The definition of courage is to face something that frightens you. It is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it. In order to be courageous, we must be vulnerable. This means opening ourselves to uncertainty, to our pain, to emotions that are all too often labeled as dark: fear, sadness, anxiety, anger, shame, and blame, to name a few. But these emotions are not bad – they are messengers that arrive to tell us that something needs to be addressed. When you learn to tend to these emotions with skillful courage, you create space for the feelings that will carry you through even the most difficult times: love, tenderness, compassion, forgiveness, remembrance, and even joy.

1. Describe the relationship between courage and vulnerability.
2. Learn mindfulness-based techniques to face difficult emotions.
3. Explore body-based techniques designed to build resilience from the inside out.