Fear, Hiking, and the Dance of Presence: Practical Path to Everyday Courage

Part of The Art of Living Courageously Series

You know those moments when you feel the pull to do something — not from logic, not from reason — but from somewhere deeper? Maybe it's that whisper that says, go there. Or try that. Or say the thing you're scared to say.

That’s what courage can look like. Not a big declaration. Not the absence of fear. But a quiet nudge from your soul, asking for your attention. And you have a choice: to honour that call, or silence it. Even small decisions — to rest, to speak, to say yes or no — can be courageous acts.

This is a story about one of those moments. And while the details are mine, I share them because I believe you'll see something of yourself here too. You may not be into hiking. But you do know what it means to feel fear. To hesitate. To want something and second-guess it at the same time.

Maybe you’re in one of those moments now. If so, I hope this offers a mirror — and a way forward.

---

Table of Contents

1. When Your Body Says Go

2. Dance Meets Fear

3. Rewriting the Fear Story

4. What This Story Might Offer You

5. Lessons You Can Apply in Your Own Life

6. Simple Practices to Build Everyday Courage

---

When Your Body Says Go

I felt it in my body — I just knew I needed to be in nature. It wasn’t a vague idea or nice-to-have. It felt like my whole system was saying: Go. This will nourish you.

It had been a few years since I’d done a proper solo hike. I’d thought about it now and then, but that voice of hesitation — the one that’s always on standby — often won. The one that says:

"What if you sprain your ankle again?" "It’s too much effort to get there." "It’s dangerous to hike solo."

That voice showed up again the night before. But this time, another voice cut through. The quieter one. The authentic one.

Maybe you know that voice, too — the one that doesn’t make sense, but feels like truth.

It said: I need this. Go.

So I went.

Preparation is Part of Courage

I wanted to respond to what I felt I needed. I felt my body needing a reset with the support of Mother Nature. I also wanted to prove to myself that I can do it. I wanted to feel the freedom of doing it myself whenever I wanted, rather than relying on another's enthusiasm or availability.

So I prepared.

I picked a known, quiet trail: 14km, decent terrain with steep inclines and descents. I packed a basic first aid kit, water, food, layers, hiking app, and shared my live location with my friend (who had a lot of fun stalking me).

It wasn’t over-the-top planning. Just enough. I wasn’t trying to eliminate fear — I was meeting it with care and love.

And this preparation gave me something solid to move from.

Sometimes, preparation is what builds self-trust. If you're someone who struggles with confidence, building in systems or routines that make you feel safe can be the very thing that frees you to take a bold step. Courage doesn't mean abandoning all caution — it means meeting your fear with awareness.

My First Breath

As soon as I left the carpark and stepped into the forest, under the tall canopy of trees, I felt at home. The smell of the damp forest, the call of lyrebirds in the distance, the feel of earth — I felt myself dropping into my happy place.

This was exactly where I needed to be.

I had been working hard at my desk, and now I had room to breathe.

This is what courage offers sometimes — not a huge result, but a shift. The kind that comes when you follow the pull and suddenly everything inside exhales.

The Declines: Old Fear, New Presence

The trail was no joke. The reviews had warned of steep sections, and they were right. Every time I approached a descent, I could feel my body tighten. This was the part that used to terrify me - uneven ground, loose rocks, steep slopes. My ankles had vivid memories of these. So did my nervous system.

And sure enough, I rolled my ankle. Twice.

Nothing serious — just a gentle wobble. But both times, it happened when I was distracted, not fully present. Thinking ahead instead of being in the moment.

I wondered: Why am I so responsive and grounded in dance, but not here?

Fear often activates old patterns. But if you can pause, feel your body, and come back to the moment, something else becomes available. You begin to shift from bracing to responding.

Dance Meets Fear

When I dance, I trust myself. I trust the music. I trust who I choose to dance with. I play. I adapt. I listen. I respond. It's all a part of my being and I'm at one with all these elements.

So I wondered — how can I bring my lightness into my hike? What principles, skills, and experiences can I bring into the walk? Because at the end of the day, both are amplified versions of walking!

I remembered the zig zag trick to slow down your descent, and started bringing my dance attitude to my walk - zig-zagging down the declines, imagining I was a snake as it gracefully slithered down the descent. I extended my aeroplane arms, letting each step respond to the earth. I stopped fighting and started dancing with it.

The earth became my dance partner. The rocks and gravel, my music.

And it worked. It became playful. And fun.

Confidence is often found not in doing something perfectly - but in finding your own rhythm within the challenge. When you bring something familiar into something new, you remember yourself, your capabilities.

One Step At A Time

The other shift was my focus. I stopped trying to work out the whole trail at once. Instead, I looked one metre ahead. That’s it. Just far enough to see what I needed, without getting lost in forward thinking.

It gave my mind something something to anchor to, and allowed my body to handle the rest.

I remembered to trust my body. It hasn't failed me, in fact it gives me so much joy each time. So I decided to trust her.

It reminded me that presence isn’t just a meditation concept — it’s practical. It’s how we move through things with more ease.

In daily life, presence is often the thing that brings back your confidence. It’s where clarity lives. One step, one breath, one decision at a time.

Rewriting The Fear Story

I completed the 14km hike! I didn’t just make it through — I felt more connected to my walk than before.

This was the big shift: I remembered that I can trust myself. My body. My instincts.

The old stories - that I’m injury-prone, that I shouldn’t do hard things alone, that fear means “don’t” - started to dissolve.

I didn’t push them away, but I literally walked with them, step by step. I worked with my fears, acknowledging them and addressing them enough to give me enough space to take the hike.

This is what confidence often looks like: not bravado, simply remembering. A return to trusting yourself, gained through experience.

What This Story Might Offer You

If you’re still reading, perhaps you’re asking: What does this have to do with me?

The truth is - a lot. This story isn't just about a forest hike. It's about responding to the moment when something inside you says: this is important. Even when fear answers back with all its familiar reasons to stay still.

Maybe you're navigating something right now that doesn’t feel like a “big decision” but carries emotional weight. Maybe you're:

• Thinking of picking a new hobby

• Considering a career change that doesn’t make sense to anyone else

• Contemplating ending a project or relationship that no longer feels aligned

• Wanting to speak a truth you've been holding in for too long

These are your trailheads.

Like the descent on that trail, they can feel steep. Unstable. Full of old stories and protective patterns. You don’t need to be fearless to begin. You just need to trust the voice inside you - the one whispering: this way.

Here’s what you might find on the other side:

• Relief - because you're no longer ignoring yourself

• Clarity - because being present quiets the overthinking

• Courage - created from listening to your inner compass and acting from that place.

You may also feel tender. Vulnerability. Resistance. That’s okay. All of you are welcome.

Here’s my invitation to ask yourself: Where in my life am I feeling the nudge to move? What might open up if I took one brave, step in that direction? What’s the worse that can happen?

And most importantly: How do I already have that can support myself as I do it?

Because this kind of courage is not a perfomance. It's personal. And it's deeply alive.

The Lessons

These are some of the reminders I’m keeping close — and maybe they’ll speak to you, too:

• Your body knows
  Before choosing the hike, I checked in: Does this feel right? Safe? Supportive? The answer was a clear yes. I needed to do this.

• You don’t have to silence fear
  You can meet it with love and presence. With planning, you can meet it in your own dance, enough for you to start, and not too much to stop you from being and doing what you so deeply desire.

• Presence is your guide
  Focusing on one step at a time helped me stay grounded. It gave my mind something useful to do, and allowed my body to find its rhythm.

• You already have what you need
  The skills I used to stay present — play, movement, responsiveness — were ones I’d developed elsewhere. You’ve got your own tools and strengths. You just have to bring them into new places. The buzzword "transferable skills" really applies here.

• Not all fear is real
  Some of it is noise. Old stories and habits. You can acknowledge it without letting it drive your decisions.

Practicing Courage in Everyday Life

You don’t have to hike to practice courage. Simply listen.

Here are a few ways to start building your Courage Muscle, right where you are:

• Ask yourself what you need
  Right now, ask yourself: What would support me? A break? A breath? Saying no? Saying yes? Trusting and acting on that is courage.

• Do the thing you keep thinking about
  Write a list of things you’d love to do — big or small. Write the post. Take the class. Try the thing. Dine solo. Don’t filter yourself. Keep writing, and pick one thing each week to try on.

• Allow yourself to be seen
  Let the sound, the gasp, the laugh find its way through you. Share a truth you usually filter. By allowing yourself to be seen, you give yourself permission to be authentically you — to be fully present.

Final Thoughts

Courage isn’t about ignoring fear. It’s about feeling your desire, feeling your fear, and choosing to act anyway — with presence, with lightness, authenticity, and love.

It starts with a whisper. A nudge. A feeling you can’t shake.

By listening, you may be surprised by what opens up on the other side.

Want Support to Live Courageously?

If this stirred something in you — if you’re ready to live more from your soul and less from your “shoulds” - I’d love to walk and dance that path with you.

• Move with me in my last Biodanza Session as we dance this theme: The Art of Living Courageously - a dance floor invitation to explore your own brave rhythm

• Explore my Rebels Rising Self-Paced Workshop - to integrate more soul-led action into your life

• Work with me through 1:1 Coaching — and let’s create a life you can move courageously from the inside

How do you live courageously?