Tada Hozumi is a somatics practitioner, and one of the leaders of a movement known as cultural somatics.
Basically, cultural somatics explores how our culture influences our bodies – how we move, how we interpret reality through our senses, how we think about the relationship between mind and body.
Hozumi came to my attention due to a viral post on his blog, SelfishActivist.com. It was titled, “Why White People Can't Dance: They're Traumatized.”
In the piece, he argues that the colonizing, imperialistic impulse that created the category of whiteness caused physical trauma to those who were forced to give up their native culture in order to be “white.” And that trauma restricts movement, restricts expression, restricts joy.
In our conversation, which is one of the most challenging I've had as a podcast host, I asked Hozumi to guide me to an understanding of the connection between trauma and political oppression.
But not just in the obvious direction, the one in which those who are oppressed are traumatized.
Rather, I wanted to explore the idea that the pandemic of fascism, white supremacy, and denial of reality is a trauma response by those who are perpetrating it.
Modern psychotherapy views trauma as an individual experience. Your trauma lives in your nervous system, and it can be dealt with only through personal therapy. Hozumi points out how our culture, which can seem so “normal” when everyone's doing it, is actually a traumatizing force that wounds those who are on “top” as much as those who are on “bottom.”
From an Indigenous perspective, the very notion of “progress” is a blunt force trauma weapon, justifying theft of land and genocide throughout our history.
As you'll hear in this conversation, there are many false starts, and there's a lot that I wasn't able to digest. We found common ground in the reality and metaphor of “digestion” – my work helping people adopt diets that support our microbiome, and Hozumi's work empowering us all to “digest” the undigested, unrecognized, and unperceived pain that has haunted all humans for thousands of years.
I hope you'll hang in, and stay in the conversation with us.
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Looking for Transformational Change?
You know how when you discovered plant-based eating, you basically went, “Holy shit, how come the entire healthcare system isn't totally embracing this as one of the most powerful keys to disease prevention and reversal!”?
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You CAN Change Other People!
Well, that's what Peter Bregman and I claim in our provocative book of that title.
What we really mean is, you can help the people around you make behavioral changes in their own best interests. If you think you're powerless to help people change, it's because you've been going about it the wrong way.
Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.
Audiobook: Use the Weight to Lose the Weight
Listen to Josh LaJaunie and me narrate our latest audiobook, about how to start moving when you're obese.
It's $10, and Josh and I split it evenly 🙂
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Music
The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.
It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.
You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.
Gratitudes
Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.
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I chanced to listen to this podcast interview when I was a couple of chapters into Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay’s brilliant book, Cynical Theories. The timing was fortuitous, because the book gave me insight into the language and worldview of postmodernism, which underpins Tada Hozumi’s approach. I think you would find Cynical Theories a valuable read.
Thanks for the recommendation – I definitely need some underpinnings here 🙂