Sisu Lab
Sisu is an ancient Finnish concept associated with determination and courage in the face of adversity. But sisu is more than perseverance — it is a way of life and a practice of refining one’s character. The Sisu Lab Podcast explores this inner fortitude and its deeply human expression.
Hosted by Elisabet Lahti, the podcast weaves together research, personal experience, and practical insights into human capacity in everyday life. Elisabet has researched sisu since 2012 and completed multiple endurance challenges as part of her ongoing inquiry into the nature of inner strength.
Learn more at www.sisulab.com.
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Sisu Lab
Sisu and Managing the Uphills + NEW tune!
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Welcome to a new episode in which we muse on how to deal with life's headwinds - and how to do it with less damage and more grace. Take aways from ultra running that apply to everyday life (thanks, fellow adventurer & runner Annastiina Hintsa) and a note on deep-seated humility, as well as making our awareness and body our allies in the process.
For this episode, finally after years of procrastination (not as bad as the Ironman which took 16 years to conquer) I learned to do sound editing and created a start tune. Please listen and give feedback on anything - sound levels, user friendliness, and so on, as this is a "home-baked" passion project. Tune selected out of numerous is licensed from lovely Dutch composer Evert Zeevalkink, aka, The North (on Spotify), and is called Stand my Ground.
Until next time... may we both sisu and smiles galore <3
Show notes:
Resources on sisu at sisulab. Direct link to podcasts and research: https://www.sisulab.com/blog
Harvard Health: Basic intro to understanding stress response: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
The Embodied Theory of Stress: A Constructionist Perspective on the Experience of Stress: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1037/gpr0000164
Sisu is a Finnish word for a reserve of inner strength, but it’s also a way to positively impact the world. Cultivating this inner fortitude starts with self-inquiry and getting our self-care in order, and from there, extends into courage and community. Its power ultimately reaches into the world through inspired acts of compassion and positive change.
Thanks for tuning in! Find out more about sisu, explore the research, and check out Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu (2023) & Sisun alkemia (2025) at www.sisulab.com.
Sisu is great, but sisu, together with love, is greatness.