Ignatius and others taught that emotions are content bearers of our deep interiors. Hence, to prayerfully discern and listen for God’s voice, we must not only welcome and listen to our emotions, but learn their language. It is then that our emotions can become for us energy filled companions that hold our deepest yearnings, but also active allies and wisdom bearers to becoming our full human selves.

However, we have lost awareness of much of our natural emotional genius, due to a strong propensity in social groups (family, civic, cultural, religious and others) to categorize emotions as good and bad. This often exiles certain emotions like anger, fear and sadness, which forces their energy filled nature into repression or explosion – meanwhile we chase after happiness as the lone good emotion.

Learning language is quite natural for children when they are surrounded by robust conversation with native speakers. When they are not, their natural genius for language is stunted, though not lost.

Begin to rediscover your emotional genius…learn to receive, understand, work with and harness the energy of all your emotions, including anger, fear and sadness. 

Spiritual directors and companions will find this webinar especially valuable as they guide others through the complexities of inner life and discernment. By deepening their understanding of emotions as sacred messengers, they will be better equipped to hold space for directees who struggle with difficult feelings, helping them recognize the divine presence within their emotional landscapes. This work fosters deeper self-awareness, resilience, and spiritual integration—not only for those they companion but also in their own personal and professional journeys.