The Damo Mitchell Podcast

Joey Nishad chats about his Taiji training, weight-lifting as a part of Taiji, sinew changing principles and more. This conversation takes place over Zoom and so the sound quality reflects this. Joey Nishad has an eccentric take on life and a profound take on internal arts training. This is combined with a great sense of humour and so this talk should be both enlightening and entertaining. 

Damo Mitchell, an expert in Chinese medicine and inner cultivation, delves into the intricate concept of Jing, Yuan qi, and subtle anatomy, highlighting the differences between medicine and cultivation. He discusses cultivating the body Jing, the impact of teachers on practice, the exploration of subtle chi mechanisms, and the balanced approach to incorporating secondary foods in Chinese medicine. Mitchell also addresses the misconception of jing depletion through sexual activities and offers practical advice on overcoming hyperarousal in a stimulus-driven society.

Damo is joined once again by Adam Mizner in the studio in Bali. After a month's practice retreat, the two of them sit down with a cigar and whisky to discuss evolution versus religious views, Taiji, the concept of Qi, Zhan Zhuang training, integrity, politics and various other topics associated with the internal arts. 

Damo (in a hotel in London) chatting about the effects of porn addiction on young men in the martial arts and Qigong world. He also looks at the effects of a lack of physical exercise in developmental years, the nature of video-gaming, online interactions and male competitiveness. 

In this episode, Damo is giving a more personal account of his views on and contact with the subject of violence. He looks at why violence should never be glorified and why it is a complex aspect of martial arts. In his own classes, violence is a part of the training but not the mental focus and in this episode, he explains why.

Damo chatting about his recent trip to the United States (Maryland, Washington DC and Louisiana) as well as his views on American/Western media. He also looks at one of the prime principles for developing within the arts - this is the principle of organising 'practice intent' according to the idea of Cause, Effect and Conditions. Not filmed in the usual Podcast spot due to being on the road in the USA still. 

In this podcast, Damo Mitchell discusses various aspects of understanding qi, including the complexities and dangers of oversimplification. He explores the concept of qi in martial arts, the power of belief and its effects, and the negative impact of the internet on discussions about chi. Mitchell also shares his personal journey of encountering chi and reflects on the process of self-reflection and unraveling attachments in the exploration of qi.

In this episode, Damo and Adam Mizner are in Bali, chatting about the nature of cultivation and what place the various arts such as Taiji, Qigong and Meditation play on this path. They discuss their personal entry into Taiji, the nature of pushing hands, Zhong Ding, meditation and more.This episode was filmed on a day off after they had been practicing together for the month of April in order to further develop their skills and help each other out in their practice. TRIGGER WARNING: To those easily offended by such things, alcohol features in this podcast!

In this episode, Damo is giving his personal opinion on the recent 'tongue sucking' scandal involving the Dalai Lama. The nature of cultural differences are looked at, along with public shaming, honest mistakes, red flags for abusive behaviour and the dangers of attributing divine qualities to humans, no matter how kind they may seem. It is important that people don't jump to sensationalised opinions whenever something unexpected happens, but we should also not ignore potential risks as nobody in a position of power should be above scrutiny. 

Damo talks about his experiences of finishing the first week of a five year long martial arts retreat in Bali. Over five years, a group will be going deep into both external and internal martial arts, meditation and medicine. After the first week, Damo sits down and discusses his first impression of teaching the retreat and the mindset behind the people in attendance.