Shiro: The Path of Ease and Grace

Shiro is borrowed from the flora/fauna world. It is a branching filament residing underground obtaining nutrients to support fungus growth. The term is an analogy to a nonvisible reality which nurtures living beings in a collaborative and connected way.

Our eyes are trained to see what’s on the surface just as Darwin observed and documented in his Origin of the Species. From this point of view, life is competitive and efforting is required to accomplish goals. In other words, humans must develop resilience to prove their worth. And in a competitive world, this has proven to be true.

Shiro, posits a paradigm-shift.

I trust your “symptoms” are clues to your unique talents that are emerging in a cultural context that views symptoms as ailments to be diagnosed and treated, i.e. eliminated. Rather, I borrow from Thomas Kuhn’s, The Structures of Scientific Revolutions. He defines a paradigm and a paradigm shift.  An indicator of this shift is contained within anomalies.

Anomalies as applied to psychology are symptoms. In a diagnostic model (where humans are defined as a developmental organism, following a predetermined ‘normal’ path) symptoms are clustered to create a diagnosis such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. In other words, a diagnosis identifies why you are not falling into the normal system as defined by society.

The application of a disorder can temporarily offer relief; however, it equally can suppress the unique expression of self. Because the intention of this diagnostic system is to remove the symptom. To give an analogy, it’s like the instrument panel on a car is signaling a warning light and the driver takes it to the mechanic to get rid of the signal rather than decode the meaning of the signal.

Using a discovery model, such as Shiro, rather than a developmental model (traditional psychological treatments), these symptoms are seen as anomalies pointing to a paradigm shift underway; within you, contained within this social system, defining a reality that no longer fits.

I believe humans have self-organizing wisdom within that seeks support through curiosity and creativity. I veer away from a developmental model and steer towards a discovery methodology.

The image below of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, serves as an analogy for Shiro. This sanctuary is located in Florida’s Gulf Coast. The boardwalk allows trekkers to navigate with ease and discover the natural terrain without disturbing the ecosystem. In particular the tree poking through a hole in the path demonstrates symbiosis between man and the environment.

The Realities page is a brief synopsis of the perspectives I consider when working with clients. The videos, books, and documents are a compilation from various fields such as business, neuroscience, astronomy, and tribal studies. The content compiled on the page conveys concepts of the discovery process in our sessions.