free of charge. Both Oren and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies depend on donations to continue our work. Please consider making a donation when you register to support our programming. You'll find one dana link on our registration page, and all dana offered will be shared between Oren and BCBS.
Questions?: Please email contact@buddhistinquiry.org
Program Assistants: Ranji Ariaratnam and David Johnson
