Documentary
The Immortal Path
A documentary exploring tai chi, martial arts and Eastern philosophy through the lens of spiritual seekers walking the Daoist path.
Overview
What does daoism & internal arts point to?
Daoism & Internal Arts centers on embodied cultivation rather than textual study alone: internal alchemy (neidan), nei gong, qigong and meditation drawn from the Daoist tradition, developed through sustained physical and energetic practice rather than primarily through reading the Tao Te Ching or other classical texts.
Serious training in this lineage traditionally passes from teacher to student over years, often including time spent with a lineage-holder in China alongside ongoing practice abroad. As with other body-based traditions, context and lineage are worth asking about: the language of 'qi' and 'internal alchemy' travels more easily than the training required to teach it responsibly.
Effortless is not the same as passive.A central teaching within Daoism & Internal Arts
Teachers
Voices within this path.
Compare background, approach and format before choosing a teacher to follow.
Daoist Qigong master
Master Zhongxian Wu
Daoist Qigong and internal-arts master, founder of Chinese Wisdom Traditions, teaching internationally since 1988.
View profile →DM
Daoist Internal Arts
Damo Mitchell
British teacher of Daoist internal arts (Nei Gong, Qi Gong and Taijiquan), founder of the Lotus Nei Gong International School, known for his books on Daoist alchemy and Chinese internal medicine.
View profile →
Wudang Qigong · Daoist Meditation
Shifu Lindsey Wei
American-trained Daoist lineage holder who spent years living and training at a temple in the Wudang Mountains, now teaching Wudang Qigong and Daoist meditation from her school in southern Oregon.
View profile →NB
Daoist Alchemy · Wang Liping Lineage
Nathan Brine
Canadian teacher of Wang Liping's system of Daoist internal alchemy, offering a structured, English-language online curriculum alongside occasional in-person retreats.
View profile →ST
Daoist teacher & editor
Solala Towler
Daoist teacher, Qigong instructor, and editor/publisher of The Empty Vessel journal of Daoist philosophy and practice.
View profile →Upcoming events
Upcoming events in daoism & internal arts.
Retreats, dialogues and online gatherings connected to this path.
23SEP
Autumn Equinox Daoist Internal Alchemy Ceremony
Online · Online ceremony
$50Online ceremony
25SEP
Moon Festival Qi Ceremony in Warsaw
Warsaw, Poland · Ceremony
See event pageCeremony
26SEP
Chinese Shamanic Tiger Qigong in Warsaw
Warsaw, Poland · Weekend workshop
See event pageWeekend workshop
22OCT
Taoist Internal Alchemy (Neidan) Retreat — Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada · 4-day retreat
See event page4-day retreat
Talks & videos
Selected talks.
Talks and conversations from teachers within this path.
Talk · Damo Mitchell
Q&A with Damo Mitchell — Part 1
Damo Mitchell answers audience questions on internal arts practice.
Talk · Damo Mitchell
The Mechanism of Nei Gong
Damo Mitchell discusses his book A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong.
3 min
Talk · Solala Towler
National Qigong Association Conference Spotlight: Solala Towler
A conference spotlight interview with Solala Towler for the National Qigong Association.
Reading Room
Source texts
The source texts beneath this path, free to read.
Discernment
Clarity should include the human context.
Internal alchemy and qigong are taught by a wide range of people, from lineage-holders with decades of training under named teachers to instructors with only a weekend workshop's worth of background. Ask directly about a teacher's own training lineage and how long they studied before beginning to teach.
Ask about contextIs a statement philosophical, meditative, relational or practical?
Notice powerHow are authority, money, intimacy and complaints handled?
Include embodimentDoes the teaching make room for emotion, the body and nervous-system limits?
Keep agencyA useful teacher supports clear choice rather than demanding surrender of judgement.