BePeace™ is a practice that combines a scientifically proven method for "feeling peace" with a clear path for "speaking peace" that creates an authentic, compassionate connection. As we learn this practice, we are empowered to passiton, to "teach peace."

BePeace was developed by Rita Marie Johnson in 2002 and is currently being taught in schools in Costa Rica. It has also been taught as a graduate course at the UN University of Peace.

Benefits of BePeace:
1. Stop stress in just 60 seconds
2. Resolve conflicts
3. Find release from worry, anger, anxiety and depression simply and quickly
4. Achieve your highest brain function and open up your intuition
5. Maintain emotional balance, even in times of great turmoil and stress

BePeace is a combination of Coherence + Connection

According to the Institute of HeartMath, coherence is the state when the heart, mind and emotions are in energetic alignment and cooperation. It is a state that builds resiliency - personal energy is increased and sustained, not wasted – leaving more energy to manifest intentions and harmonious outcomes. Coherence is achieved by taking three steps:

• 1. Heart Focus
• 2. Heart Breathing
• 3. Heart Feeling of Appreciation

Like most skills, the more you practice it, the easier it gets. Research shows that when we are in a state of incoherence from negative emotions, our heart rate variability pattern is erratic. Positive emotions create coherence, a rhythmic, even pattern. When we are coherent, we think more clearly and can more reliably tap our intuition. Since the electromagnetic field of the heart radiates up to 3 feet beyond the body, our coherence also has a positive influence on those around us.

Because the heart is the strongest biological oscillator in the body, when it generates a coherent signal, it draws the other biological oscillators into synchronization. This includes the digestive system, the respiratory system, and most importantly, the brain. When the heart is in a coherent mode, it can override the amygdala in the brain, which gets triggered by emotional memories.

As an example, a person bitten by a dog when they were a child may have a recurring negative emotional response (fear, anger) whenever they see a dog. If they have learned to sustain coherence, over time they can extinguish this response. Research by the Institute of HeartMath has shown that students who practice coherence before exams perform significantly better in math and reading and have an improved capability for learning.

Human beings share universal needs. Connecting to them, within ourselves and when interacting with others, is the key to the compassionate language of empathy and honesty. This aspect of BePeace is inspired by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, who developed Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The four steps of Nonviolent Communication are:

• 1. Observation – A description of what we are seeing, hearing or touching, specific to time and context, and free of judgment, criticism or analysis.
• 2. Feeling – A description of our emotional state, the result of a need being met or unmet (e.g. happy, sad)
• 3. Need – Something we require to sustain and enrich our life. Our needs can be satisfied by accessing our inner resources or through outer strategies that also honor the needs of others. Needs are universal and do not refer to a specific person or thing (e.g. clarity, justice, to be heard, to matter).
• 4. Request – Clear, positive, concrete words that request clarity, connection or a specific action in order to satisfy a need.

The Power of BePeace

The transformational power of BePeace arises from the synergy of combining coherence with connection. When we achieve heart-brain coherence and also connect with our feelings and needs, we can respond more consciously to life and we rise to a higher level of social and emotional intelligence. In this way, we are able to continually enrich our own lives and help create a more peaceful world.

Now the primary aim of Rasur Foundation International is to offer BePeace in U.S. university programs and in schools through BePeace Hubs. These hubs spring from a group of people located in the same city who have taken BePeace courses and support the transfer of BePeace into the school system in their area.

Academy for Peace of Costa Rica: http://www.academyforpeacecr.org
Center for Nonviolent Communication: http://www.cnvc.org
Institute of HeartMath: http://www.hearthmath.org
Roots of Empathy: http://www.rootsofempathy.org