Ethan Cowan
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  • I just finished reading: Shu Ha Ri by Richard Griffiths @writingslowly

    I liked how short it was. I think it would fit in well with other books from Tracy Durnell’s In praise of the hundred page idea.

    Shu Ha Ri is about learning through lineage, then keeping lineage alive. I liked the weave of examples from different ways (dōs) that run through the book. Most touching was the story of Jigoro Kano, founder of Judō, whose final request in life was to be buried wearing his white belt. I had already heard a fair bit about Kano because Moshe Feldenkrais studied with Kano, so Kano feels like an ancestor in the Feldenkrais lineage I’m practicing in. But I had never heard this detail about Kano’s intention to maintain beginner’s mind even after going through death.

    I also appreciated the explanation of Keiko, a word for training that includes reference to 10 generations of practitioners before. It had me thinking about how lineage holders actually want an endlessness for their practice, for the “living knowledge” or the meme of the practice to go on and on.

    → 6:07 PM, Mar 29
    Also on Bluesky
  • Attention is Precious

    → 7:48 AM, Mar 29
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  • Turns out I started blogging in 2007

    In 2007 I graduated from college and started blogging on blogger.com. I had one called Ethan Brand Development and another one called Acade-Me.

    I only published that first summer. In the fall, I started more blogs but never published, just made drafts. Basically journal entries. I won’t bring the drafts forward onto my website now, but I’m definitely keeping them in my files for reference. Some juicy, personal stuff in there. Can’t believe it’s all still just sitting in blogger.com.

    → 6:04 PM, Mar 26
    Also on Bluesky
  • I’m thinking about retro-actively assembling my personal website as an archive of lots of previous stuff I did, including stuff I already posted online, which is what Lisa Charlotte Muth did bringing everything back to her website, but ALSO maybe some stuff I haven’t posted before.

    → 1:35 PM, Mar 24
    Also on Bluesky
  • Esalen 3

    → 4:54 PM, Mar 19
  • Esalen 2 - Scanning and 5 Lines

    → 4:33 PM, Mar 18
    Also on Bluesky
  • I want to write a book

    I don’t know why. I’m not sure what it would be about. Plus I know it’s a BIG project and I don’t really have much training. But this desire to write a book just keeps coming up in my life.

    And since I’m not getting any younger, I figure I might as well be honest with myself and try to get into it while I have time.

    Most of the writing I’ve done until now has been in my journals. And like most people, I’ve also done a little bit of online posting, here and there, but nothing much of note.

    But then every once in a while, this bigger desire comes along, to do a bigger project, and it’s always a feeling that just has this general shape, like, “I want to write a book.” And typically, when this happens, I rush into a headspace full of mental furniture and start arranging and rearranging, like guests will be arriving soon.

    Sometimes, I’m vaguely aware this inner book fantasy must have something to do with my outer life. What’s going on with me that this is the shape of desire that keeps suggesting itself? A book shaped desire. But then, pretty quickly that hint of perspective turns out to be fleeting and flown.

    And again, I’m not sure what I want my writing to do for me, or what I can do for my writing. I think I need to train if I’m going to make it to the top of this book mountain that I seem to be wanting to climb.

    I know there are many ways to write: essays, novels, scripts, notes, journalism, blogging, all the sub-genres therein.

    I’m not sure what my book would even be about. I’m not sure why my thing would even need to be a book. I don’t know why.

    With everything going on in 2026, I feel strange. And haven’t there been enough books already? But I didn’t get my chance yet.

    So, here I am, apparently, setting my sights on the top of book mountain. And I guess if I ever make it up there, to the top, I’m probably gonna end up like the bear in the song… to see what he could see.

    → 1:44 PM, Mar 18
  • One of my top contenders for 2026 slogan of the year (it’s early yet, but this does a lot of conceptual work for me).

    → 10:39 AM, Feb 18
  • Esalen 47 - Public Class Sitting Twist

    → 5:00 PM, Feb 4
  • Esalen 32 - Measuring

    → 5:02 PM, Jan 21
  • Esalen 30 - Bridge

    → 2:04 PM, Jan 19
  • Esalen 29 - Toes

    → 5:06 PM, Jan 18
  • Esalen 26 - Foot Above the Head

    → 8:07 PM, Jan 14
  • Unwrap the Present - Perfect Hinges

    → 12:13 PM, Nov 25
  • Mia and Gaby SF Evenings 1978 - 1 - Coordinating Flexors and Extensors

    → 5:11 PM, Oct 6
  • Circling on the Ear

    → 5:09 PM, Aug 7
  • “the practice is for me,” a mantra I discovered and used for a little while during one of my trips to Denmark - even tho I’m working with others, the practice is for me.

    I like how the five line figures look like writing

    lesson from Alan Questel’s Reversibility, 3rd lesson, “Falling Reversibility”

    → 7:51 AM, Apr 24
  • Have goals? Have a hard time reaching them? Sometimes nothing stands between U and Ur goals except an inner tension that holds U back. U can learn to reach Ur truth thru inner resolution.

    U? comes from zencephalon

    → 10:38 AM, Apr 15
  • From Alan Questel’s Growing Young, second ATM about Habits

    → 3:19 PM, Apr 26
  • SF Leg Over

    → 10:33 AM, May 27
  • SF Leg Over

    → 10:32 PM, May 23
  • SF Arms Overhead

    → 9:30 AM, May 14
  • SF Sawing the Arms

    → 5:28 PM, Jan 28
  • my legs in the light

    → 6:27 PM, May 27
  • AY34 - Foot on the Head

    → 7:24 PM, Jan 1
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