1.
I've been trying to write a book, but the subject matter isn't very "book-shaped." The working title is "Let's Get Psychophysical: The Quest for a Western Mind-Body Practice." However, as soon as I started writing out the linear structure, it exploded into a thousand directions at once, and I can't figure out how to put it all back in order. So instead, I'll let it be "blog-shaped" and publish it in a more messy, non-linear way here on Substack with an accompanying YouTube channel.
2.
The central idea of the book, or rather the blog, is that the West doesn't have its own "mind-body movement practice" in the same way other cultures do. For example, Tai Chi in China, Yoga in India, and Zen in Japan. People in the West are practicing various methods and techniques in the realms of ‘mind,’ ‘body,’ and ‘spirit,’ but there isn't one practice that brings them all together, something we can point to and say, "Yes, that's the Western one."
3.
This would just be a historical curiosity if not for the fact that the West faces a unique set of practical and spiritual problems, which may seem unrelated at first glance but can be summarized as "mind-body malfunctions." The typical Westerner struggles with bad posture, can't stay focused on tasks, lacks emotional control, and feels a disconnection between mind and body. This mind-body split also manifests at the cultural level, with a significant gap between theory and practice in the education system, a 'competency crisis' revealing how few people know how to convert ideas into actions, and many psychological beliefs that have lost touch with physical facts.
4.
People have responded to this mind-body split in different ways, mostly treating the symptoms. We’ll discuss the benefits and limitations of these responses on the blog. However, the root cause of many—though not all—of our problems lies in the disconnect between mind and body, between theory and practice, and between words and actions. I've experimented with many methods, systems, and practices over the years, both Eastern and Western, ancient and modern. They either don't encompass the whole PSYCHOPHYSICAL person (even when they believe they do!), aren't sufficiently WESTERN (even when created by Westerners and practiced in the West!), or aren't PRACTICAL enough for modern Westerners to learn and use independently.
5.
We need a different approach. First, we must understand the true purpose of a mind-body movement practice—it’s not just about sensing and feeling your body more deeply. Next, we need a better definition of the West—what makes it distinct from other cultures (both positively and negatively) and why it needs its own practice developed from within itself, just as other cultures did in the past. We also need to clarify what we mean by "practice"—it's not just "going through the motions" and then returning to real life. We require a new approach to discussing the psychophysical, and for this, we need a new format and teaching method, which are themselves psychophysical in nature.
6.
I will introduce a specific technique that I believe is the ideal foundation for constructing a truly Western mind-body movement practice. While I didn't invent this technique, I'm placing it within a broader intellectual and historical context, integrating it with other methods, and presenting it in a new way. I’m also teaching this practice one-on-one over Zoom with private pupils. It's still quite experimental and a work in progress, so you can get a cheaper rate for now if you don't mind being a bit of a guinea pig :)
7.
You can see why this project isn't "book-shaped." Think of this Substack and YouTube channel as a dynamic, living book where we convert all of our ideas into practical procedures. So instead of just passively reading on autopilot, you'll actively move from words to images to videos, to daily self-experiments, to one-on-one lessons with me, and then back to words again. Let's get psychophysical.
To book a one-on-one lesson: Reply directly to this newsletter, Message me on Twitter/X, or Email psychophysicaleducation@gmail.com