This week, an enlightening chinwag with author, coach, body language expert, and former Royal Marines Commando Terry Vaughn.
Terry has a wealth of experience in personal protection, and is passionate about of the value of situational awareness for all. His D.I.R.T. (Dangerous Individual Recognition Training) program puts a laser focus on how to develop it.
Here, we discuss:
how the motivation to learn and practice comes from adverse experiences
the necessity of relaxation in scanning for threats
understanding the enemy: shock, ambush, and surprise
knowledge and training as the antidote to paranoia
Find out more about Terry's speaking events and training courses at tvempowers.com
SFL 118: Tyson Yunkaporta
This week, we embark on a wild, meandering convergence of modern and ancient thought, with author, academic, and custodian of indigenous wisdom Tyson Yunkaporta. A member of the Apalech Clan and a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledge at Deakin University, Melbourne, Tyson bridges the modern and ancient worlds in his work, and brings a radical perspective to things most of us take for granted.
His book Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World is unlike anything I have ever read - mixing imagery, storytelling, academic criticism, and ancient principles of thought to create an exhilarating, mind-expanding experience. You may want to read it before this conversation. Or listen, read, and listen again.
Though from an entirely background, Tyson is fascinated by Systema and immediately recognized its power when he first saw a video clip of Mikhail Ryabko 10 years ago. What results is a truly joyful exchange of ideas, where humour and curiosity converge on fundamental truths of being. Somewhere in there, we touch upon:
The limits of reductionist logic and science
Foundational myths around violence and “cavemen”
Systema as a practice of distributed consciousness
The domestication of humankind - and how to reverse it
A warning: like the book, this conversation was non-linear, cyclic, and highly unusual - arriving at meaning tangentially, and only after considerable wandering. Hang in there, and you may find some gems. If not - no worries :)
SFL Episode 117: On Coping and Acceptance (with Howard Jacobson)
This week, an engaging and enjoyable chat with Systema practitioner, wellness coach, and podcaster Howard Jacobson. Here, we get into a range of topics relating to coping with the ongoing constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic, as we face the sixth month of life in its shadow. Themes include:
The dangers of avoiding discomfort
Mitgating stress and anger through exercise (and how that can easily backfire)
Finding acceptance and context in your daily interactions
The primacy of relationship in conversation
Recorded outdoors at the beautiful Eno River near Durham North Carolina, this episode features an extended breathwork and awareness exercise (starting at around 15:00-minute mark) for resetting your mental and emotional state.
Mentioned in this episode:
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Sand Talk: How indigenous Thinking Can Save the World, by Tyson Yonkapurta