Tomm Gleeson

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.

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.

• 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

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

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?

// 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.

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

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.

• A TIMELY INTRODUCTION •
In lieu of the change that a new year invites, I feel the time has come to pluck whatever bristles of courage might be present and offer an introduction to those of you who are interested.
My name is Tomm (yes with two 'm's) and I am here to share my gifts through acts of service.
I have spent the last 4 years exploring, learning, studying, up-skilling and training in various modalities that fall under the banner of 'holistic health'.
I have certifications in massage, lifestyle coaching and corrective exercise training, all of which serve as vehicles to facilitate connection between myself and my clients.
I am an intensely curious individual, which is what has fuelled me to plumb the depths of my lived experience in search of answers. It is only fitting that, upon reaching such depths, I am humbled by the presence not of answers, but of bigger questions.
Ultimately though, I am appearing in this space - this new dimension of reality that social media engenders - to demonstrate to the eye/I that is reading this that I am proud of what I do, I am passionate about what I do, and I am here to offer an invitation...
I thrive in working with people, in joining them on their journey in an active role towards creating positive change and, ultimately, bringing us all closer to the life we sense is calling us - the faint but tactile whisper of our own potential.
So thank you, for your support, your time, your attention and presence. These are precious resources in this age, and their sacredness is not lost on me.
For those of you that are new, WELCOME!
For those of you that have been patiently awaiting my arrival, THANK YOU!

The path of purpose draws out the character needed to continue, and thus it is.

Tomm.