Spiritual progress doesn’t have to be slow. In this powerful bonus episode of Living the Tao, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod breaks down the hidden mechanics behind rapid spiritual growth—and why most people never take advantage of them.

Drawing on classical Taoist principles and the deep pattern work found in the I Ching, Master Steenrod explains how your spiritual development hinges on nine key relationships—including leading vs. following, connection vs. isolation, and creation vs. destruction. These simple but profound factors shape every plan you make, every obstacle you encounter, and every breakthrough you achieve.

You’ll learn:

Why habit—not insight—determines whether you lead, follow, or freeze

How misreading “connection” vs. “isolation” can sabotage progress

Why spiritual development is 100% dependent on choice

How cycles of creation and destruction affect your life and goals

Why stable states never last—and how to stop expecting them to

How small, consistent action outperforms perfection every time

Why discomfort is often the doorway to rapid transformation

Master Steenrod also reveals a core Taoist truth: spirituality can move far faster than most people imagine—if you learn how to work with the patterns of the universe rather than against them.

This is one of the most foundational talks ever given on the show, offering a clear roadmap for navigating the chaos, cycles, and opportunities of real spiritual practice.

Perfect for listeners seeking:

The full guide and commentary to this episode can be found here: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com/bonus-ep-1-spirituality-fast-track/

Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source: incompetech.com