The Modern Taoist

Kit Mann
  • 4.9 (8)
  • Spirituality
  • Weekly

Taoism has a lot to say about modern life. The Modern Taoist is a podcast about Taoist philosophy, Taoist teachings and the ideas found in the Tao Te Ching, applied to the problems we actually face: stress, relationships, work, ambition, conflict, aging, loss, uncertainty and change. Hosted by Taoist teacher Kit Mann, each episode looks at an ancient idea and asks what it means for us now. How do we understand ourselves? How do we deal with things we can't control? How do we live with less struggle and more awareness?

  1. 2d ago

    Convenient Isn’t Simple (Why The Tao is Getting More Important)

    Simple Is Not the Same as Convenient: Why We’ll Need Taoism in 2027 Streaming services, cloud storage, sleep trackers, meal kits and password managers all promised to make life easier. So why do so many of us feel more crowded and more tired than ever? In this episode of The Modern Taoist, Kit Mann looks at the difference between simple and convenient, and why that difference will shape the years ahead. Kit draws on the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi to make a pro-human case for balance in an age of AI, apps and endless updates. He covers pu, the uncarved block; Zhuangzi’s gardener and his warning about the “machine heart”; Chapter 38’s call to “dwell in reality”; and Chapter 77’s picture of the Tao as a bow that brings excess back into balance. Along the way he talks about connection to yourself, to nature, to other people and to real life, and why boredom, friction and doing things yourself still count for something. He also offers two questions you can ask about anything new in your life: does this make my life simpler, or only more convenient? And does it bring me closer to real life, or stand in for it? In the listener question, Gianna in Santa Barbara asks how Taoism views charity and homelessness, and how to help without enabling. To support free Taoist education and scholarships for young people, visit themoderntaoistfoundation.com. Taoism for modern life, simple living, digital balance, mindfulness and staying human in a tech-filled world.

    Convenient Isn’t Simple (Why The Tao is Getting More Important)

  2. 3d ago

    Tao Te Now - Chapter 9

    How do you know when enough is enough? In this episode of Tao Te Now, Kit Mann goes through Chapter 9 of the Tao Te Ching line by line, using the Stephen Mitchell translation. It is one of Lao Tzu’s most practical teachings on balance, moderation and letting go. Chapter 9 gives four warnings. A bowl filled to the brim spills. A knife sharpened too long goes dull. Chasing money and security keeps your heart clenched. Needing other people’s approval makes you their prisoner. Kit connects each one to modern life: overbooked family calendars, burnout from overworking, a savings goal that keeps moving, and checking your phone for likes. Then he explains the instruction that ties the chapter together: “Do your work, then step back.” If you have been feeling stretched thin, anxious about money, or caught up in what other people think, this chapter offers a simple Taoist practice for finding peace in everyday life. Tao Te Now is a series from The Modern Taoist podcast that walks through the complete Tao Te Ching one chapter at a time, in plain, conversational language

    Tao Te Now - Chapter 9

  3. Trailer

    Modern Taoist - Trailer

    Ancient wisdom. Modern problems. Real life. Join Taoist teacher and veteran broadcaster Kit Mann for The Modern Taoist Podcast, where 2,500 years of Taoist philosophy meets the challenges of living in today's world. No mystical promises, no spiritual shortcuts, and no pretending life is always peaceful. Just honest conversations, practical wisdom, and a fresh perspective on what it means to be human. Three shows every week. One ancient philosophy. A whole new way to look at life.

  4. 6d ago

    Weekend Check-In - Holiday Prep

    Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming, and for a lot of people that means eight weeks of too many events, too much spending, family tension and not enough sleep. In this Weekend Check-In, Kit Mann looks at holiday stress before it starts and gives you a simple way to get ready now. Through the story of Carol, who hosts Thanksgiving for twenty-two people every year and spends it in tears in the pantry, Kit shows how holiday chaos builds out of small tasks left to pile up. He draws on Chapter 63 of the Tao Te Ching, “Do the difficult things while they are easy,” and turns it into a thirty-minute plan you can use this weekend: protect two days, cut one tradition nobody would miss, and pick the one sentence you will use when family drama starts. Practical Taoist philosophy for holiday anxiety, family stress, burnout and slowing down during the busiest time of the year.

    Weekend Check-In - Holiday Prep

  5. Nov 3

    What Are You Afraid Of?

    What are you afraid of, underneath the spiders and the public speaking? In this episode of The Modern Taoist, Kit Mann looks at four kinds of fear that run people’s lives: fear of the unknown, fear of what other people will do, fear of loss, and fear of failure. He traces each one back to the same root, which is control. Kit talks about a study where people found waiting on an uncertain outcome more stressful than knowing a shock was coming. He also brings in a mechanic who has kept his business plan in a kitchen drawer for eleven years, a dad who keeps refreshing his teenager’s location app, and a daughter learning to stop correcting her mother, who has dementia. He draws on Chapters 29, 71 and 74 of the Tao Te Ching and on wu wei, the Taoist idea of action that does not force. With those, he lays out a practical way to handle anxiety, worry and overthinking: name the fear, sort what is yours from what is not, take one action, and use your breath to calm the body. In the listener question, Jimmy in Fort Collins asks how you can live in the present when you have kids heading to college and retirement to plan for. Kit explains where planning ends and worry begins, and what Lao Tzu says about it. Taoism, the Tao Te Ching and Taoist philosophy for modern life, with practical tools for fear, anxiety and letting go of control.

    What Are You Afraid Of?

  6. Nov 1

    Tao Te Now - Chapter 8

    In Chapter 8 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu uses water to show how the Tao works in everyday life. Water nourishes everything without trying. It settles in the lowest places. It never forces. And everything flows toward it anyway. Using the Stephen Mitchell translation, this episode walks through the six instructions at the heart of Chapter 8 — how to live, think, handle conflict, lead, work, and show up for your family — and connects each one to situations people actually face: the manager who controls instead of trusts, the argument that turns into a negotiation, the parent who pushes too hard and wonders why their kid stopped talking to them. If you have ever felt like you are working harder than the results justify, or that the more you push for something the further away it gets, Chapter 8 is the chapter for you. Part of the Tao Te Now series on The Modern Taoist — a modern, conversational walk through the complete Tao Te Ching, one chapter at a time.

    Tao Te Now - Chapter 8

  7. Oct 30

    Weekend Check-In: Get Grounded

    Grounding is having a moment. Wellness culture calls it earthing. NIH researchers have been studying it. And the Taoist tradition has been practicing it for three thousand years. In this weekend check-in, Kit explores what it actually means to feel the earth beneath your feet — what the science is starting to confirm, what qigong has always known, and why rooting downward is the one thing most people skip when they are trying to feel more present. No equipment. No technique. Just ten minutes and bare feet. The Modern Taoist is a podcast about ancient Taoist philosophy and its practical application to everyday life. New episodes every Tuesday, with weekend check-ins every Friday.

    Weekend Check-In: Get Grounded

  8. Oct 27

    Why We Make The Same Mistakes Over and Over

    You already know what the pattern is. You’ve probably tried to stop it more than once. The problem isn’t awareness — it’s that awareness alone doesn’t reach the level where the pattern actually lives. In this episode, Kit breaks down why repeating patterns survive our best efforts to change them, what the Taoist tradition says about the difference between insight and actual change, and what measurable progress really looks like when the work is finally happening at the right level. Also: a listener from Bristol asks when Taoism was actually invented and whether Lao Tzu borrowed his ideas from someone else — and gets a more interesting answer than Google gave him. The Modern Taoist is a podcast about ancient Taoist philosophy and its practical application to everyday life. New episodes every Tuesday.

    Why We Make The Same Mistakes Over and Over
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Taoism has a lot to say about modern life. The Modern Taoist is a podcast about Taoist philosophy, Taoist teachings and the ideas found in the Tao Te Ching, applied to the problems we actually face: stress, relationships, work, ambition, conflict, aging, loss, uncertainty and change. Hosted by Taoist teacher Kit Mann, each episode looks at an ancient idea and asks what it means for us now. How do we understand ourselves? How do we deal with things we can't control? How do we live with less struggle and more awareness?

Information

  • Creator
    Kit Mann
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    111
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kit Mann
  • Show Website
    The Modern Taoist

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