An Overview of Integral Courage Health Principles

You need a Flash-Player Plugin to view the Video.

Awareness

Awareness is the cornerstone to inner trust, emotional stability and self-acceptance. It is based on the ability to use our senses to contact the world in which we are immersed. An aware person learns to make solid interpersonal judgements using skills of trusted perception and well grounded feelings. An aware individual nurtures relationships with others first physically and with in-the-moment presence with thought taking a secondary role. Otherwise, without awareness, a person is literally in their head attempting to live through a set of rules or images of self that are not grounded in experiential reality.
To Learn More

Identity

Identity is the perennial challenge of being human. It conjures up all notions and struggles with this illusion we call self. From the time we are old enough to reality test, we begin the incessant search for self-definition. Yet, it is as equally important to question the myriad of ways in which we so easily get lost clinging to an identity built upon social rules and the shadowy unknown strategies of history. Therefore, one immense challenge of life's path is learning to distinguish genuine desire from historical attachment. We walk toward that which is pleasing and away from that which is painful and consequently define our person by attachments to having more of our likes and less of our dislikes. Attachment and aversion is the cornerstone of conflict within the depths of our being. To be happy, alive and fully present doesn't require an identity. Rather, it represents the continuous movement of Becoming.
To Learn More.

Mystery

Mystery is the force of humility that allows our inner world to come to moments of complete silence. We live in an incredibly rational and deterministic world with goals, objectives and time management forming the order of the day. With time remaining front and center our experiences are anything but silent. Our busy lives are a rush to comfortable understanding and the constant need to find structure and order. But, a wise teacher once remarked that our purpose is not to explain life rather it is to imbue it with meaning. Meaningfulness, purpose and long lasting motivation derives from the choice to immerse one's person into wonderment and mystery.
To Learn More.

Flow

Flow represents an intimate connection to the unalterable unfolding of events and moments. An individual can learn to immerse themself in the unfolding, by choosing to let go of control. More often than not, we attempt to go out and 'make something happen' through ego involvement, fear and a false sense of power. There is much truth to knowing that actual control comes paradoxically by letting go of control. Flow requires the development of trust to learn to let go which is of course true self esteem, as opposed to false notions of power.
To Learn More.

Inspiration

Inspiration is a phenomenal word that captures two essential qualities of developmental human experience. The first is to take within the essence of life breath. The second is the necessity to reach for the highest point - the spire. Together, inspiration reminds us to focus upon and take within our being values and life experience that are of the highest nature. Depending upon the quality of what we take in, determines what we aspire toward and what we have available to give others.
To Learn More.

Reflection

Reflection is a content quality of mind through seeing how we project our person externally. Our mind, like the mirror, is luminous, reflective and non-discriminating. The mirror does not refuse to reflect that deemed as ugly, unwanted or undesirable; all is treated equally. With reflective practice, feelings of openness as well as compassion develop because self righteousness declines. We become less likely to be caught in the I'm right and the world is wrong scenario; more willing to hear than to dictate; more willing to see than to judge.
To Learn More.

Enjoyment

Enjoyment surfaces from a spontaneous inner stream of feelings. This inner river, the actual inner stream from our hearts courage has the power to unite the minds and actions of all humankind, and to assist individuals as well as groups overcome great odds. This only happens when our needy, wanting and relentless self is temporarily sidelined. All forms of addiction serve the direct purpose of displacing our overly needy and relentless self. On a more socially acceptable level we engage many activities such as sports, music, movies and fantasy to serve the purpose of letting go. To let go means to let go of self and its seemingly real concerns. Likewise, in the face of joy, fear and doubt has no room to enter.
To Learn More.

Click on each principle for more information.