Courage and Vulnerability

11:14

Courage and Vulnerability

by Ann Weiser Cornell

Type

talks

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

1

Do you put off something that matters because it feels vulnerable? Ann Weiser Cornell talks about courage and vulnerability, and says courage is not the lack of fear but doing it anyway. She guides a pause to sense your body, then invites you to welcome whatever you feel with the words "I am sensing something in me." You practise being the space where both the part that wants to give up and the part that pushes can be, instead of a battle between "I don't want to" and "I should." This content is educational and is not a substitute for one-on-one professional care.

Felt Sense Check In Somatic Inquiry Spacious Awareness Courage Self Acceptance Body Awareness Emotional Awareness Vulnerability Exploration Courage Cultivation Inner Conflict Resolution

Meet your Teacher

Ann Weiser Cornell

Berkeley, CA, USA

Meet your Teacher

Ann Weiser Cornell

Berkeley, CA, USA

Transcript

And welcome to Support for Stressful Times. I'm Anne Weiser Cornell. The times are still stressful. And it's really nice to have this time together where we can. Give each other support. Time we're going through. Maybe, Maybe life itself. Yeah, You know what? Life itself. Is stressful. Stressful to be. Human in a world where we're human in a world where we're vulnerable. Today I want to talk about vulnerability. I want to talk about courage. And vulnerability. Recently, I was in a kind of action block. Do you know about action blocks? That's when there's something you really want to do, But you can't. You're not doing it, Starting to feel. More and more. But like a problem, Like, Ah. Well, This was about an article I'm writing. There isn't a deadline. That's a problem. I love deadlines. There isn't a deadline for this one. It's just something that would really, Really help. The mission. Of spreading the word. The word we're spreading in these. Webinars. That it's okay to. . . Pause and sense how you are and then bring acceptance to however you're feeling. Well, Anyway, About this article. Wasn't doing it. And then I noticed. There was something. Vulnerable about writing the article. That really helped. Because I was able to acknowledge something in me. Feeling vulnerable about writing the article? And when I did that, Ah. Something happened, I could feel a kind of okay. I can do this anyway. Kind of rising up in me and we could call that. A kind of courage. Because courage is not. The lack of fear, You know that, Right? Courage is not the lack of fear. It's. . . It's doing it anyway. It's finding. Year forward. Life energy. Despite. Parts of you that are scared and frightened. Want to hide. Well, I thought maybe today we could. Sit together here and. . . Be open. To vulnerability and courage. Because we need. To be acknowledging our own vulnerabilities. Like a It's like a powerful. Presence in life as it is. If I try to not be vulnerable. I'm gonna- I'm going to block out life. I'm familiar, I think many of us are, With the behaviors we can get up to when we try to not feel our feelings, Including anger. Try not to feel vulnerable. Let's do this together for a little while. Pausing, It always starts with pausing. Being aware of your body right now. Sometimes I forget my body. It's like, Oh, Oh, Right, I have a body. Thank you. Be aware of your body right. Easiest. What's the easiest thing to feel about your body? I always find it's easy just to feel. The support under me to feel. My contact with what I'm sitting on. You're probably sitting, But it's okay if you're standing or lying down. But in any case. . . You have some kind of contact. With the earth, With the ground, With what supports you from underneath. So feeling that contact. Pausing and sensing. It all starts there. Pausing and sensing. What's the simplest thing to sense at first? It's probably just your body's contact on what you're sitting on. Maybe you're also aware of your breath. Feeling your breath, Feeling more of your body, Like maybe throat, Chest, Stomach. The inner areas of your body. Maybe you can say a hello to yourself in there. Who are you saying hello to? Yourself. Your emotional states, Your feelings. How are you right now? And especially. . . Is this a moment when you're aware of feeling Vulnerable. In any way. Or maybe that word vulnerable doesn't help, But. There might be some other way you're feeling that's what you're carrying some hard times with you today, Perhaps. All right. Maybe there's somebody. Who's got some bad news about health. You or someone in your family. Maybe you can feel your worry. About that. Maybe there's something. You're longing. Be or do and it just feels like that's not possible. Metal tooth Being at peace feels elusive and instead there's a sense of agitation. Maybe there's anxiety. You might feel angry about something. What if. . . We make a welcome for everything. No matter what. No matter what you're feeling right now, See if it's okay to say, That's here. What would happen then? Yeah, That's here. I'm here. I feel it. That's how I'm feeling right now. And you may enjoy using this language that I like to use, Which is, I am sensing. Something in me. I'm sensing something in me feeling. I'm sensing something in me feeling worried. I'm sensing something in me feeling scared. I'm sensing something in me feeling overwhelmed. Try that language. And then notice what happens when you do. And today we're especially interested in. Situations that require courage. Because if they require courage, They probably have some vulnerability involved. So there's something going on for you, Perhaps. Let's have a look. That asks of you. Yeah, That asks a lot. Of you to step up. To Be a little more. It's a challenge of some kind. Just checking if that's right. Checking if that's right. Friend of mine is coming to visit. Come a long way away next month. There's things I need to do, I want to do to get ready. For her visit. But at first I was in a low mood, I was tired. It was like, Oh, Do I have to? So I say hello to that. You And what I've learned is, Verify. Scold myself. If I. Get taken over by a part of me that says. You shouldn't feel that way. This is your friend. You should be willing. In other words, If the shoulds come in. It just makes things worse. Person help. My hard-working should parts really want to help. But they don't. So notice right now, If you like. If you feel that kind of. Mead. To be more, To thrive. Make an effort to step beyond. That whole courage. And yet. Really, Do I have to? And does a should start going a shouldn't? You should. Let's just be aware of that. Let's just be aware. Because what we can do instead of starting the battle between I don't want to and you should, What we can be aware of instead of that battle is hello. I noticed. I'm aware I'm sensing something. Wanting to just give up and I'm sensing something wanting to push. And I'm here. I'm sensing both of them, I. And the space where both of them can be as they are. It's radical.