Oh wow... Feet to the fire!
I have been practicing for 40 years and have watched these practices evolve from services to businesses in that short time. I feel grateful to be one of the last generations that was able to train with the final generation of practitioners that used these arts to thrive in very extreme circumstances. I was also blessed with a very volatile and unique life, which usually leads to either a deep connection with practice, or well, other stuff.
I bring a lens of balanced creativity. This was never a career path for me, it is not an academic pursuit for me to "gain" reward or some advantage over anyone or anything. It was a way to live, expand, and be present.
I see fake masters and gurus pop up every couple of months. This work has always been a good filter for that weakness. I don't promise to give you things that only you can give to yourself. There is no pill or solution to nature, because nature doesn't have problems. It adapts and moves towards balance. I let you have your own experience, and challenge you to feel it without judgement. It's just feedback, asking you to adapt.
We live in a disconnected and overprivileged world that overthinks and intellectualizes things, and as a result we exist in paralysis and escapism. This means we are disconnected. Go into the ocean and when a wave comes, do you sit there thinking? Does the wave wait for you to decide? Does it care if you're having a good time?
life is waves, frequency is waves.
I have two rules for teaching and for when I train teachers:
- You can only give what you own: Money can't buy skill, so I always ask teachers if they have paid for the skill they are trying to teach with time & energy. In my school many teachers ask to rent space, when I ask them to only give what they own and to teach me or some of my students, only one has followed through, and many of them have become students. I use this rule on myself as a way to make sure that the things I am sharing are things that are mine to give. Martial arts, wellness, and YAMA are very much my best friends in this world. The well is deep. Let's get creative.
- Teaching is transmission: The lowest form of teaching is to stand or sit in front of a group and talk or tell them what to do. Again, we can only give what we own. Thus the act of transmitting is also a connection between you and your teacher. My job is to connect with people, to respect, and to see them. This is why so many isolated groups have opened their hearts to this work. From cops, to groups of refugees, women's circles, and celebrities. This connection allows safe space for creativity. I have made my career since age 13 through creativity & practical imagination with the tools that I own. Good teaching is bringing out what is already inside us. Then we can start adding later. I mean how many times have you run to Home Depot and then you see the super glue and think, "Do I have super glue back home?" You buy it anyway, then get home and there are 2 other unopened containers.
