Living the Tao-A Spiritual Podcast

Mikel Steenrod
  • 4.4 (7)
  • Spirituality
  • Updated Biweekly

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.

  1. Laozi, Utopia, and the Double Donkey Salute

    1d ago

    Laozi, Utopia, and the Double Donkey Salute

    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

    28 min
  2. Shorts | Don’t Fight the Storm. Sink Beneath It

    4d ago ·  Bonus

    Shorts | Don’t Fight the Storm. Sink Beneath It

    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

    15 min
  3. Trailer | Exploring the Tao Sphere

    Trailer

    Trailer | Exploring the Tao Sphere

    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

    1 min
  4. Trailer | I Ching Hexagrams: Pushing Upward and Increase

    Trailer

    Trailer | I Ching Hexagrams: Pushing Upward and Increase

    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

    1 min
  5. Shorts | The World Before Social Mind (When Magic Still Worked)

    Jun 16 ·  Bonus

    Shorts | The World Before Social Mind (When Magic Still Worked)

    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

    12 min
  6. Trailer | What is Death?

    Trailer

    Trailer | What is Death?

    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

    1 min
  7. What Meditation Really Is (And Why It Might Not Be Worth It)

    Jun 5

    What Meditation Really Is (And Why It Might Not Be Worth It)

    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 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com   Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Source: incompetech.com

    37 min
  8. Shorts | Shocks Add Up Like Concussions (Here’s Why)

    Jun 2 ·  Bonus

    Shorts | Shocks Add Up Like Concussions (Here’s Why)

    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   🌐 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

    11 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

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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