The Modern Taoist

Kit Mann
  • 4.8 (5)
  • SPIRITUALITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Modern Taoist Podcast explores how Taoist wisdom lives in today’s world. Hosted by Kit Mann of Dao Ananda, each weekly episode brings Taoism out of the abstract and into daily practice — one step, one breath at a time. From Qigong and meditation to the challenges of modern life, this podcast offers a grounded look at modern Taoism in America. It’s not about passive philosophy — it’s about clarity, balance, and the small practices that shape a meaningful life. 🎙 New episodes every Tuesday morning. 👉 Learn more: https://www.daoananda.org/the-modern-taoist

  1. Your Mood is Not Your Boss

    13H AGO

    Your Mood is Not Your Boss

    Most people live with a quiet assumption: that their moods are delivered to them by the world. A message arrives. Someone speaks the wrong way. The news turns darker. And suddenly the feeling appears, heavy and undeniable. It feels obvious to say, this is why I feel this way. But Taoism asks a more uncomfortable and liberating question: what happens inside you between the event and the mood? In this episode, we explore the hidden space most people never examine. The silent translator inside the nervous system. The reflex to blame. The protective stories the mind creates to avoid meeting discomfort directly. And the moment where responsibility quietly returns, not as guilt, but as power. You’ll learn why moods are not commands, but signals. Why blame provides temporary relief while quietly giving away influence. And how a simple shift in awareness can return the steering wheel to your hands without denying the reality of the world around you. This is not about suppressing emotion. It is about understanding it. Meeting it honestly. And remembering that while you cannot control every circumstance, you can always choose how you participate in what happens next. If you’ve ever felt controlled by your moods, stuck inside reactions you didn’t consciously choose, or frustrated by how quickly blame appears, this conversation will help you see what has always been within your reach. Follow The Modern Taoist and share this episode with someone learning to stand steady in the middle of feeling human.

    51 min
  2. Why We Care About Being Understood

    FEB 10

    Why We Care About Being Understood

    Why do we care so much about being understood, and does that concern actually serve us? In this episode we look at the everyday experience of being misread by other people and the quiet pressure to correct every wrong impression. Instead of offering spiritual slogans, we talk about what really helps. When does explaining yourself matter, and when does it only make things worse? How do you decide who deserves the full story and who only needs a simple boundary? The conversation explores the line between connection and control, between caring about relationships and chasing approval from the crowd. Being misunderstood is part of being human, but it does not have to run your life. This episode offers practical ways to respond without shrinking yourself, and a reminder that your life can be steady even when some people never quite get you.

    54 min
  3. How to "Move On" and "Let It Go"

    FEB 3

    How to "Move On" and "Let It Go"

    Most people walk through life quietly assuming something is wrong with them. The reactions they cannot control. The habits they cannot break. The emotions that seem to arrive before logic has a chance to speak. But what if you are not broken? What if you are patterned? In this episode, we take a clear look at the difference between damage and conditioning. Patterns are not personal failures. They are learned responses shaped by family, culture, fear, success, trauma, and repetition. Once you see them for what they are, something important happens. You stop fighting yourself and start understanding yourself. We talk about how patterns form, why awareness alone is not enough to change them, and how Taoist practice invites a quieter approach. Not force. Not shame. Just steady observation followed by deliberate action. You will walk away with practical ways to recognize your own loops, interrupt the ones that no longer serve you, and loosen the grip of the stories you have been telling about who you are. You are not broken. You are human. And humans can change.

    51 min
  4. Ask me Anything Vol 4

    JAN 27

    Ask me Anything Vol 4

    Rigidity, Influence, Tribalism, Nostalgia, and Finding Taoism in Real Life This Ask Me Anything episode answers listener questions from around the world, each one pointing to a deeper human tension beneath modern life. We explore what the Tao Te Ching says about rigidity and death, and why flexibility is treated as a sign of life itself. We talk honestly about social media influencing, where it helps, where it harms, and what happens when identity becomes performance. We look at why everything feels politicized now, how tribalism forms, and what Taoism offers as an alternative to hardening into sides. We also address the quiet loneliness of practicing Taoism in places where belief systems feel polarized, and how to find real connection without labels. Finally, we explore nostalgia and memory. How Taoists hold the past without living inside it, and how remembrance becomes grounding instead of restrictive. These are not abstract answers. They are human ones. Grounded, lived, and meant to be carried into daily life.

    47 min
  5. Is Ambition Bad?

    JAN 20

    Is Ambition Bad?

    Taoism is often misunderstood as passive or anti ambition. This episode challenges that idea directly. Being an ambitious Taoist does not mean giving up goals or floating through life like a leaf. It means learning how to pursue growth without turning ambition into pressure, obsession, or self violence. We explore where ambition actually comes from, the difference between aligned ambition and compensatory ambition, and how attachment to outcomes quietly turns drive into strain. We look at how ambition becomes unhealthy when it is used to regulate worth, and how Taoism offers a way to want deeply without hardening. This episode is about ambition that can last. Direction without fixation. Growth without burnout. Effort that responds instead of dominates. If you want to build something meaningful, change your life, or grow without losing yourself along the way, this episode reframes ambition through a Taoist lens grounded in real life. Not less ambition.Better ambition.

    44 min
  6. What Does "Go with the Flow" really mean?

    JAN 13

    What Does "Go with the Flow" really mean?

    “Go with the flow” is one of the most misunderstood phrases in modern life. People hear passivity, disengagement, or drifting. Taoism means something very different. In this episode, we unpack what flow actually is and why flexibility consistently outperforms force under real pressure. Not as a slogan. As a lived survival skill. We explore why rigid people break even when they are disciplined, committed, and trying their hardest. Why force works briefly and then quietly fails. And why adaptability, not strength alone, is what keeps people moving through change. This is not about lowering standards or giving up effort. It is about learning how to adjust without collapsing, yield without quitting, and respond instead of resisting when conditions shift. If life has started to feel heavier, if effort is producing less return, or if pushing harder no longer works the way it used to, this episode offers a Taoist lens grounded in real examples and practical application. Flow is not drifting.It is intelligent movement.

    47 min
  7. You Are Nature -You Are Not a Machine

    JAN 6

    You Are Nature -You Are Not a Machine

    We spend our lives trying to manage ourselves as if we’re machines. Optimize the schedule. Fix the mindset. Override the body. Push through the cycle. That approach sounds productive, but it’s the source of most exhaustion. In this episode of The Modern Taoist, we dismantle the idea that humans stand outside of nature, observing and controlling it. You are not an exception to natural law. You are not separate from rhythm, cycles, emotion, fatigue, or recovery. You are inside the system, not above it. We explore why modern culture treats the body like software, how Taoism views human behavior as seasonal and responsive, and what changes when you stop fighting your own biology. This is not about slowing down for the sake of it. It’s about moving with clarity instead of force. If you’ve felt burned out, disconnected, or frustrated by self improvement advice that never sticks, this episode reframes the problem entirely. You are not broken.You are nature. Listen now and follow the show at:https://linktr.ee/daoananda Subscribe, follow, and share if this episode helped you see yourself more clearly.

    49 min
  8. New Year's Resolutions And Why They Don't Work

    12/30/2025

    New Year's Resolutions And Why They Don't Work

    Not because people lack discipline, but because they aim at change without understanding what they are already repeating. In this episode of The Modern Taoist, we step away from motivation, goal lists, and January pressure. Instead, we look at why resolutions collapse, how identity gets forced instead of clarified, and why alignment matters more than willpower. This is a Taoist approach to the New Year. No declarations. No reinvention. Just an honest look at how real change actually happens when attention, behavior, and direction come back into agreement. If you’ve ever felt clear on January 1 and scattered by January 12, this episode is for you. We talk about habits, self-imposed pressure, and what it means to move forward without fighting yourself. The year does not need a new version of you.It needs a clearer relationship with who you already are. Listen to The Modern Taoist Podcast on your favorite platform:https://linktr.ee/daoananda And if this episode resonates, make sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations.

    54 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Modern Taoist Podcast explores how Taoist wisdom lives in today’s world. Hosted by Kit Mann of Dao Ananda, each weekly episode brings Taoism out of the abstract and into daily practice — one step, one breath at a time. From Qigong and meditation to the challenges of modern life, this podcast offers a grounded look at modern Taoism in America. It’s not about passive philosophy — it’s about clarity, balance, and the small practices that shape a meaningful life. 🎙 New episodes every Tuesday morning. 👉 Learn more: https://www.daoananda.org/the-modern-taoist

Information

  • Creator
    Kit Mann
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kit Mann
  • Show Website
    The Modern Taoist

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