When a Sumo Champion Becomes a Spirit Guide
Life Lessons from My Allies — a Sumo Yokozuna
I’m crazy about Japanese sumo. This most likely stems from my deep connection to Japan and to things spiritual. Sumo’s beginnings are rooted in Shinto and Buddhism, establishing a code of conduct that emphasizes discipline, respect, and adherence to traditional customs.
Sumo rikishi, photographed in 1896. Tradition and discipline have long been at the heart of sumo.
The rikishi (wrestlers) are true martial artists. They use not only their weight, but also their flexibility (think French splits!) and speed to overwhelm their opponents. They are expected to comport themselves, on and off the dohyo (ring), with the dignity becoming an ambassador of centuries of Japanese culture.
Sumo tournaments are held six times a year, and I make it a point to watch as much as possible online. So it’s not surprising that I occasionally have individual rikishi show up as my allies during a Feeding Your Demons® (FYD) practice.
What Are Allies in Feeding Your Demons®?
We access an ally during the fourth step of the FYD five-step process. By then, we’ve:
Defined our “demon” (a specific emotion or sensation),
Personified it into an image,
Discovered what it truly needs,
Fed it what it longs for.
As the demon is nourished, it transforms into another being: the Ally.
The demon represents what Buddhists call an encumbered pattern, our individual expression of one of the Three Poisons of Attachment, Aversion, and Ignorance. The ally represents the wisdom manifestation of that same energy, revealed once the obscuration has lifted.
Allies can take surprising forms: animals, trees, superheroes, animated objects, and, in this case, even a sumo wrestler.
Meeting My Demon
One day, I came away empty-handed from an unpleasant encounter with a local bureaucrat (a wasted 90-minute wait followed by a dose of public shaming). I felt miserable, deeply disheartened, and overwhelmed with sadness.
In my FYD practice, this emotion took form as a cold, heavy lump in my chest. It soon manifested into a 12-foot-tall fire demon, ablaze with hatred. He was unstable, destructive, and unhinged. This demon longed to be free to express itself, and to be respected and valued.
A torii gate, symbol of passage into sacred space and inner transformation.
I fed it the nectar of Respect and Feeling Valued. As the nectar flowed, the demon’s limbs exploded, releasing a gush of clear water that extinguished the flames.
When the smoke cleared, I saw a quiet scene at the edge of some woods. A torii gate (entrance to a Japanese shrine) stood there, and beyond it rikishi were practicing. One of them, my Ally, motioned me through the gate.
Hōshōryū as my Ally
My ally was Hōshōryū, a real-life rikishi who had just attained the highest sumo rank of yokozuna. His promotion was controversial, as he is foreign-born (Mongolian), and some felt he hadn’t yet proven his worth.
As my ally, he was calm, amused, and munching an apple. His energy radiated calm determination and grounded self-assurance.
He vowed to be the reflection I see in the mirror for as long as I needed. And then he spoke:
“Do not worry so much about how your perceived “authorities” perceive you. Each of them is dealing with their own issues, and how they interact with those around them is a reflection of their own internal conflicts, not a measure of your worth.
Having said that, how do you assume I attained this position? It was NOT by being meek. I do NOT care how others perceive me; my goals are mine and mine alone. I achieve them in community, of course, but I must be very self-directed. You, too, have this power.”
He continued with very practical advice:
Hōshōryū performing pre-bout rituals, January 2022. Image: Hōshōryū via Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Prepare! Calm yourself as you enter potentially tense situations. Ground yourself if you begin to lose control. This will become easier the more you strengthen your body as well as your spirit.
And with a laugh, he added:
“You must physically move! Movement is the antidote to stagnation. I did not achieve this body by sitting still and feeling constricted. Exercise, strengthen yourself, and flourish.”
He invited me to envision myself training alongside the rikishi, drawing from their power and discipline.
Takeaways and Reflections
As I took in this ally’s energy and light, and dissolved and rested with his presence, I felt more grounded, calm, and fortified. No longer sitting in the “victim seat,” I felt capable and steady.
Did I actually meet Hōshōryū? (Somewhat sadly!), no. But through FYD, I accessed the qualities I associate with him—strength, determination, confidence—and received them as concrete guidance for my own life.
That is the gift of Feeding Your Demons®: the wisdom is already within us. Sometimes, it just takes the surprising form of a sumo wrestler.
Discover the hidden wisdom waiting inside you! Join me every Second Sunday for a free guided FYD group session.