How does embracing our body’s non-cognitive intelligence offer us infinite pathways to creativity and conflict resolution that our overthinking minds cannot?

This week, I had a vivifying conversation in which we traverse that very question.

I had the immense pleasure of speaking with Dr. Elisabet Lahti, a brilliant researcher and educator from Helsinki, Finland.

Dr Lahti is world-renowned for studying and celebrating the ancient Finnish concept of Sisu, which she describes as Somatic Resilience: the universal human capacity to endure under pressure and take action against slim odds, unearthing courage from deep within.

Sisulab is her fantastic website and podcast, which I sincerely suggest you check out to learn more about the profound work she’s doing.

Dr Lahti’s journey into understanding this deep inner strength is powerfully, deeply personal. Her own experience drove her probing research: How do humans find a way to overcome extreme difficulty? What is Sisu beyond concept?

She pushed her limits, running 1,500 miles across the entire length of New Zealand to research Sisu viscerally while simultaneously supporting a campaign to end domestic violence.

Intense effort led to a massive realization: the old idea of “mind over matter” wasn’t the path to true strength. This discovery led to the foundation of her groundbreaking concept: Gentle Power.

Dr Lahti describes Gentle Power as the high octave version of Sisu. It’s the way to use the primordial human life force in a conscious manner. She emphasizes that being relaxed is vital; being relaxed doesn’t mean that you’re powerless.

Gentle Power is the yin and the yang, the hard and soft qualities in harmony.

Gentle Power is strength that is unforced, tender, and tempered, combining fierce resolve with softness and discernment. When describing its effect, she states that Gentle Power doesn’t grasp, doesn’t impose, doesn’t demand, doesn’t pretend, and yet, it expresses, states, and excels, allowing you to use your vital life force (Ki) without burning out.

One huge takeaway from our talk, for me, was the reminder that cognitive reality is not the only reality. I notice that in most of these talks, this resolution of the schism between “mind” and “body” is often discussed.

I’m learning so much.

Dr Lahti shares how her background in social psychology had conditioned her to view human behavior and strength as something primarily mental. But her own research helped her realize that Sisu is more somatic than cognitive.

She notes that as we grow up and enter society, we are often robbed of our natural way of moving through the world, forcing most things to seem to happen only in the cognitive realm, almost like we are constrained by a “cognitive broadband.”

This is limiting, to say the least.

She views Aikido as the necessary “yin side” to balance sheer determination, constantly giving the impetus to relax more. This helps develop the intelligence of the body and teaches us how to harmonize and blend to dissolve conflict of energy.

Borrowing a phrase from past guest, Richard Moon, we were really just “learning out loud” together.

Hope you enjoy the episode!

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