The Modern Taoist

Kit Mann
  • 4.8 (6)
  • 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. The Strength You Were Born With

    2d ago

    The Strength You Were Born With

    What if the exhaustion you feel isn’t coming from doing too much… but from forcing too much? In this episode, we explore Chapter 55 of the Tao Te Ching and one of Lao Tzu’s most surprising images: the newborn child. Not as innocence. Not as weakness. As a picture of natural strength. We look at what happens as we grow older and slowly trade ease for performance, natural response for self-management, and real strength for the exhausting work of holding ourselves together. Why do some forms of effort leave us energized while others quietly drain us? And what happens when the version of ourselves we maintain starts costing more than the life we’re actually living? This episode is about harmony, depletion, identity, and the possibility that the strength you’re searching for may not need to be built at all. It may already be there. Listen now and join the conversation. https://linktr.ee/daoananda

    48 min
  2. Weekend Check-In: Desire vs Need

    6d ago

    Weekend Check-In: Desire vs Need

    We spend a surprising amount of life treating desires like needs. Not because wanting things is wrong, but because somewhere along the way we begin believing peace can only arrive once the next thing does. In this Taoist Check-In, we explore the difference between desire and need, why modern life constantly blurs the line between them, and how attachment quietly turns ordinary wants into sources of suffering. This isn’t about giving things up or pretending not to care. It’s about learning how to pursue what matters without making your inner stability dependent on the outcome. A short reflection on sufficiency, attachment, and one simple question that can change the way you move through life. Listen now and join the conversation.

    10 min
  3. The Waiting is the Hardest Part

    May 19

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part

    What makes waiting so painful? Not just bad news. Not failure. The space before knowing. In this episode, we explore the uniquely difficult experience of living in uncertainty — waiting for answers, outcomes, decisions, change, or the next version of your life to begin. From pending medical results to major life transitions, Taoism offers a perspective that goes far beyond “just be present” or “let go.” This episode looks at why the mind runs endless scenarios during uncertain periods, how waiting exposes our lack of control, and what the Tao Te Ching actually means when it speaks about attachment to outcomes. Not abstract philosophy. Real life. Real uncertainty. And a grounded Taoist approach to moving through it without losing yourself in the process. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and all major podcast platforms. https://linktr.ee/daoananda

    51 min
  4. Weekend Check-in: Do Without Depending

    May 15

    Weekend Check-in: Do Without Depending

    Chapter Two of the Tao Te Ching contains a simple line that becomes harder and harder to ignore once you really understand it: “Do without depending.” In this Taoist Check-In, we look at how modern life trains us to attach our peace to outcomes, validation, praise, attention, and control. Laozi points in another direction entirely. This episode explores the difference between caring and depending, why emotional attachment to results exhausts people, and how Taoism teaches us to move through life with more steadiness and less grasping. Not passive. Not detached. Just no longer emotionally chained to every outcome. Follow The Modern Taoist for new episodes every Tuesday morning and additional Taoist Check-Ins throughout the week. https://linktr.ee/daoananda

    14 min
  5. Is Forgiveness Always Required?

    May 12

    Is Forgiveness Always Required?

    For years, we’ve been told the same thing: You have to forgive in order to heal. But what if that isn’t always true? In this episode, Kit takes a direct and deeply honest look at forgiveness, emotional healing, and the pressure people feel to “move on” before they’re actually ready. Instead of treating forgiveness like a moral requirement or spiritual achievement, this conversation explores a more grounded Taoist perspective: What if healing isn’t about forcing forgiveness at all? What if there’s a difference between forgiving… and simply releasing? This episode examines the danger of performative forgiveness, the natural role of anger and grief, and why some wounds change us permanently. It also explores the difference between healthy processing and resentment that has calcified into identity. No clichés. No forced positivity. Just an honest conversation about pain, healing, and allowing inner processes to move at their own pace. Topics include:• The cultural pressure to forgive• Releasing vs. forgiving• When anger is still serving a purpose• The Taoist view of emotional healing• How resentment quietly spreads into unrelated parts of life• Why some healing cannot be rushed Plus:A listener question from Camilla in Erie, PA about whether we ever truly get “through” suffering, and this week’s Taoist Assignment focused on breath, awareness, and carrying emotional weight without forcing resolution. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow, share, and connect with the community at:https://linktr.ee/daoananda

    50 min
  6. Weekend Check In - Do What You Have To Do

    May 8

    Weekend Check In - Do What You Have To Do

    Most people are not exhausted from doing too much. They’re exhausted from resisting what they already know needs to be done. In this weekend’s Taoist Check-In, we explore how avoidance, distraction, and endless internal negotiation create unnecessary suffering in modern life. From unfinished tasks to constant phone scrolling, we’ve become experts at delaying direct participation in our own lives. This episode looks at the Taoist idea of simplicity through action. Not hustle culture. Not grinding. Just learning how to stop fighting reality long enough to handle the next right thing cleanly and directly. Because peace is often closer than we think. Sometimes it begins the moment we stop avoiding our lives and finally step back into them.

    15 min
  7. What Our Phones Are Stealing From Us

    May 5

    What Our Phones Are Stealing From Us

    We talk about phones like they’re stealing our time. That’s not really the problem. In this episode, we take a Taoist look at what’s actually being lost. Not productivity. Not focus. Something quieter, and a lot more important. Your ability to fully be in your own life while it’s happening. Drawing from the teachings of Zhuangzi, this episode breaks down how constant checking and scrolling reshapes your attention at a deeper level. It’s not just distraction. It’s a shift in how you experience moments, conversations, and even memory itself. You’ll start to see the small ways your attention leaves the present. The reflex to reach. The discomfort with stillness. The habit of treating every moment like something to move through instead of something to actually live. And more importantly, you’ll learn how to interrupt that pattern. Not with rules or restrictions, but with simple, practical awareness you can apply immediately. This isn’t about quitting your phone. It’s about getting your life back from the quiet places where it’s been slipping away. Listen now: https://linktr.ee/daoananda

    56 min
  8. Weekend Check-In: What We Can Control

    May 1

    Weekend Check-In: What We Can Control

    Something goes wrong. You try to fix it. It doesn’t move. And before you know it, you’re carrying it around all day. This episode is about what actually frustrates you in those moments. It’s not the situation. It’s the loss of control. We look at what’s really yours to handle and what never was. Not as an idea, but as something you can apply immediately when things start to spiral. This is a grounded take on wu wei. No mysticism. No passivity. Just clear action when it’s time to act, and the discipline to stop when it’s not. If you’ve been stuck replaying something, pushing for answers, or trying to force a resolution, this will reset your approach. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow the show and send in your questions. https://linktr.ee/daoananda

    11 min
See All (53)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
6 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
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kit Mann
  • Show Website
    The Modern Taoist

You Might Also Like