Oren Jay Sofer, SEP
Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation and communication internationally. He holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University, is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication, and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Oren is also the author of several books, including the best-seller "Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication" and his latest book, "Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices to Meet a World In Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love."
His teaching has reached people around the world through his online communication courses and guided meditations. A husband and a father, Oren lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, and home woodworking projects.
Featured Audio Talk
April 20, 2018 - The Role of Presence in Communication
The foundation for how we bring communication skills into our conversations in any context is presence. What is presence? I define presence as embodied awareness. Presence is a synonym for mindfulness, but when we hear that word “mindfulness,” most of us think about paying attention in a cognitive way, because of the word “mind.” I’m paying attention, watching, looking—there’s some separation. It’s a little cold, maybe disconnected. That’s not mindfulness. Mindfulness is about intimacy with experience. It’s a deeply embodied awareness and knowing of life in a very direct way.