Outer Circle Inner Stillness

In this special episode of Outer Circle Inner Stillness, we sit down with author and recovery advocate Patti Clark. Patti shares her deeply personal experiences, spanning decades, including relapses, reconnecting with herself, and building a fulfilling life in recovery. We delve into the challenges and nuances of recovery, particularly the unique experiences of women, and the creative tools and practices Patti has embraced along the way. From journaling to multi-addiction meetings, Patti offers hope, practical wisdom, and inspiration for anyone navigating the complexities of recovery. This is a conversation about resilience, growth, and the power of connection—perfect for anyone seeking insight and encouragement on their own journey.

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit ⁠⁠my patreon⁠⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on ⁠Instagram⁠, or at his ⁠website⁠.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

When we were small, we could go out to the swings or share toy cars, and we were friends. Later, we could sit together for hours—maybe talking, playing games, or simply enjoying each other’s company in silence. We weren’t afraid to be ourselves or to open up to others. Or maybe we were, and the problem only grew worse. Now, as adults, we find ourselves freakishly busy, terribly lonely, desperately wanting to see and be seen, to love and be loved... but how?

Ahshuwah Hawthorne has spent his entire adult life building bridges—between people, communities, and ideological traditions. Drawing on the Bible, Tolkien, Aristotle, and his extensive understanding of how humans form and communicate their beliefs, he offers a vision of male friendship.

We begin with the belief that friendships are invaluable and that we all need people who truly know us. Achieving this requires both risk and effort. Moving a friendship beyond the “consumptive stage” into a deeper, more connected one means first exposing an important value or part of your personality. It also requires at least one person to actively pursue the other. Lastly, this effort must be sustained over time.

Rhys and Ahshuwah discuss holding appropriate—and appropriately flexible—expectations for how others connect with us and what each friendship can offer. They advocate for more intentional and active steps to “go there,” venturing into vulnerable territory. They value friendships that can comfortably be casual but also rise to meet the demands of a crisis. They see it as priceless to have a few people in life who dare to ask the hard questions and in whose presence “there’s room to be less than perfect.” Additionally, they emphasize the importance of friendships leaving the virtual sphere and entering a physical “meet space,” including interactions like shared martial arts practices.

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit ⁠⁠my patreon⁠⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on ⁠Instagram⁠, or at his ⁠website.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Rhy’s sits down with his longtime friend Toni Hammer, to explore the unexpected intersection of trauma, humor, and mental health. Tony shares her journey of using humor as a coping mechanism for anxiety and depression, discussing the balance between self-deprecation and self-awareness. Together, they delve into the complexities of using humor in the healing process, the importance of connection, and finding hope amidst challenges. This episode offers a fresh perspective on finding light in dark times.

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit his⁠ patreon⁠⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on ⁠Instagram⁠, or at his ⁠website⁠.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

In this conversation, licensed therapist Darrin Ford shares his journey from skeptic to advocate of mindfulness practices in recovery. Drawing from 20 years of clinical experience and his own recovery journey, Ford explores how mindfulness can help break destructive patterns and foster authentic self-discovery. He discusses the science behind meditation's effectiveness, dispels common misconceptions, and offers practical insights for integrating mindfulness into daily life. Whether you're in recovery, a helping professional, or simply curious about mindfulness, this episode provides valuable perspectives on using meditation as a tool for healing and personal growth.

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit his⁠ patreon⁠⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on ⁠Instagram⁠, or at his ⁠website⁠.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

In week four of the Object To Icon Book Study , Rhys explores how we move from objectification to authentic human connection. This episode tackles the challenging journey of removing our protective masks and creating spaces for genuine vulnerability. Rhys shares insights from both Orthodox Christian tradition and contemporary counseling approaches, offering practical wisdom on:

Rhys weaves together psychological principles, spiritual wisdom, and practical experience to show how we can create spaces where masks can safely soften into veils.

"To fully live is to be vulnerable and respond to the vulnerability of others."

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit his patreon⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on Instagram, or at his website.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

Rhys Pasimio welcomes Conrad Lipic, a combat veteran and therapist based in Fairbanks, Alaska. Together they explore the complex challenges faced by military personnel transitioning to civilian life, discussing healthy masculinity, addiction recovery, and the journey toward emotional wholeness. Conrad shares valuable insights on helping veterans reconnect with themselves and society, offering a unique perspective that bridges military experience with therapeutic practice.

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit his⁠ patreon⁠⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on ⁠Instagram⁠, or at his ⁠website⁠.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

Rhys Pasimio sits down with Matt Rensi, a licensed clinical counselor and Marine Corps veteran, to explore the challenges faced by military personnel during their transition to civilian life. Matt shares his personal experiences of combat, the struggles of re-adjusting to a new reality, and the mental health challenges veterans often encounter. Together, they discuss the importance of structured support, community engagement, therapy, and the healing power of spirituality and a connection to God in the recovery process. Whether you are a veteran or someone interested in mental health, this episode offers profound insights into the journey from trauma to recovery, highlighting how faith and spiritual connection can play a vital role in healing.

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit his⁠ patreon⁠⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on ⁠Instagram⁠, or at his ⁠website⁠.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

The opposite of objectification is curiosity.

In this episode, I discuss how we can respond to pornography and the "pornified mind," in the context of relationships. In marriages, courtships, dating, friendships, and other encounters with people, we are susceptible to objectifying the other person, missing the Image of God, and deeply damaging ourselves and the other person. What should we do instead?

My suggestion is that curiosity, the discipline of seeking to truly see and wonder about the other, is central to preserving their humanity.

Further, any time I encounter something in you that I consider offensive, it is an opportunity to discover something reactive within my own self.

If we keep in mind these and other ideas, I believe we can learn to truly see and connect with each other.

The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit his⁠⁠ patreon⁠⁠⁠. 

Rhys Pasimio can be found on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, or at his ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

He is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions!

In this week's discussion we tackle two main topics.

1 - we cover chapters 7-9 which explore the softening of masks into veils. These chapters are about how to open up to others safely, and how to see others gently. As in most things, we should be wary of extremes, and seek to be gentle and mutual in our opening up to each other. Here we talk about some of the ways the sacrament of Confession is especially powerful.

2 - How to talk to our kids about sex! This is a topic I've been very excited to cover for a long time. We said some things about this and certainly we'll say more at some point soon. Here we reflect on our own experiences of our own sex education, and we discuss some considerations in how to best support our kids in their growth. We start with God's vision for holy union with Him, healthy intimacy within the sacrament of marriage, and build from there.

These discussions are getting more personal, which is why they are only available to subscribing members and those who are regularly attending the study. For more questions, please do reach out.

Recently my community did a group study of the book From Object to Icon by Andrew Williams. In this study, we talked at length about iconography and veneration and how these phenomena should inform our relationships.

We also talked about objectification and pornification as the inverse of the holy seeing-the-humanity-of-the-other.

Recognizing that pornography, and a pornographic mindset, create myriad problems in the world, I created a parallel discussion about how to respond to pornography in practical ways.

In this episode, I discuss responses on an individual level.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments! And thanks!