Tomm Gleeson, 32 Fullerton Lane (2025)

15/01/2025

• MOMENTUM VS DIRECTION •

In life there are times to double-down and times to fold, but unfortunately our in-built psychological programming makes it near-impossible to ignore the weight of sunk costs. It bears down on our decision making, hampering our ability to innovate or let go when things aren't working well.

I love Seth Godin's approach to innovation and thinking outside the box. He has a great ability to recognise elements of human nature that are universal and simultaneously exist in the periphery of our awareness.

We all have an inability to ignore sunk costs, to lean further into what we have rather than what might be more worthwhile.

This isn't to say staying the course is without its place in the passage of life, but just to consider where you may be feeling the gravity of your own sunk costs pull you away from inspired action and towards the 'way things have always worked'

Food for thought.

09/01/2025

• THE FULLNESS OF EMPTY SPACE •

On a road trip west, passing through the dry, sparse centre of Australia en route to the glistening shorelines of the Bight, I was struck by the soft beauty that resided amongst those 'harsher' landscapes.
I had expected this portion of the trip to be quite stark, a tussle with intense heat and dust only broken by the brief spell of the evening cool.
As is usually the case, our expectations are rarely inline with reality. Lucky for me, this time it worked out for the better.
To say nothing of the vast tonal contours of a land that stretches far beyond the horizon, there was another quality to the experience that was more intimate, a felt sense of peace, calm, contentedness amongst that overflowing vastness.
It makes me think of the phrase 'nature abhors a vacuum'. Whenever there is space created, there is a compelling sense of life flooding in to fill it.
For me, in this case, this age-old lesson was heard through the soft hum of an open silence that a desert landscape creates.
How can such emptiness feel so full? Such cohesion be reflected amongst such isolated environs?
Some insights are there to be felt, not understood. Time in nature is like this. All of the words we have cannot convey a shade of what is communicated to us through reverence & dialogue with the more-than-human world.
Nature can speak in ways both elegant and opaque, providing just enough insight to allow us the grace of the final realisation.
What is your version of communing with Nature?

07/01/2025

• BALANCE - A FIXED TITLE FOR A DYNAMIC STATE •

The concept of balance as applied to the human experience overly simplifies the range of experiences and stimulus that we are subject to on any given day.
When considered in light of fixed, non-animated objects, balance as a fixed point makes sense. We can balance rocks on top of one another for example, finding the 'balance point'. But any time a complex system is involved, such as a human balancing on a surfboard, balance becomes instantly dynamic, and relies more on the ability to respond to circumstances than finding an imaginary balance point amongst constantly moving surroundings.

So what's the significance of this? We plague ourselves with the ever-unfulfilled quest of 'finding balance', reminiscing on a moment where it was present like a memory that has disappeared into the archives of nostalgia.

Balance is something we are empowered to create in spite of the myriad bumps, curves and swerves that life delivers. It comes down to an ability to respond, to our capacity to be in our centre and dance, wiggle and hold fast our footing.

I always like to challenge people's balance when working in a group setting. It's a fantastic way to become playful with movement whilst also informing the mind that balance is an embodied phenomenon. We can feel it, sense it within our tissue, rather than rely on the rational mind's astute feedback.

I always like to consider how we use words across topics, and the power of language in general.
For me, balance is a living philosophy, an embodied sensation, a dialogue between two dynamic systems.
I am more interested in how we can use the physical sensation of balance to inform the greater sense of it in life. Perhaps those that feel 'out of balance' are want to try balancing on one leg with their eyes closed. Who knows, it could be something.

Thank you for reading, I value your attention. x

06/01/2025

2025 - PERSONAL VISION & GOALS

As we move into the new year, there is the sense of renewal, an opportunity to redefine how we move through the world and what we are compelled to pursue.

Having a Vision and setting Goals are tangible processes that empower us into action, but what is the difference between the two?

Imagine you are planning a hike through the HImalayan mountains, one that involves a good degree of planning and ex*****on.

Goals are the physical aspect of that journey. You allocate times and destinations, breaking the journey down into stages and planning your movements (actions) between those stages. Each day has its own goal that feeds into the larger goal of reaching the summit. Goals are a practical necessity, they inform our plans and outline the parameters within which we want to operate. From our goals, we draw up plans and act on them to create the outcome we desire.

But what is driving the Goals? Why do you even want to summit a mountain? Its hard work, costly and potentially life-threatening. In a lot of ways, it doesn't really make sense...

This is where we visit our Personal Vision. The Vision is less pragmatic, less grounded in the mundane but necessary steps of Goals/Plans. A Vision is emotive, it is artistic and poetic. You could see yourself sitting atop the peak, casting your gaze across the endless horizon of Himalayan mountaintops and feeling a deep, residing sense of calm and content.

Perhaps the VIsion has less to do with who you are at the top, but who you were at the bottom.

Human beings are wired for the artfulness of story. We want to feel something, finding it easier to be moved by the artful narrative than the cold fact.
Hence, our VIsion represents the artful side to our journey.

We need goals, we need plans, we need practicality. But this must be ballasted by meaning, purpose and a 'Why'. It is the dance of two opposites, and a return to the principles of yin-yang.

Ask yourself, what are your Goals for 2025, and what is your grand Personal Vision?
Is the vision enough to excite you? Is it 'too realistic' and perhaps not grand enough?

30/06/2024

When learning about the body and how it functions, we can get lost in the complexity and vast information that is available to us.
However, most fundamental concepts are things we experience in our day-to-day life and can be related back to how our own bodies operate.

I hope to communicate some of these concepts in a way that makes sense and is relatable.

13/06/2024

A SENSE OF EDGE-NESS

What is it to strive? We are compelled forward by a sense of intrigue, of curiosity, of wonder, about a myriad of different things. The ideas or prospects that inspire me, that move the spirit within, are completely different to, well everyone, even though there are overlaps with a small group of others within certain circles. �But the point is, there is a unique orientation to each of our directions in life. And what strikes me is just that, and it is a commonly understood feature of living.

So, we move forwards, whatever forwards mean in relation to our own experience. And as the momentum builds it begins to push us in new directions, towards experiences and challenges we couldn’t of even conceived earlier on.

My experience has been one of lighting the way on my own path to self-discovery. Recognising the cliche nature of such a statement, it has indeed been and continues to be process of finding the next step, and well, really building the path as I go.

All of the analogies that become cliches are so because they exist as archetypal experiences. There is a universality to the concept of a journey, to that of a path, a voyage and so on. And really, to be striving forward in conscious endeavour of our own purpose is analogous to being at sea, orienting your vessel to the stars (or the heavens, as many cultures believed), and steering in good faith and trust they will lead you where you need to go.

At present, I’m feeling vulnerable. It’s a new career, a new direction, a new way of being, and I don’t have an adopted identity to hide behind, because I am guided by my own heart, I have begun playing the game as myself, rather than an avatar. And that is terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. This time it’s for real. ��There is a convenience to pretending to be someone I’m not, or even more specifically, to suppressing the part of me that is really me. If I was to fail at being someone I’m not, it still hurts, but deep down I know that I didn’t really show up as all of Me. I stashed some chips off the table. I kept some for myself, hid it deep, buried beneath layers of identity so deep even I don’t know what’s down there. But what I do know is that it’s safe, tucked away, and if I fail or fall short of the mark, I can hide behind the guise of the identity you’ve constructed. ��So now, here I am, living with an ambition toward authenticity, in conscious awareness of the work that needs doing in each and every moment to maintain this balance.

But the driving point of this whole ramble is just this sensation I have, when I feel the vertiginous drop away either side of my path, I realise that in striking out on a new journey, I am really departing from safety, from comfort, from the known and the reliable. I am guided by a star, a distant peak, a sense in my gut, a feeling, an intuition. My willingness to follow those guides comes down to belief, to faith, to willingness, trust. All of which feed the flame that lights my way, that enables me to see the next step, and the next step is all I need to see.

A teacher once told me that the difference between your ego guidance and your soul-guidance is this, the ego will show you the entire path to the peak, it will outline the distance and time between each stage, how much you will achieve and how much you will be rewarded for your efforts, and appeases the reductionist left-brain mind. Soul-guidance is different. It will show you the peak, as if it appears for a moment between the clouds, glistening in golden light and invigorating you with passion and drive, right before it disappears again, and the way obscured. Then, should you be courageous enough to seek out this hidden peak of the soul, you won’t be shown the whole way, just THE NEXT STEP.

This is a condition of the universe, of creation, of unlimited potential, in that it all exists in the as-yet-unknown. We cannot know what hasn’t been created, because everything we know is based on what HAS been created. Our perception of the future gets tethered to our memory of the past. Hence, uncertainty is a prerequisite to novelty, and vice-versa. One begets the other.

So, in selfish benevolence, I have shared this writing as a means of extracting from my own mind that which perturbs me at this moment. For I am resisting the uncertain, seeking to identify the peak behind the clouds, rather than doing what I should, and really the only thing I can do, which is focus on the very next step, and move forward in trust, keeping that delicate flame of inner guidance burning just bright enough to light the way until I reach the peak, only to beckoned further by the horizon of opportunity that awaits me there.

And so it goes.

06/06/2024

• Work With Me •
I am excited to offer 1-on-1 holistic lifestyle and movement coaching!

Are you struggling with persistent pain?

Have previous approaches to movement, exercise and training left you wanting?

Is there a curiosity, a willingness, a need to try something different?

Do you crave a level of support, skill and accountability to drive positive change?

Are you ready to commit to an investment in your health and longevity?

If these questions resonate, perhaps it is time...

My method of coaching is specific, global, bespoke and holistic.
Drawing on over 4 years of study, apprenticeship, education and application, I offer a unique and considered approach to support and empower my clients on the pathway to realising their highest potential.

I prioritise the principles of safety, connection, intention and communication.

For me, these are elemental forces that are fundamental to the process of healing.

We are all figuring out what it means to embody our unique place in the world, and while we are the only ones who can take that step, its important to remember there's people who are willing to walk that part of the path with us.

"At the end of it all, we are all just walking each other home" - Ram Dass

26/05/2024

How can I think of archetypes? What are they and how do they interact with my life on a day-to-day basis?
Archetypes exist as elemental energies, primordial blueprints that find unique expression through each person, place, circumstance and moment. Picture what you see when you watch the light dance off a clear crystal prism. As the shape moves or rotates, the light cutting through it changes in colour, intensity and brightness. The source does not change, but the way it is perceived is altered as it passes through the crystal. We are the prism, moving through life. Light is that which animates us, which can be conceived as 'universal consciousness'. As the white light is split into reds, oranges, yellows, and all of the colours of the rainbow (as well as all the colours outside of the visible spectrum), we are able to at first notice then appreciate the differences between each colour. Reds make us feel passionate, perhaps angry; blues make us feel mellow, melancholy even, purple has a regal tone, inviting higher dreamings.
Now imagine each colour of the rainbow as having its own energetic blueprint, characteristics if you will. Archetypes could be conceived in this way, as primordial waves of energy that come from a common source. When we are animated by such energies, they play out in our lives. We can feel the archetype of the Explorer archetype as we traverse new lands, eagerly overturning stones in search of the unknown. And then circumstances change, and we are no longer moved by that energy. The presiding archetype shifts, as do the seasons of our lives.

What our clothing and costume is to us, we are to archetypes. We embody characters to match our sartorial selections, as archetypes animate us in according to the flavour of the moment. And much in the same way, each becomes a selection of looks that is unique to us and the life we are living.
Image Credit .art

22/05/2024

Tools are not things, they are objects given temporary ordination - separated from the realm of the arbitrary, aesthetic or profane and allocated a special moniker.
They empower us to create, to engage with life, to bring forth ideas into tangible form, to find novel solutions, and to realise ever more our own innate potential.

They extend beyond the realm of the physical. Thoughts can become tools, our relationship with ideas and story can serve a similar purpose.

There is a sacredness to tools, something that is realised once more in times of simplicity, struggle or strife.

Tools are an instrument of creation - married with our own innate instruments, become skeleton keys to unlock potential as-yet-unknown.

What tools do you love? Are they tangible or intangible?

12/03/2024

// FORM & ESSENCE //
a paradox of complementary opposites
One of the most fundamental aspects of any endeavour that is meaningful and engaging, is that for those able to stray deeply into an art or practise, there they meet the inherent paradox that is embedded and entwined at every level of analysis.
In my naive observation I have noticed that the commonality to all universal truths seems to be that they are essentially paradoxical. That is to say, the closer a statement is to paradox, the more absolute it is in its application. We are met by this phenomena in religious, spiritual and philosophical writings & stories, but it also spills over into the realm of the tangible or quantifiable.
Consider this, at the level of our cellular biology, we rely on the semi-permeable boundaries of the cell walls. They must both allow nutrients to enter and waste to leave whilst allow disallowing pathogens to enter. In other words, they must be porous and rigid in the same instance. See what I mean?
So naturally, as I wade ever deeper into these concepts and realise the parallels among them, it strikes me as a curious phenomena.
How can something be both?
And that is how I relate to the work I do, in supporting my clients to navigate the inherent paradox of being.
When speaking to the physical, I have myself wondered aloud whether it is better to be flexible or strong, stable or balanced. Is it better to lift weights or do yoga? Again, and I admit the triteness of this statement, it is both and neither.
For, again, we operate in harmony with the universe when we most readily align with its laws, and unfortunately for the left-brain, reductionist, scientifically-driven society that we dwell in, those laws aren't so clear-cut.
So how do we reconcile this? Well, as the title of this post suggests, there is a complementary nature to these paradox. In my estimation, they serve and inform one another.
Form could be thought of as the masculine (archetype), the yang, the structure, the physical etc.
Essence can be considered as the feminine, the yin, the substance, the energetic etc.
Without one, the other cannot reach its fullest expression. We rely on the tension between opposites to hold reality together. It is through finding our own peace with the paradoxical nature of existence that we most readily access the gifts stored therein.
So, really, what is the driving point here? Well, there is no short-cut to solving the problem of life, unfortunately (sorry). But at every juncture there is the opportunity to decide. And decision comes down to our ability to discern.
Discernment is the unflattering name for what is the capacity to balance the complementary opposites of paradox. Which do we need more of? Structure or substance? Straight or curved? Light or dark?
And when we aren't sure, that's when we seek help in discerning.
In my work, both as a bodyworker and personal coach, I strive support the calibration of each client's instrumentation of inner discernment.
Through finding and restoring balance we support the flourishing of each of our own inner guidance mechanisms.

05/03/2024

SEEKING VALUE VS EXPRESSING VALUE
What is the difference in our experience and perception of reality when we are engaged in either of these two acts?
Seeking value is looking outside of ourselves, expressing value is sharing that which is already within.
One equates to self-love, sufficiency and gratitude.
The other implies dissatisfaction, insufficiency and lack.
Perhaps I am showing my hand here, but I am finding myself humbled by the constancy of this dance, the practice of finding balance first within the realms of mind.
It is always alluring to entertain the mystery of the solution 'out there'. It has been romanticised, ingrained in culture and to a certain extent our own consciousness. Much less exciting is the concept of that which is 'already within'.
And yet, it seems, all of the things that are most powerful to us are those that are already within reach. Think breath, sleep, movement, sunlight, song, self-affirmation - where is the barrier to entry here? Credence to the strictures of certain extreme circumstance that individuals and peoples find themselves in, it must be said.
But by-and-large, the things that are most powerful, most transformational and compelling in the journey toward higher expression are those very humble things that lie patiently in waiting for us.
Cliches are just archetypes that have been commodified through pop culture. We live and experience cliches because they have an archetypal universality to them. To name them as such is akin to remarking on the changes of seasons as if they come as a shock, and yet by-and-by they meet us each year.

And so perhaps this is cliche, perhaps it is archetypal, but more than anything it is an act. However small, however insignificant, acts of creation, of expression, of sharing with others, are ultimately acts of love. Not the big love, not the hollywood love, but the small and the mundane. The love that is really not noticed, but felt, like a fleck of gold in the riverbed, its shine is there then its gone, and it leaves us with a smile.

So here, I invite you to express your value where you can, and not diminish the power of the small...

TG

28/01/2024

Here we have an example of the immediate kind of results that Myofascial Release Massage can deliver. Ed is a busy operator, and his body is under constant demand through his timber boat-work, rigorous training & conditioning and competitive surfing. He didn't present with any immediate concerns or pain, so we worked through a full body protocol over 2 x 1hr sessions.
The outcomes are subtle but significant.

The first photo shows opening across the chest and shoulders, which allows the breath to lengthen and deepen, as he will now be able to breathe more easily into his lower abdomen (diaphragmatic breath).

The second photo shows a slight increase in the broadness across his back. This is important because fascia becomes a more efficient medium of force transmission when it is both long & broad, much in the same way that the sail of a ship generates more power when it has the optimal tension and shape across its face.

Releasing fascia through this form or any other form of bodywork, self-application foam rollers and massage balls or movement-based practises supports the overall function & metabolic health of the body. Fascia is the substrate within which all systems of the body operate, from the sensory nervous system, to lymph and blood vessels, endocrine and visceral functions.

While the visible changes are important, and great to share and remark on, it's the invisible ones that are truly powerful, and as such must be experiences to be understood.

Massage is not a superfluous luxury, it is one of many vehicles for discovering more of the limitless miracle that is our own bodies.

Tomm Gleeson

15/01/2025

09/01/2025

07/01/2025

06/01/2025

30/06/2024

13/06/2024

06/06/2024

26/05/2024

22/05/2024

12/03/2024

05/03/2024

28/01/2024

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