By definition, to feel vulnerable is to feel exposed and undefended. It's natural, in moments of emotional risk or tenderness, to feel the urge to pull back from vulnerability, to deny it or dismiss it as weak or needy. But decades of research have also revealed that we can't really form strong bonds with others if we're unwilling to take the risk of being our true selves. This week, Dr. Stacee Reichezer guides us through a practice that can help us soften to this oh-so-human experience so that we can truly know healing, connection, and vitality. Dr. Stacee L. Reicherzer, PhD, LPC-S is the Chicago-based transgender author of The Healing Otherness Handbook: Overcome the Trauma of Identity-Based Bullying and Find Power in Your Difference. The San Antonio, TX native serves as clinical faculty of counseling at Southern New Hampshire University, where she received the distinguished faculty award in 2018. The transcription of this guided meditation will be online and in our app at Mindful.org next week. Stay curious, stay inspired. Sign up for our free newsletter mindful.org/signup or download the app for free at mindful.org/app. Show Notes Find more from Stacee Reicherzer here. As with any difficult emotion, learning to be with vulnerability is a skill that we can nurture. Here are more resources on this essential skill and how mindfulness can help you build and expand your capacity to be yourself in the world. Go Deeper Gentle Men: The Healing Power of Vulnerability The Power of Vulnerability Why Vulnerability is Your Superpower Feeling Like a Fraud in Your Own Mindfulness Practice 4 Questions to Foster Your Authentic Self For more practice leaning into genuine connection, try A 12-Minute Meditation for Cultivating Connection to Yourself and Beyond. And more from Mindful here: More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing [email protected].

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