The Damo Mitchell Podcast

Delve into the division of mind and Qi in Qigong with the principle of 'Shen Up, Qi Down'. Explore the balance of energy flow and attentiveness for mental clarity. Discover the alchemical transformation through balancing energies and maintaining awareness in Qigong practice.

Damo Mitchell chatting with famed explorer and film-maker, Dr Lawrence Blair at his home in Bali. The discussion looks at Indonesian culture, mythology, religion and even UFO's! Dynamo Jack is discussed along with the connection between subtle energy and spiritual experience. For more information on Dr Lawrence Blair, please visit his website at: https://www.drlawrenceblair.comWe highly recommend watching the groundbreaking series, the Ring of Fire which can be found here: https://www.ringoffireseries.com. It is downloadable from Apple TV and other similar sources. 

Damo Mitchell, expert on dream teaching and sleep visitations, explores the concept of dreaming about teachers and emphasizes the need for understanding. He discusses limitations and potential issues of dreaming about being taught by teachers. He also explores the relationship between dreams and the mind from a Chinese medicine perspective. Additionally, Mitchell discusses the influence of external factors on dream content and the concept of a field in internal arts training.

A talk by Damo on the subject of Bai Shi and the accepting of disciples. He looks at the difference between Bai Shi in the martial arts and the spiritual arts, the nature of having multiple lineages and the expectations of Bai Shi. Also explored are the implications of translating Chinese customs over into western culture and how these things may become misunderstood. Obviously, this is all based on Damo's personal experience and so different schools may interpret the Bai Shi ritual in their own ways. 

A short discussion of the nature of Zi Fa Gong or 'Spontaneous Qi Flow'. This is to help with some of the confusions around the topic. Spontaneous Qi flow is when the body moves free from conscious control and this is often something that manifests within practices such as Qigong, Yoga and Meditation. It should always be approached with a degree of mental detachment and freedom from overlaid conscious or subconscious models such as ideas of Kundalini or Deity involvement. 

Adam Mizner & Damo Mitchell chatting about Taijiquan, Japanese culture, Karate, Qi development and a bunch of other stuff whilst they are in Tokyo. Of particular interest is the distinction between three forms of 'internal force' within these arts - body level practice, mind level skills and Qi development. One is the key method and the others become close methods that are not quite the true thing. 

A discussion by Damo Mitchell on the subject of learning Qigong and the internal arts. He chats about transmission, the nature of learning subtle skills, the auric field of the Guru and how to master Qigong and associated arts. He also look at the nature of teaching online; its limitations and the nature of what can be learnt through solo study. 

An informal and yet frank discussion of the dynamics that may exist between teachers and students within the martial and internal arts world. These are thoughts in response to the recent year of full time teaching by Lotus Nei Gong and the ugly truths of keeping people happy in schools and the difficulties of teaching are looked at.

An informal and unplanned talk by Damo Mitchell on what he learnt after a year of teaching full-time. He shares his thoughts on transitioning from a 'workshop teacher' to a 'full time retreat teacher' and how these two are different. Damo also discusses the importance of continual learning for teachers of the arts, the danger of 'psychic' teachers and the complexity of providing a full education in these arts. 

A shorter talk by Damo on the idea of 'changing wounds to scars as wounds are debilitating and scars are character building'. This is just some general advice around how to sensibly approach managing ones own injuries and how to move beyond them so that the body may heal; an idea based in not over-identifying with the issue at hand.