Living the Tao-A Spiritual Podcast

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

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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.

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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

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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 episode “What Is Death?”, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod introduces a deeper Taoist examination of life, death, fear, and return.

Rather than offering a simple comfort story, this episode asks what death actually is. Master Steenrod explores life as ordered differentiation, death as movement back through chaos, and the Taoist idea of return through Pu, Hundun, Hexagram 24, and the caterpillar’s transformation.

The full subscriber episode also enters more advanced territory, including meditation as the loosening of fixation, the story of the self, and what happens when deep practice approaches the edge of undifferentiation.

Listen to the full episode through the Living the Tao subscriber feed on Supercast.

Unlock the full episode now on Supercast.  Subscribe now at  https://living-the-tao.supercast.com

What is meditation, really?

In this episode (1-183) of Living the Tao, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod explores meditation from a classical Taoist perspective. Rather than focusing on posture, breathing, or techniques, he examines the deeper principle behind all meditative practice: the mind acting upon the mind.

Along the way, Mikel discusses the influence of the Social Mind, why most people live according to maps they did not create, and how meditation can help a person gain greater ownership of their own experience. He also explains why meditation is not always comfortable, how it can uncover parts of ourselves we have hidden away, and why Taoist meditation is not about escaping life—but engaging more fully with it.

The conversation explores the natural roots of meditation, the importance of stillness in nature, and the role meditation plays in self-knowledge, personal freedom, and human development.

If you've ever wondered what meditation is actually for—or whether you're following someone else's map through life—this episode offers a practical and thought-provoking place to begin.

Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/LDe6zoBaMd8

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Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Source: incompetech.com

Most people think stress comes from big problems. Taoism suggests something different.

In this free Living the Tao Short (2-23), Master Mikel Steenrod explores how sudden changes—whether they seem good or bad—place demands on the body and mind. Using weather as a starting point, he explains why rapid shifts can drain our reserves, disrupt our balance, and gradually affect both quality of life and longevity.

A beautiful warm day in the middle of winter may feel wonderful, but your body still has to adapt. The same principle applies to life itself. Stressors often arrive in clusters, and while any one challenge might be manageable, repeated shocks can accumulate over time.

Discover why Taoists pay attention to mismatches, adaptation, recovery, and the hidden costs of rapid change—and what you can do to restore yourself when life moves too fast.

To view the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/CV8ro9J0dlc

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Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Source: incompetech.com

Before the Jade Rabbit became the dominant symbol of the moon, another creature occupied the lunar imagination of ancient China—the mysterious Three-Legged Moon Toad.

In this subscriber-only episode of Living the Tao, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod explores one of the oldest and most overlooked symbols associated with Yin. Beginning with the children's tale of Jip Jip, the moon toad who gradually consumes the moon before laying an egg and beginning the cycle anew, the discussion expands into classical Taoist symbolism, lunar mythology, fertility, regeneration, and the evolution of religious storytelling.

Along the way, listeners will discover:

Blending mythology, history, symbolism, and Taoist philosophy, this episode reveals how a forgotten lunar creature can illuminate some of the oldest ideas in the Taoist tradition.

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In this episode of Living the Tao, Master Steenrod explores the ancient myth of the Fusang tree, the ten suns, and the mysterious three-legged crow that became one of the great symbolic images of East Asian spirituality.

Beginning with the ancient legend itself, the episode examines how the Sun Crow myth evolved from early shamanic and mythological roots into Taoist cosmology, esoteric symbolism, and qi theory. Along the way, the discussion explores the meaning of the sun as a source of yang, the symbolic role of the black crow within the blazing sun, and why Taoist traditions viewed excess yang as dangerous rather than desirable.

Topics include:

Blending mythology, Taoist philosophy, symbolism, and cosmology, this episode examines how ancient stories became tools for understanding balance, transformation, and the energetic structure of life itself.

Unlock the full episode now on Supercast.  Subscribe now at  https://living-the-tao.supercast.com

Is there really a “Daoist diet”?

In this episode of Living the Tao Shorts (2-22), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod explores one of the most misunderstood subjects in Taoist practice: food restrictions, dietary cultivation, and the purpose behind them. Rather than rigid rules or moral prohibitions, traditional Daoist approaches to diet were often based on observation, experimentation, longevity, and energetic outcome.

The discussion explores:

This is a practical and historically grounded conversation about food, health, and cultivation within the broader Daoist tradition.

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To view the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/gRMV36dDoug 

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Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Source: incompetech.com