Alan Tran | Peer Pressure →

Published April 15, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 15

On Castbox.fm — Alan Tran | Peer Pressure

How can movement practices, such as Parkour, enhance social connection and communication through exercises involving eye contact, physical touch, and shared space?

Parkour coaches can deepen their practice by incorporating elements of Tai Chi, dance, and breath-work to foster social awareness.

I wanted to bring this to Art of Retreat because social connection is so powerful, on our mental health, on relationships, on our happiness. I want to share and see how coaches can build a stronger connection for their communities, their students, their peers. And it can be as simple as eye contact or a high five or a hug.

~ Alan Tran (23:41)

The conversation explores the intersection between movement practices like Parkour and social connection. It highlights how physical exercises involving eye contact and partner interaction can reveal hidden boundaries and deepen interpersonal communication. A particular focus is placed on how different modalities, including dance, breath-work, and Tai Chi, can integrate into Parkour to enhance awareness and foster stronger community ties.

There is also discussion around cultural and gender-based differences in how people approach exercises involving physical touch and personal space. The challenges faced when presenting these concepts to different demographics, including at-risk youth, emphasize the importance of social context in movement training. These reflections demonstrate how movement can transcend physical boundaries to facilitate emotional growth and community bonding.

Takeaways

Simple eye contact in movement — Transmits significant unspoken information and alters partner dynamics.

Gender differences in space — Male participants often hold back more than female participants during physical proximity exercises.

Movement as social connection — Sessions on touch and eye contact highlight the importance of social engagement in physical training.

Cultural variations — Comfort with physical proximity varies between participants from different regions, influencing their engagement.

Touch as a practice — Teaching touch sensitivity and awareness improves not just movement, but broader interpersonal skills.

Resources

Alan Tran @alanstran

Enso Movement — Alan Tran’s Parkour gym and movement training space.

Art of Retreat — Annual Parkour leadership and education retreat.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Between stimulus and response →

Published April 15, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 15  ·  

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

~ Viktor Frankl

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Sound of thunder in the distance →

Published April 14, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 14  ·  ,

I’ve written before about the sounds of summer thunderstorms. I’m completely trained to relax and drift away to these sounds.

It’s said there are three things you can stare at endlessly: running water, fire, and other people working. I believe the first two trigger something deep within our brains; I believe there’s something about the small, random movements of water and fire which hypnotize the predator part of our brains… something about those movements stimulates our visual cortex.

But sound! The auditory part of our brain is older still, and the sound of running water is—at least for me, how about you?—deeply alluring. I’ll sit under cover on my patio and freeze my ass off just to hear the rain falling and the sound of water in the gutters.

Anywho. What brings up this train of thought? …on a gloriously sunny and blue-skied day?

…”sounds of rain and thunder,” is a thing you can listen to on Pandora.

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Wherein I continue my perennial rant against social networks →

Published April 13, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 13

His friends, however, were aghast at his decision to leave the social network and argued strongly against the action. Their airtight case? Certain activities, such as finding out about parties, would become less convenient. The convenience principle is so ingrained in our culture that Daniel’s friends believed that their argument that something would become less convenient was unimpeachable. Daniel, for his part, ignored them. He missed a few invitations, but not many.

~ Cal Newport from, Distraction is a Symptom of a Deeper Problem: The Convenience Principle and the Destruction of American Productivity

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I spent time writing about social networks for this post—but deleted it all because I’ve nothing nice to say. Instead I’ll smirk, and point at what someone else has written.

Great article though from Newport. As usual for his 2012 epoch, it’s specific to college students but contains deep wisdom for all.

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The greatest gift →

Published April 12, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 12  ·  

The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, “if you will take care of me, I will take care of you.” Now I say, “I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me.”

~ John Rohn

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Blog by a Stoic →

Published April 11, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 11  ·  ,

Stoicism has long surged in times of difficulty—the decline and fall of Rome, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Civil War, depressions, and periods of strife because it is a philosophy designed for difficult times. It says, in effect, you don’t control these alarming events going on in the world, but you do control how you respond. And in fact is a framework for responding with courage and virtue, and with the good emotions that accompany and sustain them: joy, caution and well-wishing. None of these inspiring figures were guilty of emotionless acquiescence.

~ Ryan Holiday from, The Secret, Singular Philosophy That Today’s Politics Are Desperately Missing

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I’m certainly not going to transform my blog to be entirely about Stoicism. Not because others have already done so, (others have, and have done it better than I could,) but rather, simply because this blog doesn’t have a single specific topic. It’s one long stream of consciousness where I’m leaving a breadcrumb trail of my thoughts. That being said:

Stoicism is turning out to be a powerful toolset; an excellent fulcrum for leveraging change in my personal life. Over several years, I’ve become increasingly interested in it, and have read slowly, but steadily. Very recently, I started a morning practice I’ve labeled “philosophical reading.” It’s simply some time set aside in my mornings to read and reflect on philosophy.

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Franklin, the state that sort of was →

Published April 10, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 10

In 1784, before Tennessee’s slender shape had ever been imagined and drawn on a map, there were rumblings of discontent in three counties in western North Carolina : Washington, Sullivan, and Greene. These small counties were isolated from the rest of North Carolina and their governing representatives, separated by the formidable Southern Appalachian mountain range. Residents were all too aware of how the mountains they lived in and around disenfranchised their lives.

~ Madelyn Brown from, A Look Back at Franklin, America’s Lost State

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Today, from the wait-wat?! department: There was almost-sort-of a fourteenth original state—except the Continental Congress never recognized it. Oh, geo-politics are complicated. *wry smile*

More seriously, Atlas Obscura is a terrific web site ticking off an endless list of amazing, surprising or simply interesting places on this magnificent marble we call home.

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How? Patience, honesty, humility →

Published April 9, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 9  ·  ,

No carelessness in your actions. No confusion in your words. No imprecision in your thoughts. No retreating into your own soul, or trying to escape it. No overactivity. They kill you, cut you with knives, shower you with curses. And that somehow cuts your mind off from clearness, and sanity, and self-control, and justice? A man standing by a spring of clear, sweet water and cursing it. While the fresh water keeps on bubbling up. He can shovel mud into it, or dung, and the stream will carry it away, wash itself clean, remain unstained. To have that. Not a cistern but a perpetual spring. How? By working to win your freedom. hour by hour,. Through patience, honesty, humility.

~ Marcus Aurelius

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Paula Flinn | Neurodiversity & Inclusivity →

Published April 8, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 8

On Castbox.fm — Paula Flinn | Neurodiversity & Inclusivity

How can communities and practices like Parkour better support and include neurodivergent individuals?

Understanding neurodiversity challenges long-held assumptions about disability and the value of different cognitive experiences.

Freedom means acceptance. When I feel free, I feel accepted, I feel that I can take up space and be myself.

~ Paula Flinn (27:01)

The conversation highlights the intersection of neurodiversity and physical movement disciplines, particularly Parkour. The discussion covers the fundamental misunderstanding of neurodivergent individuals and the social barriers they face. Parkour is presented as a medium that allows neurodivergent individuals to engage in free, non-competitive movement, providing a sense of autonomy and community.

Another focal point is the shift from a medical to a social model of disability, advocating for inclusive environments that acknowledge diverse cognitive experiences. This shift reframes disability as a result of environmental and societal barriers rather than individual deficits. The conversation touches on personal stories and broader systemic issues, including ableism and the importance of connection and acceptance.

Takeaways

Neurodiversity as Fact — The diversity of human minds is a biological reality, not a concept or trend.

Shift in Disability Perspective — Disability can be viewed as a social issue shaped by the environment rather than an individual’s deficits.

Parkour as Inclusive Space — The freedom, creativity, and autonomy in Parkour align well with the needs of neurodivergent individuals.

Challenges of Ableism — Deeply embedded ableism in society makes it difficult to change perspectives on disability.

Value of Connection — Inclusivity thrives on connection and understanding, beyond just ticking diversity checkboxes.

Resources

Perth Parkour on Facebook — Community organization supporting Parkour practice in Perth.

Women of Perth Parkour @womenofperthparkour — Group focused on women and non-binary inclusion in Parkour.

Nick Walker’s Work — Scholarly articles on neurodiversity and the social model of disability.

Art of Retreat

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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It’s really hard to see from another’s perspective →

Published April 8, 2020  ·  All posts on Apr 8  ·  

In such a simple situation, I placed a message in what I thought was the best position: The door knocker.

~ Steven Pressfield from, Stick It To The Doorknob

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It used to be that when someone asked me to look at something, or for feedback, I took it very seriously. Not “gravely” serious, but appropriately serious. I allocated what I felt would be sufficient time to give the task my undivided attention. I gave the whatever-it-was a deep thinking-through and tried to melt my mind into all the nooks and crannies(*).

No more!

Why? Because what do I desperately want when I ask someone for feedback? I want their fresh perspective.

I’ve already thought about it six ways to Sunday—I don’t even know what that means. I’ve a reason for every minuscule feature, every character, every color, … I don’t want you to ask me what sort of feedback I want… I don’t want you to get a pencil and pad out to write an outline… I don’t want you to think about what would be he best feedback to make the thing better… And these days I’m figuring that’s what everyone else wants too.

Just my first reaction. If I’m on my game, maybe my first few reactions; bonus points if I can muster a few positives and negatives. But either way, just *pow*, no holds barred. RFN (right now). As Pressfield said, hang the note right on the doorknob: “Your baby is ugly.” “That’s the most elegant Rube-Goldberg device I’ve ever seen.”

And then maybe ask a question or three once I’ve done the hard work of doing what I was asked.

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* Anyone else always associate that phrase with butter and Thomas’s English muffins?