There are moments when the world seems filled with conflict, division, and uncertainty. We open the news, scroll through social media, or witness events unfolding around us, and it can feel as though the darkness is growing. In these moments, it’s natural to ask ourselves: What can one person really do?
The Finnish word Sisu is often translated as resilience, grit, or perseverance, but none of those words fully capture its meaning. As Dr. Elisabet Lahti explains in this conversation, Sisu is the hidden reserve of strength that appears precisely when we believe we have nothing left to give. It is the mysterious “second wind” that enables us to endure great hardship while remaining connected to something deeper than mere willpower. Although rooted in Finnish culture and history, Sisu points toward a universal human capacity that exists within all of us.
Are You Practicing In Flatland? In a recent dialogue with Zen teacher and Kung Fu Sifu Keith Martin-Smith and Integral consultant and karateka Charles Crutchfield, we explored a question that cuts to the heart of both spiritual AND martial arts practice: Are we training in a way that includes the full depth of our humanity—or are we inadvertently practicing in flatland? Flatland is the collapse of complexity: reducing practice to technique without presence, spirituality without embodiment, or meditation without shadow work. Our conversation opened up the multidimensional nature of Integral Budo as a path beyond that flattening.
What does it mean to meet conflict—not with reactivity or avoidance—but with presence, clarity, and a willingness to go deeper? In a recent episode of the RAW podcast, my colleague Dr. Gary Reiss and I sat down with host Anouk Louri to explore these questions and share our experiences in trauma healing, martial arts, and group facilitation.
Gary shared his insights from his work in Israel and the Palestinian territories, including collaborations with trauma experts on both sides. Drawing from Process-Oriented Psychology, he explores how we can access the wisdom hidden within personal and collective tension—even, and especially, in heartbreaking times.
I shared the perspective of Aikido, a martial art rooted in harmony and non-resistance, and how its philosophy can help us engage conflict with grounded strength rather than force. Recorded during Gary’s recent visit to Tel Aviv, where we co-facilitated “healing the healers” events, this conversation invites you to reflect on what it means to respond—not react—amid profoundly uncertain times.
In the past 48 hours, I’ve had a heated “cancel culture” experience in a Facebook post I made. In the 130+ comments that ensued, here’s a taste of what my liberal brothers and sisters have been calling me:
I have been called; reactive, dismissive, pedantic, patronizing, tone deaf, too “wise” to learn, a fragile white man, an old white man, a middle-aged white man, a white man, an economically privileged white man, a privileged man, a man, a claimer of victimhood, a reverse victim, an oppressor, an abuser, a name-caller, an intentional misspeller of names, an intentional fomenter of controversy, a user of teachers as pawns, a misuser of grammar, a recruiter of warriors against diversity, a jailer of queers, a jailer of kids, a MAGA-ist, Ron DeSantis, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, a DARVO enactor, a denier, and an attacker (…to be fair, I’m at least a few of these).
Unity & Diversity In Aikido
Exploring Universal Principles Through The Diversity Of Forms
Community Call w/ Patrick Cassidy, Bruno Gonzales, & Miles Kessler
FREE Event, Sunday, Feb. 11th, 2024
Click Below To Register!
| Date: | February 11, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 21:00-22:00 |
| Event: | UNITY & DIVERSITY IN AIKIDO - Community Call |
| Topic: | UNITY & DIVERSITY IN AIKIDO - Community Call |
| Venue: | ONLINE VIA ZOOM |
| Public: | Public |
