INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS

[from our Mission & Ethos]

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Receptive Listening

At Prajna Fire, we strive to avoid planning a response as we listen to others. Instead we are willing to be surprised, to learn something new, listening with our whole being. In discussions with our peers, we strive to emphasize learning over offering unsolicited advice, problem-solving, or instruction.

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Conscious Expression

We practice nonjudgmental compassion toward ourselves and others, respecting our own and others’ opinions and experiences as our own. We practice vulnerability and avoid criticizing the way others and ourselves show up. 

When speaking, we strive to attend to and speak about our own experiences and responses, rather than speaking for a whole group or expressing assumptions about the experience of others. We practice emphasizing concrete, immediate, and self-contained expression over conjecture, embellishment, and hyperbole. 

At all times we refrain from blaming or shaming ourselves or others, whether expressly or indirectly. We recognize nonviolent communication as a good starting point for conscious, receptive dialogue, and the relational awareness it requires.

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Step Back / Step Up

Our gatherings foster full participation by all present. We ask that we all take note of who is speaking and who is not. Those who tend to speak often, we ask to consider “stepping back,” and those who tend not to speak often, to consider “stepping up.”

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Right to Pass

We are always free to say “I pass” when we do not wish to speak.

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“Both / And” Speech 

Whenever feasible, we practice substituting “and” for “but” to acknowledge and honor multiple realities rather than solidify polarities.

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Privacy

Personal details and stories shared in the space of community remain private. We encourage participants to take home learnings, even sharing them with others, without identifying anyone other than ourselves at any time. If we want to follow up with anyone regarding something they said during a session, we ask them first and respect their wishes.