Stoic Bodywork News Letter - August 2025:

Sep 18

Dear Honorable Fellows of the Human Genome,

I’m going to admit up front that I’ll be shamelessly focusing this edition towards the book I’m working on.

Before I do that, I wanted to take a second to thank you. Stoic Bodywork runs on 99.99% referrals. Very rarely someone comes in from a google search but everyone else has been from a recommendation by you. Stacey and I do our best to provide a quality service that you all can rely on and we are grateful for the trust you put in us to not only help you, but your family and friends as well. We are nearing having seen over 900 different clients, and the way things have been going we might get there before year end.

Thank you for all your trust, your patronage, your referrals and reviews. We truly appreciate you and will continue to do our best here at Stoic.

That is if I survive this manuscript. Even Stacey has been commenting on the new grey beard hairs it has given me. Possibly because I have unfortunately missed my deadline, but I believe this to be in the true fashion of an author to have done so. Luckily for me my editor has humored me enough to agree.

That being said I really do need to finish it up so that there would be a chance you can get your hands on one before the holidays should you so choose. It would seem the Universe is pushing for that inevitability as all set backs have lead to that timing. I’ll admit it is all completely my fault for having far too many projects at once.

Between this newsletter, the podcast, my fervent efforts to catch up on having actual social media presence, and a few currently secret projects. I have pulled the threads a bit tight on my capacity to finish each of these tasks in time. Also, the small amount of me that is a perfectionist often requires a bit of convincing before the ‘its good enough’ reality sets in.

It will forever be an endeavor to better myself where and when I can. Something deeply rooted in the fundamentals of the manuscript I’m spending so much of my time on. Which leads me to a very exciting moment in any authors process. I will soon be revealing the title and cover. Make sure to stay tuned to our social channels for that. The cover images are coming along great and once everything is sent off to my editor I will be able to shift my focus there and finalize it for the big reveal.

I’ve shown off some snippets of what I’m working on in this newsletter before but I thought this time around I’d give you all a sneak peek at a full chapter. Feedback is very much welcome and although the context will be lacking some, as each chapter builds on the rest, this one is a fundamental piece of the whole work. You can find it in the current work section below.

First though, please stop by the news section for a new way you might catch that cover review, and other ramblings I toss out into the interwebs.

Always remember my ad nauseum disclaimer: I am not a doctor, medical, legal or financial professional, and none of this is medical, financial, legal or professional advice of any kind. Also, any affiliate links below will be noted with an asterisk ‘*’. Enjoy.

News:

I’m a little nonplussed about saying this but… we have a TikTok for those of you who would prefer to follow us there instead of on our Instagram. We still do a bit on Facebook, but we have modernized our methods and focus more on the other two… albeit reluctantly.
New podcast episodes come out on the 1st & 15th every month. Be sure to check them out. The newest episode discusses the philosophy behind Stoic Bodywork and part of the story of how I got to where I am today. In a very rare moment for me, I got a little emotional. Don’t miss it.
Our fitness clients are absolutely crushing it and they feel and look great. Stacey has really pushed herself to learn the Stoic Bodywork methods and is helping her clients achieve their goals with plenty of laughs and good vibes all around. If you’re thinking about starting a new fitness journey this fall, don’t wait book now!

Current work / Research / Recommendations:

Chapter 21: Self

Noun

2 : the union of elements (such as body, emotions, thoughts, and sensations) that constitute the individuality and identity of a person

To speak of the Self is to initiate the most essential inquiry a human being can undertake. It is the foundation upon which all awareness rests, the axis around which our inner and outer worlds revolve. And yet, for all its importance, the Self remains one of the most misunderstood, misused, and even feared concepts in contemporary life.

The Latin word ego simply means "I." In its original sense, ego was not a flaw or a defect, it was a statement of presence. In the modern era, ego has been distorted into a caricature of arrogance and narcissism. We mock others by saying they are "egotistical," we accuse others of being "full of themselves," and we conflate ego with selfishness. This cultural vilification of the self has contributed to a spiritual epidemic that has caused a mass disconnection from identity. Egotism and rampant selfishness are supposed to be the descriptors of an unchecked and refined ego. Not flippant insults used carelessly.

The self has nothing to do with arrogance nor selfishness. It is not a problem to be solved. The self is a necessary internal guide without which we drift aimlessly. When we deny the self, we lose our footing in the world. When we surrender it to others, be they institutions, ideologies, or peer groups, we become avatars of expectation rather than sovereign individuals. To reclaim the self is to be selfish, and being selfish is being whole.

In metaphysical and philosophical traditions around the world, the self has always been understood as a triality: body, mind, and spirit. The physical body is the vessel, the spiritual body is the source, and the mind is the translator that bridges the two. This model is not merely symbolic, no, it reflects the way we experience existence. Our thoughts, our sensations, our beliefs, all of it emerges from the dynamic interplays between these three aspects of being.

Ego, in this context, is not noise. It is the distinct voice of identity. It is the "I" that declares, "this is me." It does not need to shout, but it must be heard. When refined, ego becomes a resonant frequency that attunes us to living correctly. When distorted, it becomes arrogance and causes disruption with the world around us. The solution is not elimination, that is a lazy and incorrect fix. The solution is to diligently work towards understanding the ego, the I.

Alan Watts once remarked that "the most egotistical thing you can do is to try to eliminate the ego." This paradox exposes a great misunderstanding in spiritual circles: the idea that selflessness is a superior moral state. What often masquerades as humility is, in truth, denial, and denial breeds confusion, repression, and spiritual paralysis.

Self-awareness begins not with rejection, but with a clear and concise recognition. Ask yourself: Who am I, really? What part of me is inherent, and what part was conditioned? Where did my ideas about myself originate from, experience or expectation?

These are not easy questions, but they are essential ones. Everything you believe, every choice you make, and every relationship you engage in is built on the foundation of who you think you are. If that foundation is vague, or borrowed, or perhaps believes it is broken. Then it easily becomes a paradox of itself and can, and will be, manipulated. A forgery is easy to spot the more the original is changed.

In traditional systems like martial arts, yoga, alchemy, and ancient medicine, the refinement of the self was seen as sacred work. One did not become a master through self-declaration. Mastery was conferred through presence, through embodiment. You did not proclaim your authority; others recognized it because you lived it. That is the true function of ego, which we will discuss in full much later in this work. For now, you should focus on attempts at understanding yourself and understanding how you affect others.

This kind of selfhood requires tools. Throughout history, cultures have developed frameworks to assist in self-understanding. Astrology, Tarot, runes, medicine wheels, dream interpretation, and energy systems are not just mystical accessories. They are maps, well thought out tools in their own way. Each offering a symbolic language through which we can explore our patterns, gifts, wounds, and tendencies. As well as our interactions with others and how we affect the world around us. This doesn’t mean you need to use every one of them, just look at the options available to help you in your endeavors. Just like the pair of scissors might be better than the knife depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

These systems are not meant to dictate your life. They are not deterministic, more reflective, they provide opportunity to contemplate the outcomes that are possible. Think of them as mirrors not manuals. They do not tell you who you are, they help you ask better questions about who you might be or want to become. Often in the form of warnings for the statistical pitfalls you can fall into.

Consider the Eastern zodiac. Beyond its surface-level animal signs, it incorporates the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each having their own specific traits. It also integrates familial positioning and timing, offering a multidimensional lens on personality and potential. There is also the art of astrology, cosmology and vedic readings. Which uses different data points such as where the sun, moon, planet and stars were when you were born. Then relates them to where they are now. This offers symbolic insight, not factual absolutes, but archetypal examples that can help shape your perceptions and preferences. Not much different than data analysis using predictive models with different matrices to estimate outcomes.

The Druidic tree calendar, the I Ching's hexagrams, the symbolic imagery of Tarot, even ancient divinatory practices like dowsing or scrying. All of these point to the same essential truth: that the self is multifaceted, evolving, and worthy of exploration. So much so that humans as we know them have always sought answers and help in defining the self.

You don’t have to subscribe to any one system. You should explore something, because when we refuse to examine the self, we become vulnerable to manipulation. You outsource your identity to systems, to celebrities, to ideologies and cultures. You allow others to define your boundaries, your values, your desires. In doing so, you drift further from authenticity. Causing elimination of the ego in a slow tragic way.

This drifting is not abstract, it has consequences. Emotional dissonance, identity crises, chronic dissatisfaction. These are not personal failures even though the mind may corrupt them into that framework. Instead, they are symptoms of self-neglect. They arise when you live by scripts you never wrote. Telling someone else who they are, or must be, is a breakdown of your own understanding of yourself. Trying to determine who someone else is shows how weak a person's own ego is. There can at times seem like a fine line between helping and telling, but that can be overcome by having a strong presence of self.

The remedy here is not a single answer, but a long process. A lifelong engagement with the question: "Who am I?" Because the self is not static, it is made of three coordinate pieces and thus it changes. We have to honor that change by understanding it.

To honor the self is to enter into an ongoing conversation. It is to listen inwardly with as much attention as you give to external noise. It is to notice the subtle cues such as fatigue that signals a boundary crossed, or a gut feeling that warns of danger, a dream that reconfigures an old memory, or even a moment that feels spiritual. These are the whispers of selfhood.

The Age of Aquarius, according to many predictions, represents a collective shift from hierarchical belief systems (Pisces) toward individual sovereignty and self-knowledge (Aquarius). While some interpret this through a mystical lens, its symbolic truth is undeniable. We are being asked, at every level of culture, psychology, and society, to reclaim authorship of our lives. To not be collective schools of fish easily swayed, frightened and caught by wide nets.

This reclamation is not a comfortable undertaking. It often requires solitude, boundary-setting, and difficult conversations. It may look selfish to others, but that’s okay. Self-awareness is not always visible. It does not need validation to be true. Each person will have to undertake the process themselves and in doing so they will understand that you too did the same.

In my own experience, I spent years dissolving the self. Working myself to exhaustion, neglecting my interests, minimizing my own needs in pursuit of an ideal, be it financial stability, social acceptance, or spiritual virtue. What I learned was selflessness, when distorted, becomes self-destruction. You cannot serve others from a place of erasure. That is what I believe Mr. Watts was talking about.

There is a grey area in between all things that most of us actually live inside of. Going home and putting on the comfy clothes, then ignoring the texts asking us to come hang out. Selfish or self-less? Not engaging in the conversation because it isn’t interesting or perhaps makes you or someone else uncomfortable. Selfish or self-less? Acting humble while doing nice things because you want people to see you that way or to notice you in general. Selfish or self-less? The answer is almost always both in some way or another.

This is not a one-time epiphany. It is daily work. It is a spiritual discipline disguised as ordinary life. It can look like saying no when yes would be easier, or speaking up when silence would be safer. It is recognizing that the path of the self is not linear. It loops, spirals, often brings up old wounds with new wisdom. It is self reflective and self healing because it, like everything else, is seeking balance. That does not mean it needs to be comfortable or easy.

To live as yourself is not to be selfish as is often prescribed by social standards. Incorporating mean tendencies or outbursts of hate would change that. Like many things we have a problem with connotation without measurement of action. Common sense isn’t so common after all. That requires you to be responsible. To know that your presence, your effort, your choices, and your actions are all your responsibility. That authenticity is not a luxury, it is a necessity for a functional self. As well as a functional society, because a world full of people who do not know who they are is a world prone to confusion, coercion, denial and a plethora of connotatively bad outcomes.

Whereas a world anchored in selfhood is capable of doing amazing things, some, you might have not discovered or even contemplated yet. So let this be your invitation to remember your "I." Not the one others handed you. Not the one shaped by shame or performance or an act to fit in. Instead find the one that speaks in quiet moments, in unguarded truths, in the language of presence. Oftentimes discussed in the mirror, or experienced while sitting alone, talking to nothing, and listening to no one.

Product recommendations:

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