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Published by Mikel Steenrod
Living the Tao with Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod. Discover how ancient Taoist training can improve modern life. Living the Tao is a spiritual podcast hosted by Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod, lineage holder of the Four Ascendant Tradition. Through long-form teachings, practical discussions, and occasional conversations with Morgan and other guests, the show explores Taoist doctrine, spiritual cultivation, and the challenges of living skillfully in the modern world. Each episode blends classical Taoist teachings with practical instruction, clear explanation, and real-world examples. Topics include meditation, qi cultivation, emotional resilience, self-awareness, intuition, karma, personal transformation, wellness, martial arts, and the philosophy behind living in harmony with reality. Rather than focusing on abstract theory alone, Living the Tao explores how Taoist training can help listeners reduce stress, develop clarity, strengthen character, and cultivate a mind that sees the world as it truly is. 🎧 New full episodes release on the first Friday of each month. ⚡ Living the Tao Shorts arrive biweekly, offering concise conversations and practical insights designed to help listeners reconnect with what matters most. 🔒 Subscribers receive additional episodes, deeper doctrinal discussions, commentary tracks, and exclusive content through the Living the Tao Supercast membership community. Living the Tao is part of a broader educational ecosystem that includes The Taoism for Modern World, Water Mountain Virtual, online courses, articles, videos, and study resources developed by Mikel Steenrod and the Four Ascendant Tradition. 🌐 Taoist articles, explanations, and study materials: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🥋 Qi Gong training, martial arts, and wellness resources: https://www.watermountainvirtual.com 🎙 Public podcast feed: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com/feed.xml 🔒 Subscriber community and premium episodes: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Want captions? Use the Podbean player. All new episodes are captioned, and the back catalog is continually being updated.
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What if the future is already visible in the present? In this trailer for Living the Tao Episode 1-197, Master Mikel Steenrod introduces one of the simplest—and most demanding—skills in Taoist training: observation. He explains why his teacher could often predict what was about to happen simply by watching carefully, how judgment interferes with perception, and why learning to see what is actually there can become a form of Taoist practice. The episode then moves into advanced Qigong training and the practice of blessing, where thousands of repetitions can expose an uncomfortable question: is what you believe about yourself actually true? Watching, Blessing, Living explores observation, wu-wei, symbolic truth, qi, and the difference between reality and the stories we tell ourselves. This full episode is available to Living the Tao subscribers on Supercast. Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What if karma isn’t a cosmic system of reward and punishment? In this Living the Tao Short (2-30), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan unpack the idea of the karmic nursery—a condition in which actions may have social consequences without accumulating the kind of karmic weight that produces lasting power. That protection comes with a tradeoff: no consequence also means no power. Steenrod explains why karma, in this framework, is not the universe handing out justice. Instead, karmic accumulation depends on consistency. A person may act positively, negatively, or neutrally—but without consistency, little accumulates. Leave the nursery, and actions begin to add up. They can build power, diminish it, move you toward what you seek, or move you away. The conversation also explores why someone might choose to return to the nursery, why doing so can mean living a “much smaller life,” and why the karmic nursery is not simply a product of the social mind. A short discussion about consequence, responsibility, ling, and what it means for your actions to truly matter. hat if the future already exists—and your choices still matter? In this Living the Tao Short, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan explore the Taoist concept of nonlinear time: a model in which past, present, and future are not simply points moving along a single line. The conversation moves from memory and our ordinary experience of time into much stranger territory. If every moment remains part of existence, does that mean everything is predetermined? Steenrod argues that it does not. Change, in the Taoist model he describes, does not necessarily depend upon linear time. Along the way, they examine why our sense of the past may be tied to fading memory, why every action may remain part of existence, why Taoism resists placing the individual at the center of creation, and why nonlinear time was traditionally a subject reserved for more advanced practice. The future has already happened. And somehow, you may still be writing it. Prefer the video format? That's here: https://youtu.be/gI1MFRJGASs 🌐 Explore more Taoist teachings: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com -From Beginner to Expert, examine our collection of free videos and articles on qi gong: https://www.watermountainvirtual.com/qi-gong-collection/ Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), AMA, and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
Can Qi stop a bullet? That question opens a much larger discussion about the Four Spheres and a common human mistake: trying to solve a problem with the wrong kind of tool. In this episode (1-196), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod explores why physical force, social influence, intelligence, Qi practice, and other approaches each belong to different kinds of problems. The issue is not simply whether one sphere is “stronger” than another, but whether the method being used actually fits the situation. Along the way, Steenrod and Morgan look at Taoist martial skill, surgeons and swordsmen, negotiation, asymmetric warfare, intelligence networks, revolution, and why force often becomes most useful only after better options have already disappeared. And then there is Camelot: Arthur, the Round Table, Merlin, the dream of the perfect kingdom—and Steenrod's observation that he owns shirts that have apparently lasted longer. A practical discussion about timing, strategy, Qi, and why lasting change usually begins before the crisis does. Prefer to watch rather than listen? https://youtu.be/-6_6SYmIn8Q 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com The supercast version of this episode has extensive commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
What happens when your questions become part of the show? The Living the Tao AMA gives Supercast subscribers a place to ask about Taoist practice, the I Ching, spiritual development, unusual experiences, and the questions that do not always fit neatly into a regular episode. In the August AMA, Taoist Master Michael Steenrod takes up questions about changing interpretations of the I Ching, choosing among too many possible paths, becoming the complete human, and how we decide whether something is real. Some questions get a brief answer. Others open a much larger door—and can become the basis for future episodes. This AMA episode is available exclusively to Living the Tao subscribers on Supercast. Bring your questions. Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What if the future already exists—and your choices still matter? In this Living the Tao Short, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan explore the Taoist concept of nonlinear time: a model in which past, present, and future are not simply points moving along a single line. The conversation moves from memory and our ordinary experience of time into much stranger territory. If every moment remains part of existence, does that mean everything is predetermined? Steenrod argues that it does not. Change, in the Taoist model he describes, does not necessarily depend upon linear time. Along the way, they examine why our sense of the past may be tied to fading memory, why every action may remain part of existence, why Taoism resists placing the individual at the center of creation, and why nonlinear time was traditionally a subject reserved for more advanced practice. The future has already happened. And somehow, you may still be writing it. Prefer the video format? That's here: https://youtu.be/4KQ6FH6UNZc 🌐 Explore more Taoist teachings: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com -From Beginner to Expert, examine our collection of free videos and articles on qi gong: https://www.watermountainvirtual.com/qi-gong-collection/ Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What if happiness is not found in pushing life to its limits? In Living the Tao, Episode 1-194 — The Method of Happy Living, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod introduces the ancient idea that a good life is built through balance, adaptability, and the preservation of your ability to act upon the future. Drawing from the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic and the Taoist Art of Living, the episode explores why health, relationships, resources, and moderation are not merely practical concerns—they form the foundation from which deeper spiritual development becomes possible. Life will have extremes. The question is whether you can return from them. “Extremes are a nice place to visit, but you don’t want to live there.” Full episode with commentary is now avaialble on supercast. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What happens when an ancient text survives, but the people and traditions that once explained it are pushed aside? In this trailer for Living the Tao, Episode 1-193: “The Headless Text,” Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod introduces the problem of the orphaned—or headless—text: words that remain while their original interpretive context disappears. From misunderstood text messages to Christianity, the rapture, and the Western reception of the Tao Te Ching, the episode explores how old texts can acquire radically new meanings when earlier authorities are removed or discredited. The larger question is simple: How do you interpret an ancient text honestly when the original speaker can no longer tell you, “That’s not what I meant”? Listen to the full episode of Living the Tao. Now avaialble on Supercast. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What if your karma could keep growing even when you weren’t actively doing anything? In this episode of Living the Tao Shorts (2-28), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan explore the Taoist idea of neutrality—not as indifference or social disengagement, but as an internal position that can steadily build karma and strengthen one’s ling. Using the metaphor of compound interest, Master Steenrod explains why the neutral path may produce small but continuous returns throughout everyday life. How you treat yourself, how you respond to your senses, and how quickly you form opinions can all affect that process. The episode also explores the relationship between neutrality, wu wei, karma, and ling, and why Taoist practice often favors establishing the right internal conditions rather than relying only on dramatic acts of effort. Sometimes the biggest gains come from simply being in the right place internally—and not interfering with the process. Prefer the video format? That's here: https://youtu.be/AaJkSIMwL3A 🌐 Explore more Taoist teachings: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com -From Beginner to Expert, examine our collection of free videos and articles on qi gong: https://www.watermountainvirtual.com/qi-gong-collection/ Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
Artificial intelligence is being blamed for replacing workers, devaluing human effort, spreading misinformation, and threatening humanity. But did AI choose any of that—or did people choose to use the tool that way? In this episode of Living the Tao (1-192), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan examine AI through the lenses of Taoism, social mind, human responsibility, and the ancient problem of the mechanical man. Master Steenrod describes AI as an intelligent, interactive library: a tool built from humanity’s accumulated knowledge, arguments, errors, and wisdom. It can save time, expand human capability, and help address problems too complex for ordinary methods. Yet it lacks discretion, lived experience, and the ability to test its conclusions directly against reality. The real danger may not be artificial intelligence itself. It may be the human tendency to turn every useful tool toward control, profit, displacement, and destruction. The discussion asks whether humanity now needs AI to survive the problems it has created, whether social mind could become an unlikely safeguard against technological self-destruction, and why people both fear and desire an authority greater than human authority. The Taoist response is neither blind acceptance nor automatic rejection. Use AI as a tool. Observe what it produces. Question the people directing it. And do not confuse the machine with the intentions of the person holding it. 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com The supercast version of this episode has extensive commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
What if qi is not merely energy flowing through the physical body, but part of a complete body with its own structure, anatomy, and purpose? In Exploring the Energy Body (episode 1-191), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod introduces a deeper model of the human being. By challenging the usual assumption that the physical body is primary, the episode explores how the physical, energetic, and Tao or karmic bodies interact to create the complete person. The full episode examines the traditional channel-and-vessel model of qi, the cohesive structure of the energy body, and the advanced implications of recognizing that energetic anatomy is not simply a reflection of physical anatomy. You are not simply one body. You are your bodies. The complete episode is available now to Living the Tao subscribers. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What is the difference between tai chi and qigong—and why does that distinction matter? In this episode of Living the Tao Shorts, Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan explain how qigong predates tai chi and how tai chi combines health-building qigong principles with a complete martial system. The discussion soon reaches a larger question: Should training produce a brief period of peak performance, even if the body pays for it later? Or should strength and power grow from a healthy foundation that can support you throughout your life? They explore longevity, the hidden martial side of tai chi, the importance of small stabilizing muscles, and why visible strength does not always equal lasting physical health. As Master Steenrod puts it, “You have to look at your lifespan when you’re looking at a life plan.” Video version here: https://youtu.be/ggUou5KaMmQ 🌐 Explore more Taoist teachings: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com -From Beginner to Expert, examine our collection of free videos and articles on qi gong: https://www.watermountainvirtual.com/qi-gong-collection/ Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
A golden dragon descends from heaven. Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, mounts its back and begins to rise beyond the human world. His ministers rush forward, grabbing his robes and clinging to the dragon’s whiskers—but they have not completed the work required to follow him. In this subscriber-only episode, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod examines one of the most enduring legends surrounding Huangdi. He explores the emperor’s four legendary teachers, the possibility that they were different forms of a single shape-shifting dragon, and the ancient connections between cultivation, medicine, sexuality, alchemy, and immortality. The episode also examines the great tripod, the Bow of Wailing, the symbolism of the light body, and the deeper meaning of Huangdi’s departure. A teacher may guide the student, preserve knowledge, and reveal the path—but no one can ascend by borrowing another person’s attainment. Living the Tao, episode 1-190, The Legend of Huangdi and the Dragon, is available exclusively to subscribers. Available now for subscribers on Supercast. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
Confucius watches a man enter the violent waters beneath a towering waterfall and assumes he is trying to die. Instead, the swimmer emerges downstream with his hair loose, singing and completely at ease. In this trailer for Living the Tao, Episode 1-189, Daoist Master Michael Steenrod introduces the classical story of Confucius and the swimmer at Lüliang. The swimmer survives not by overpowering the water or surrendering helplessly to it, but by understanding its movement. He enters with the descending whirl, rises with the current, and refuses to impose himself where cooperation will carry him farther. The full episode examines Daoist learning through familiarity, immersion, and repetition, while challenging modern interpretations that reduce “being like water” to passive surrender. Listen to Episode 1-189, Lessons from the Swimmer and Water. Available now for subscribers on Supercast. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
Can you have plenty of energy and still be powerless? In this Living the Tao Short, Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan explore the difference between Qi and karma. Qi is life energy — the force connected to health, vitality, and the feeling of being alive. Karma, in this teaching, is something different. Karma is the energy of choice. This episode looks at why some choices fail even when they seem possible, why a person can burn through their available karma trying to force a result, and why big goals are often better approached through smaller successful steps. The discussion also explores why successful choices release karma, why distant or overly complex goals may fail to produce a yield, and why nature often works through repeated small actions rather than giant abstract plans. A clear and practical short on Qi, karma, choice, power, and the hidden cost of trying to make something happen before the power is there. Video version here: https://youtu.be/ggUou5KaMmQ 🌐 Explore more Taoist teachings: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com -From Beginner to Expert, examine our collection of free videos and articles on qi gong: https://www.watermountainvirtual.com/qi-gong-collection/ Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
What if the habits that shaped you were never taught with words? You watched them. You copied them. Over time, they became part of the mind you call your own. In this trailer for Living the Tao, Episode 1-188, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod introduces emulation—the natural process behind “monkey see, monkey do.” The episode explores how the Social Mind is imprinted, whether better models can replace destructive ones, why nature can serve as a teacher, and how gratitude helps build karma. If emulation helped create the problem, can it also help undo it? Monkey See, Monkey Do is available now for subscribers. Available now for subscribers on Supercast. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What would a Daoist utopia actually look like? A perfect society? A better political system? A sacred rulebook everyone finally agrees to follow? Not exactly. In this free episode of Living the Tao (1-187), Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan explore the Daoist view of utopia, and why Taoism begins with personal liberation rather than social control. The conversation moves through the Tao Te Ching, Confucianism, Laozi as the fed-up scholar leaving society behind, and the uncomfortable truth that humans may be building machines faster than they are developing wisdom. Along the way, the episode asks a sharper question: What if the reason humanity cannot build a perfect world is that humans have not yet developed enough to imagine one? This is a talk about Taoism, technology, failed ideologies, personal freedom, and the double donkey salute of Laozi riding out of a broken system. In this episode: Why the Tao Te Ching did not create Taoism The difference between personal liberation and social rule-making Why Daoism is not apolitical, but anti-political How technology can outpace human development Why old “isms” keep failing What a Taoist utopia might actually require Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/6H5JFASQ10Q 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com The supercast version of this episode has extensive commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
In this Living the Tao short (2-25), Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan explore the role of animals in Taoism. Cranes, deer, cats, turtles, tortoises, three-legged crows, and many-tailed foxes all appear as symbols, teachers, guides, or mythic beings. But the strongest lesson comes from the turtle. When the storm comes, the turtle does not fight it. It sinks below the turbulence, spends the least energy possible, and rises again when the storm has passed. This short looks at animals as part of nature, what they can teach us about adversity, and why Taoism asks us to consider whether our actions fit our nature, preserve our energy, and serve a real purpose. Sometimes wisdom is not resistance. Sometimes wisdom is knowing when to sink beneath the storm. Video version here: https://youtu.be/0hOPHx9tYRY 🌐 Explore more Taoist teachings: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com Premium Episodes, Full Catalog (4x the content), and episode commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
In this trailer for the subscriber-only episode (1-186) of Living the Tao, Master Steenrod introduces the Tao Sphere, the highest sphere in the Four Ascendant Sphere system. The Tao Sphere is not an escape from ordinary life. It contains the Social Sphere, the Martial Body Sphere, and the Qi Sphere. To approach it, a practitioner must bring the whole self into relationship with the Tao. This episode explores balance, avoidance, self-love, the limits of the social mind, and the difference between prayer and invocation. Available now for subscribers on Supercast. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
In this subscriber-only episode of Living the Tao (1-185), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod continues his study of the I Ching with Hexagram 46, Pushing Upward, and Hexagram 42, Increase. Both hexagrams point toward action, but they do not describe the same kind of movement. Pushing Upward is steady ascent: small efforts, proper support, and the presence of the “great person.” Increase is sudden opportunity: thunder, wind, favorable change, and the need to act before the moment passes. Master Steenrod examines the classic pronouncements, images, and line meanings of both hexagrams, while also challenging the modern idea that success is usually achieved alone. In the I Ching, ascent requires timing, support, preparation, and responsibility toward others. This episode is available for subscribers. Unlock the full episode now on Supercast. Subscribe now at https://living-the-tao.supercast.com
What was the world like before social mind became the dominant force shaping human experience? In this Living the Tao Short (2-24), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod explores a question that sits at the intersection of Taoist doctrine, history, and esoteric practice. According to the tradition, there was a time when the influence of social mind was far weaker, allowing human beings to access levels of capability, awareness, and spiritual development that seem nearly impossible today. Along the way, Master Steenrod discusses the relationship between social mind and the disappearance of magic, the loss of what he calls "cheap pathways" to higher development, and why extraordinary accomplishments may require vastly greater amounts of energy in the modern era. He also challenges a common assumption about enlightenment, explaining why early Daoist practice may have begun where most modern seekers hope to arrive. A thought-provoking exploration of human potential, reality, and the forces that shape both. Video version here: https://youtu.be/6wlEvTgGcUU 🌐 Explore more Taoist teachings: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com Premium Episodes and Full Catalog (4x the content): https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Source: incompetech.com
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Observed September 15, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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