Fear has a way of tightening the body, shortening the breath, and distorting our sense of what's possible. Thich Nhat Hanh taught that we don't have to fight our fear or run from it — we can turn toward it, breathe with it, and even smile at it. As he wrote, "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." His smile practices — paired with the simple phrase "Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile" — is a small, radical act of non-fear that meets suffering not with resistance, but with compassion and presence.

Our asana practice will explore the places where fear likes to live — on the tip of balance, the openness of a backbend, the disorientation of an inversion. It's in these shapes that fear tends to reveal itself, in a held breath or physical sensation in the body. Rather than avoiding these edges, we'll practice meeting them with steadiness, curiosity, and — yes — a smile.

Working with pranayama practice and drawing directly from Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings on conscious breathing, we'll build practical tools you can carry beyond the workshop. Breath becomes an anchor: something to return to when fear tightens the chest or invites panic into the mind. You'll leave with breathing techniques designed specifically to help regulate the nervous system in moments of anxiety, uncertainty, or fear.

Thich Nhat Hanh reminded us that peace isn't found by fighting our fear, but by breathing with it — gently, and with a smile. This workshop is an invitation to practice just that, and move a little closer to the peace that resides within us all.

What to bring: a long sleeve layer, socks, and eye pillow or scarf to cover eyes are recommended for pranayama.