Your Body as a Community: Understanding the Daoist Organ System Concept
Think of your body as a vibrant community. Though everyone works together, each element has a specific job or function. The heart, lungs, stomach—they’re all interconnected, aiding one another to keep everything running as it should. The others join in to help any one component that’s struggling. In the Daoist healing arts, the concept of […]
Embracing Winter: A Daoist Perspective on Seasonal Challenges
I woke up this morning in a melancholy mood. You know the kind of sensation when everything seems a little darker, heavier, and you can’t exactly identify why. I just felt… blue. A little depressed, really. It’s not the first time I’ve observed this kind of winter slump before, particularly following the holidays. But something […]
A Daoist Perspective on Depression: Understanding the Balance of Qi, Yin, and Yang
When pondering depression, most people view it as one large, overpowering affliction—sadness, heaviness, or a numbness difficult to overcome. From a Daoist standpoint, meanwhile, depression isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” infirmity. As every one of us is distinct, so are our experiences with depression; their foundations and characteristics vary. While some of us feel blocked or “stuck,” […]
Obvious Causes of Childhood Complex Trauma: The Pain That’s Hard to Miss
Most people’s conception of childhood trauma is of the major events—that is, abuse, violence, or extreme neglect. Whether the signs are physical or emotional, this kind of trauma is difficult to ignore since the marks are so obvious. Many times, these events remain in memory like flashing warning signals. Although this type of trauma—the obvious […]
What Are the Essential Substances That Form the Daoist Foundation of Health?
Have you ever given any thought to what actually keeps your body in perfect working order? Five essential substances—also known as vital substances—lie behind the Daoist healing practices. Working together—like the building blocks of health—they keep you balanced and optimized. They include essence, blood, body fluids, qi, and spirit. Though they all have different purposes, […]
Embracing Simplicity: A Daoist Approach to Healing Childhood Complex Trauma
Have you ever felt as though your life’s simply too complicated? Like your thoughts, feelings, and daily habits are a jumble you cannot quite sort out? You’re not alone if you feel this way. Trauma survivors frequently carry a great weight of complexity in their bodies, minds, even their surroundings. But what if healing could […]
What Are the Core Philosophies Behind the Daoist Healing Arts?
Have you ever been in a situation when you felt disconnected from yourself or the world around you? Perhaps you’ve had times when life seemed chaotic or unbalanced, when nothing you did seemed to be working. The Daoist healing arts provide a pathway to re-connecting with the natural flow of both life and yourself. The […]
ACEs & CCT: More Common Than We Think
Two-thirds of adults report at least one ACE. Here’s why that matters—and why the real number may be even higher. When most people consider childhood trauma, they picture something dramatic—abuse, a catastrophic accident, or some type of life-shattering incident. Trauma does not, however, always show up that way. Sometimes it’s subtle and sneaky, like growing […]
An Introduction to Temporal-Cyclical Studies in the Daoist Healing Arts
Have you ever noticed how your mood shifts with the seasons, or how your energy seems to vary depending on the time of the day? Perhaps in winter you feel more lethargic or in the spring more motivated. These patterns are not random; rather, they’re part of the natural cycles of life and are considered […]
The Stress Response: The Core Mechanism Behind Childhood Complex Trauma
Everybody deals with stress at some level. It’s what causes your heart to pound when running late, or lets you leap out of the path as a car races past. But when stress starts to be your constant companion—not only a transient response but a way of life—then what? Children that go through trauma often […]