Untying Knots – Killing Me Softly

Untying Knots, a Shintaido chronicle: Last tango in Tokyo (chapters 21-24)

“It was a lovely May day, and we sat in the grass on the practice field near the Tama river in Tokyo,” writes Michael Thompson. “Aoki suggested some meditation and remembering techniques which might enable me to communicate directly with my subconscious. He went on to talk about how everyone is marked by one or more childhood experiences; they might be as seemingly trivial as being left alone at some particularly vulnerable time, but they stay with us all out lives. He said that when he was in college he felt disgust for humanity because he found people so simple and predictable, but later he felt more compassion and was now devoting himself to finding ways to help others de-hypnotize or de-program themselves in order to unlearn old habits, to grow, and to define their own lives.” Michael Thompson’s autobiography, Untying Knots, is full of such episodes of existential unfolding, some unsettling, some light-hearted, all rendered with quiet wit and honesty. In this episode, Shintaido instructor David Franklin reads Chapters 21 through 24 (in the original book Section III, chapters 8 through 11), entitled “Tohoku Travels”, “The Bigger the Mountain, the Bigger the Shadow,” “Time and Tide,” and “Last Eiko in Tokyo” respectively. Credits:  Walt Kelly Pogo April 22, 1971 Ink and blue pencil on paper Pogo Collection Courtesy Ohio State University University Libraries https://library.osu.edu/site/40stories/2020/01/05/we-have-met-the-enemy/

Michael Thompson’s Untying Knots: a Shintaido chronicle, chapters 17 - 20

“In Japan, there were many models to study from. During the short time I practiced with him, I had been impressed with the younger Egami’s style and presence. His was the most artistic approach to teaching I had yet encountered and it struck a chord in me. But the most common and striking feature of the Japanese teaching style was its depth; the instructors somehow managed to bring you through the surface and into the Earth, perhaps because of their intimate connection to their native soil.” Michael Thompson’s autobiography, Untying Knots, is full of such episodes of existential unfolding, some disturbing, some light-hearted, all rendered with quiet wit and honesty. In this episode, Shintaido instructor David Franklin reads Chapters 17 through 20 (in the original book Section III, chapters 4 through 7), entitled “The Queen of Tanzawa”, “Shoko,” “Aikukan — Philosophical Gleanings,” and “Gorei,” respectively.

Connie Borden on nursing, Shintaido, and caring for the dying

David interviews Connie Borden, Shintaido instructor and advance practice nurse with 28 years’ experience in hospice and palliative care. Connie has led a Bay Area nonprofit hospice as Executive Director and worked on inpatient services as a Palliative Consultant. She has presented Cycle of Life, the use of movement for life review at the first and second Global Conferences for End of Life Care. She and H.F. Ito presented Shintaido for Caregivers for 10 years at San Francisco and Bay Area hospices.

Untying Knots – Killing Me Softly

Have you ever been in a safe, but nonetheless terrifying situation, comforting a friend who is even more neurotic and terrified than you are, only to find that by going through this together, you form a lasting bond with each other? Michael Thompson’s autobiography, Untying Knots, is full of such episodes of existential unfolding, some disturbing, some light-hearted, all rendered with quiet wit and honesty. In this episode, Shintaido instructor David Franklin reads Chapters 13 through 16 (in the original book Section II, chapter 6 and Section III, chapters 1 through 3), entitled “I left My Heart...”, “The Outsiders,” “Killing Me Softly,” and “Trouble in Dodge City,” respectively.

Amanda Palmer: former living statue, musician, crowdfunding guru

Musician Amanda Palmer joins us for Episode 10 of the 2nd season of the podcast. With Brian Viglione she forms one half of the punk cabaret duo the Dresden Dolls, while in her solo career she is not only a songwriter, ukulele enthusiast, feminist, abortion rights activist, TED Talks superstar, and patron saint to every crowdfunded artist; she’s also been a New York Times best-selling author and a busker, earning her keep performing on streets from Boston to Berlin as a living statue calle “The Eight-Foot Bride.” We talked about singing and vocalizing and what it can do to our brains, our lives, and our communities.