De-Escalation Conversations

9. If It Ain’t Broke... Should We Fix It?: Prayers, Public Service, and Prisons

When is it beneficial versus detrimental for public opinion to shape the future— and what are the ideal attributes one can embody before expressing their opinions? Serenity might guide us in both spaces of radical change and in radical powerlessness. In this episode, Andy and Lev reflect on what can be learned from the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, when confronting opposing beliefs in the attention economy, and from our own survival-driven reactions. Now with 50% more birdsong!

8. Living Your Values: Rituals, Regularity, and Relief

Participating meaningfully when you’re oversaturated with crises, conflicts, and news about impending or current disasters can feel impossible. How can you engage in these causes in a way that’s sustainable? Join Andy and Lev as they discuss what it means to ‘seek’, why we do it, and practices we can use to stay compassionate to ourselves and the world around us.

7. The Dark Night of the Soul: Trials, Triumph, and Tactical Trauma Skills (with guest Kass Wojcik)

The persona, the ego, and the shadow. What are these Jungian aspects, and how do they emerge from our earliest experiences? Kass Wojcik—business doula and no-bullshit shadow coach— shares her experience with soul-searching, identifying projections, and learning to integrate every part of ourselves in order to reach our fullest human potential.

 

Find Kass at https://www.e3.community/feed
Check out more about Andy’s new community-driven program, Jumpstart Mastery, at https://www.jumpstartmastery.com/feed 

Thanks to Glynn Rosenberg and Dave Luxton for the art and theme music, respectively.

6. The Tower of Babel and the Human Resources Department: Complaints, Collusion, and Censorship

Content advisory: Non-graphic mentions of sexual assault and predatory behavior; use of some terms that have been held as offensive toward cultures.

 

What is an ‘offense’, and how can we arrive at a process that centers relationships and growth when emotionally disruptive types of communication emerge? In this conversation, Andy shares how using shadow work helped him to process a poorly structured workplace intervention, Lev shares the difficulties of arbitrating language and accusations, and together, they envision how harmony and understanding might come from misunderstandings.

 

snakesinthegardenpodcast@gmail.com

5. The Subtle Art of Shadow Work: Mediation and Musicality (with guest Lucia Wyss)

Joined by mediator and aikidoist Lucia Wyss, Andy and Lev talk about the importance of attunement, why danger looks different to everybody, and how self-determination can unexpectedly be more difficult than the alternatives.

4. Disaster Preparedness for Mental Apocalypses: Survivalism, Startle Responses, and Sisyphus

The human condition has been a source of curiosity and confusion since the dawn of time. In this episode, Andy and Lev talk about the conditions that precede assaultive behaviors, some conspiracies and even scarier truths, and why it might not be a good idea to live forever. 

 

Art by IG @glynn.rosenberg, music by Dave Luxton

3. The Neurobiology of Fear: Speed, and Survival, and SPEAR CARE (with guest Tony Blauer)

In this special guest episode featuring Tony Blauer-- a world-renowned tactical trainer and developer of the SPEAR system-- host Andy discusses using fear as a tool, how to adapt self-defense to the care and services professions, and the universal principles which apply to everyone in moments of action and reaction.

 

Opening music features an excerpt from the track "Snakes in the Grass" by Dave Luxton, used with his permission and thanks.

2. The Allegory of the Lighthouse: Pioneers, Prisons, and Process

The hosts discuss the social consequences of the perception of threat, share wisdom offered by teachers in the past and present, and talk about how to create a better world--even when your vision of that world differs from someone else's. 

 

Sources Referenced (chronological):

 

Len Cardinale, Olympic archery coach: http://archeryhalloffame.com/Cardinale%20Len.html ("Score Consciousness"
Dalai Lama XIV: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/487218-to-remain-indifferent-to-the-challenges-we-face-is-indefensible 
“The Book of Five Rings” by Miyamoto Musashi: https://www.worldhistory.org/review/243/the-book-of-five-rings/ 
"The Kybalion" by Three Initiates of Hermes Trismegistus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kybalion ("As above, so below"
Ken Wilber's Integral Theory: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2164956120952733 
Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory, interpersonal neurobiology: https://www.stephenporges.com 
Tony Blauer, SPEAR Theory: https://www.thespearsystem.com/physiology
Laura Moss, National Anger Management Association and Growth Central Training: https://www.growthcentral.com/staff/laura-moss/ 

 

Opening music features an excerpt from the track "Snakes in the Grass" by Dave Luxton, used with his permission and thanks.

1. Musashi in the Modern-Day: Hero Archetypes, Buddhism and Battles

Andy and Lev read the tale of Musashi and the Master in the garden, and with humor and a grounding consciousness, discuss the importance of relationships and how self-interest and fear impact them.

 

 

Sources Referenced (chronological):

Musashi and Takuan in the garden: http://underthemoonshadow.blogspot.com/2010/09/takuan-musashi-and-snake.html
Regrets of the Dying: https://bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying/
Zen in the Art of Archery, Eugen Herrigel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_in_the_Art_of_Archery

"Scroll of Truth" comic: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1885523-the-scroll-of-truth