I met Elise Youssoufian virtually via Linda Holiday Sensei’s (online) Misogi class.
This bi-weekly class is an amazing oasis for people (world-wide) to practice and study Chinkon Kishin.
Sometimes during the class we break off into smaller groups to discuss our own impressions.
By the luck of the Zoom draw, I’ve been fortunate on multiple occasions to end up in a group with Elise.
I’m always struck by the depth of her perspective, as well as the genuine interest she shows in others’, and figured it would be cool to have her on the show, so… Voila!
Currently training at the Aiki Arts Center in Berkeley, California, Elise only recently began her Aikido journey (2022). By conventional standards, that would qualify her as a relative beginner. Yet, from the first moment she speaks about the art, it’s clear that she possesses wisdom far beyond her hours in the dojo.
Her very entry into Aikido was forged in the fire of profound personal and collective crisis.
In early 2022, while living in Armenia amidst regional war and the tail end of Covid isolation, she received an unexpected, serious medical diagnosis.
Faced with immense uncertainty about her own future, this sudden shock became the catalyst that pushed her to finally fulfill a years-long desire to step into a dojo.
When she returned to the United States (for treatment), Aikido became her somatic anchor.
On her first day at the Aiki Arts Center, Elise was handed a copy of Linda Holiday Sensei’s, Journey to the Heart of Aikido.
For a newcomer, receiving a book that dives so deeply and lovingly into the spiritual philosophy and living lineage of O-Sensei right at the beginning is a remarkable (and somewhat enviable) way to start.
Receiving such a transmission of wisdom on day one inspired her to weave the physical practice with an underlying current of spiritual purpose, a cultivation of Ki and common sense.
Along with an inquisitive intuition for exploring roots, Elise brings a rich background as a poet, artist, and PhD student (in Women’s Spirituality at the California Institute of Integral Studies.)
As a poet, she’s noticed her writing transform after she started practicing Aikido several times a week. Rather than getting lost in overly intellectual explanations, her poems became shorter, cleaner, and sharper—mirroring the distillation process of daily practice and Misogi.
Elise is also doing extraordinary work reclaiming Armenian Needlelace—an endangered ancestral craft—which forms the core of her PhD dissertation research.
I implore you to explore her stunning artistic work and important initiatives on her website: eliseyoussoufian.com.
For a deeper look into Elise’s ancestral research and creative preservation work, check out the Armenian Needlelace Initiative. The project is dedicated to documenting, practicing, and evolving traditional Armenian needlelace, keeping vital lineal wisdom alive and tangible in our modern world.
I won’t spoil too much of the episode because I want you to listen to it, obviously…. If you do, you’ll hear Elise paint a profound metaphor connecting this ancestral handwork to Aikido, trauma, and human resilience:
In needlelace every pattern and geometric shape is built by tying individual knots and loops.
If one loop becomes torn, damaged or frayed, the entire lace does not unravel or collapse. Because every intersection is anchored by a firm, intentional knot, the surrounding web remains completely intact. Here’s a living model for personal healing and collective survival. Even when we receive individual wounds, the strength of our core connections keeps us whole.
I’m so grateful for this reminder that damage does not mean destruction, and that our right to exist and create beauty remains unbroken.
Elise exemplifies how wisdom isn’t a function of how long you’ve worn a black belt—it’s about the quality of presence and intention you bring to the practice.
I’m deeply grateful to my (surprisingly) global audience for keeping these dialogues alive.
Extra special thanks to Aiki Extensions for their continual support of this podcast.
Aiki Extensions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to taking Aikido off the mat through grassroots Seed Grants for community peacemaking, outreach, and trauma recovery.
Learn more or apply for a grant at aikiextensions.org.
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