001- Somatic Skills for Conflict Resolvers

This module will focus on developing physical skills that will enable conflict resolvers to manage more effectively the physiological stresses of conflict experienced during conflict interventions.

The aggressive and hostile behavior or profound sadness that disputants often display during conflict interventions can evoke strong emotional and physiological responses not only in each other, but also in the conflict resolver. Increased heart rate, excessive or shallow breathing, constriction of blood vessels and major muscle groups, and an inability to focus are common physiological responses to stress.
These responses drastically affect the performance of the conflict resolver. If conflict resolvers are unable to manage their own emotions and stress, they will be unable to effectively perform their duties. Furthermore, conflict resolvers must be able to project and model the proper non-verbal body language necessary to instill confidence in their abilities.

Conflict resolution training is focused primarily on the development of verbal skills while neglecting the effects of stress upon the conflict resolver. Conflict resolvers are told that they must be the ‘calm in the midst of the storm’ during these stressful encounters and are taught verbal de-escalation skills designed to manage the emotional responses of the disputants, but are not taught how to effectively manage their own stress and emotions experienced during these interventions. I believe this is a fundamental gap in conflict resolution training.

This module fills this fundamental gap in conflict resolution training by teaching conflict resolvers somatic/physical skills that will drastically improve their performance when faced with the stressful situations common during conflict interventions.

Taken from the Greek word soma for ‘the living body in its wholeness,’ the term somatic seeks to widen our definition of the body. It encourages us to look beyond our concepts of the body athletic or aesthetic into the totality of our experiences including our emotions, language, spirit, and mind. Following this line of thinking, students will experience how love and hate are observable physiological states within the body with dramatically different outlooks on violence and resolution. A key goal for this course is to allow students to tangibly experience how different body states directly correlate to our personal willingness to enact violence or embrace peace.