Jim and Jori offer a tip to stay present in the face of our reactivity to witnessed conflict. Trainer Tip Each time any one of us is willing to take a foray into the land of conflict with an intention to create connection, we are taking a stand for co-operation, and for creating the awareness of our interdependence and honoring needs - not just my needs, not just your needs but the needs that enable all of us to not only survive, but to flourish in the world.In order for us to stick our neck out into conflict and contribute to cooperation, rather than intensifying the perceived sense of separation, we need both resilience and skill. We need resilience since the autonomic nervous system reacts to stress below the level of conscious choice. Since conflict can sometimes trigger stress, we may have a physiological reaction of fight, flight, freeze or posture (dominate). It is extremely helpful to be aware of our own physiological reactive pattern so we can recognize it when it happens and reconnect to our Observing Presence.Take a moment now to determine your likely autonomic reaction to conflict. Stand up with a few feet behind you. Then imagine a conflict arising in front of you and notice your physical and emotional reactions. And then take a step back as far as needed to be able to feel and let go of that reaction while continuing to notice the conflict. Notice what that experience is like, to witness the conflict while feeling safe.This is a process you can do for yourself, either physically or mentally, when you recognize you are experiencing an autonomic reaction. The goal is to re-establish presence and capability. Keywords: consciousness observation presence conflict resolution mediation self connection silent empathy awareness reactivity Jim and Jori Manske Jim Manske Jori Manske