TIAMAT is not a single technique.
It’s not a philosophy or a wellness hack.
It’s a living ecology of practices—a way of becoming more human, more whole, and more alive.

“TIAMAT is serious play, poetic inquiry, and embodied research—held in fellowship.”


Why the Name?

Tiamat is the name of a Mesopotamian goddess of primordial chaos—the saltwater sea that mixed with freshwater to create the gods.
We liked that.

Our TIAMAT is a different kind of mythology. It’s also an acronym:

The Integrative Approach and Methodology of Active Transformation.

Let’s break it down:


The Integrative Approach

TIAMAT is the fruit of over twelve years of interdisciplinary research and field practice, developed through collaborations across:

  • Theatre and ritual facilitation

  • Cognitive science and 4E cognition

  • Philosophy and ethics

  • Psychology, shadow work, and depth training

  • Movement, voice, and contemplative embodiment


It’s been tested with 200+ participants across a diversity of cultural, spiritual, and professional backgrounds.

But TIAMAT is not fixed. The approach stays alive by folding in the personal, cultural, and relational contexts of everyone who enters it—including you.


The Methodology

TIAMAT is a methodology of transformation through an ecology of practices.

We draw from:

  • Actor training & improvisation

  • Somatic embodiment & contemplative movement

  • Voice & breath work

  • Shadow work & ritual play

  • Philosophical dialogue (DiD)

  • Relational attunement & Circling

  • Journaling & imaginal practice

  • Theory drawn from philosophy, cognitive science, and virtue ethics


Each workshop—whether Tier I, II, or III—is a unique fellowship of these practices, designed to unfold transformation organically rather than impose it.

“We don’t teach what to think. We train how to become.”


(Active) Transformation

We believe:

  • You’re not broken—but you’re likely not yet who you could be.

  • Growth is possible, not because you’re insufficient, but because you’re unfolding.

  • Becoming is relational, symbolic, and embodied.


TIAMAT doesn’t give you an ideal to chase.
 It offers a context in which your deeper self—the one already whispering under the noise—can emerge.


Active (Transformation)

Transformation in TIAMAT isn’t passive. It’s not received—it’s participated in.

This is why:

  • You won’t be told who you should become.

  • You won’t be promised a fixed outcome.

  • You will be invited to take your place as an agent in your own becoming.

We don’t optimize people.
We train sovereignty, sensibility, and serious play.

What Makes TIAMAT Different?


1. Integration over specialization
 We train across domains to access the many layers of being—not just the mind, not just the body. Both. Always both. Together.

2. Practice over performance
 We’re not here to impress. We’re here to explore, fall apart, and grow—together.

3. Reflection meets embodiment
 You’ll think, feel, move, and reflect. Theory and practice are held in mutual dialogue.

4. Play is the path
 Not distraction. Not a break. Play is the rhythm of learning, the medium of change.

Want to Go Deeper?

Watch this multi-part conversation between TIAMAT founder Ethan Hsieh, Tamaki Kobayashi and cognitive scientist Dr. John Vervaeke, as they explore transformation, ritual, sovereignty, and the architecture of human development.

Testimonials


“I left with new tools and new lenses to understand my life.”

– Michaela


 “It’s a system, yes—but it’s also a space. You’re not forced to become something. You’re invited to uncover what’s already within you.”

– Ellie


 “TIAMAT helped me feel safe to express and show up how I am.”

– Qi Ying


Ready to Begin?

TIAMAT isn’t one thing. It’s a journey, an invitation, and a practice.
You can start with a drop-in, or jump into the full training path.