Alchemy on the Island

Dan Entmacher and Girolamo Marri
Alchemy on the Island

From the jungles of Bali, come join Dan, Gimo and friends on a magical, and at times, arduous journey through the vast and rich world of the Daoist internal arts. As these two students pause to make sense of their surroundings they will be speaking to their fellow cultivators and exploring the deeply mystical whilst attempting to ground in the tangible and ordinary. Though the topics are broad and range from Qi, Internal Alchemy, Meditation, Nei Gong, Taiji, Kung Fu and more, there is a unifying principle - to steadily move towards a deeper connection with that which is eternal within us all.

Episodes

  1. 21/09/2024

    E04. Discipline in the Spiritual Arts

    For many, the idea of spiritual practice involves following your bliss, being true to your feelings, and trying to calm the mind. However, according to many of the sages and mystics throughout history this would be pretty far off the mark. Though these qualities may be helpful for your psychology at times, the requirements for true spiritual attainment have long involved quite a bit of rigor, determination, and discipline. In this episode Laurence Katsaras helps us explore the idea of discipline in the spiritual arts, why it's so important, how to approach building it even if that at first feels intimidating, and how to skillfully apply it in all areas of your life. It may sound like a chore but somehow we managed to have a fun time talking about it! We hope this episode changes how you feel about discipline and enriches your life and practice with this incredibly important quality.

    1h 36m

  2. 21/08/2024

    E03. Qi, What is it Good For?

    Sitting on the bed of Gimo’s room, Anastasia Frenkel, Dan and Gimo explore in depth the concept of “Qi”. Generally translated as “life force”, qi is at the heart of what powers the internal arts. The word qi can also vary in meaning depending on the context, be this martial arts, Chinese medicine, philosophy or even daily conversation. Anastasia shares her extensive practical as well as intellectual understanding of qi from the perspective of neigong and the broader Daoist internal arts. Sharing a bit of her personal experience, she explains why it is a good idea to accumulate as much qi as possible and how to do so (because yes, it turns out that qi is a substance that's worth accruing greedily), as well as describing the role qi plays as interface between the mind and the body. It’s an intense talk, full of qi. We hope you enjoy it!

    1h 27m

  3. 06/08/2024

    E02. Nei Gong Along

    In this episode Gimo & Dan speak with the esteemed and gracious Leo Bierman about the heart of their practice in Bali, Nei Gong. The powerful body based energetic path of Nei Gong contains many practices designed to open the body, purge pathogens, build Qi, and generally prepare the individual for deeper spiritual transformation. The work is at times both physically and mentally challenging and the benefits are deep and lasting. If you want to explore this strange and potent practice from the perspective of three individuals who have devoted their lives (at least for now) to this path, or you just want to know what the hell would make several seemingly sane individuals pack up their lives and move across the world, then please check out the episode! Structured Nei Gong Program listed in the episode: https://lotusneigong.com/structured-foundation-program/

    1h 1m

  4. 26/07/2024

    E01. What is a Cultivator?

    What is a cultivator of the spiritual arts? We're glad you asked . . . In the first episode of the show, Dan, Gimo and their guest Jackson Collings tackle the equally crucial and vast topic of spiritual cultivation, the core aim of their studies on the Island. The conversation runs between high minded ideas and practical notions, punctuated by anecdotes from Jackson’s fascinating personal journey, including his accomplished teachers and snowboarding with kangaroos.. The topic of cultivation is dissected to various degrees of depth, touching upon the first steps to take in beginning cultivation; the benefits that can be gained from it; the levels of discipline required for the task; the debate on whether this is a natural or unnatural aim; the process leading from a “smooshed”, to unsmooshed and finally smooshed again sense of self; and more. We would be very pleased if you joined the conversation through the comments, please feel free to share any kind of personal insight on the matter.  And, as we are moving our first steps in the world of podcasting, we would also be most thankful for your suggestions on how to make this and even more incredibly splendid and unmissable show. Thank you! Gimo & Dan For further resources on topics covered in todays episode you can check out the Internal Arts Academy at https://damomitchell.com which is not affiliated with nor a sponsor of our show. Article by Jackson referenced in the show: https://www.jacksoncollings.com/writing/the-path-of-cultivation

    1h 10m
  5. E00. Introduction to Alchemy on the Island

    26/07/2024

    E00. Introduction to Alchemy on the Island

    Welcome to Alchemy on the Island!  Meet your hosts, Dan and Gimo; learn a little bit about what makes them tic and listen as they attempt to convince you to come hang on the island with them by jangling sparkly previews of all the wonderful things in store on season one. Enjoy the show.

    31 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

From the jungles of Bali, come join Dan, Gimo and friends on a magical, and at times, arduous journey through the vast and rich world of the Daoist internal arts. As these two students pause to make sense of their surroundings they will be speaking to their fellow cultivators and exploring the deeply mystical whilst attempting to ground in the tangible and ordinary. Though the topics are broad and range from Qi, Internal Alchemy, Meditation, Nei Gong, Taiji, Kung Fu and more, there is a unifying principle - to steadily move towards a deeper connection with that which is eternal within us all.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Entmacher and Girolamo Marri
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dan Entmacher and Girolamo Marri
  • Show Website
    Alchemy on the Island

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada