Alchemy on the Island

E08. Relationship in the Cauldron

Relationships can be both enriching and challenging. They nourish and support us but also require time and energy to maintain their healthy functioning. In this episode we asked the questions: What happens to a marriage when you put it in the pressure cooker of full time internal arts training internationally? Does it enhance or detract, and how can a couple of cultivators navigate these waters effectively together? We have a special episode today because we have not one but two guests! We invited our dear friends Amanda Lilah Harb and Gaël Deloménie, who are no strangers to rigorous internal arts training in foreign lands, onto the show in hopes of answering these very questions. In the process we unveiled a truly epic romance that has its mythical origins at Wu Dang Mountain in Hubei Province, China.  Inside the episode we also explore Wu Dang Mountain Kung Fu training and compare and contrast to our internal arts training here in Bali, including the pros and cons of more or less external structure in training. We hope you enjoy this tasty treat of an episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Dan & Gimo

E07. Building The Map . . .

Is there a map for spiritual practice within the eastern arts, or are all maps flawed to the point of uselessness? We sit down with The Engineer, Janne Asmala, to discuss the benefits and dangers, as well as inherent limitations of map building. We also venture into a little map building of our own within the Daoist alchemical system we are practicing in Bali. Our conversation meanders through a wide array of topics within the map including: * The revelation of the body as the gateway to spirituality and the importance of building vitality in the body.  * Opening the stressed up body to calm down.  * Aiming for the mountain peak beyond the self beginning with building qi in the belly.  * Qi as the key to the internal arts and eventually that which illuminates the soul.  * The many interrelated applications of Qi. * Belief as an unnecessary ingredient, and disbelief as a hindrance. * Helpful qualities of mind for the path: Stillness, Calm Abiding, Gratitude, Acceptance, Attention, etc. * What actually is going within and it what it is not. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it and we look forward to all your map related questions (though with our current level of understanding, we may only be able to answer .3 % of them). Cheers, Gimo & Dan

E06. Fascia not Fascism!

Have you ever wondered what fascia actual is and how it can be used not only to heal the body but also to generate movement, power and connectivity? Well, your hosts didn't really either, well at least not until they started practicing the internal arts! In this episode Gimo and Dan speak with the lovely, wildly knowledgeable (on all things fascia), and highly skilled craniosacral bodyworker Audrey Rowan. The topics covered include: - The mechanics of craniosacral bodywork and where and how it relates to cultivation in the internal arts. - The ultimate  healing power of purified attention and acceptance.  - Listening with your hands. - Appreciation, gratitude and curiosity as training methods for building attention.  - How cultivation can precipitate a healing crisis - The magical power of the Huang (the complex intelligent visco elastic piezoelectric fascial interstitial tissue system).   And much more! Please enjoy and don't be afraid to comment or come on over to Alchemy_on_the_Island on instagram for the latest updates. Audrey can also be found at Quantumfairytale on instagram.

E05. Chinese Medicine & the Internal Arts

Welcome back to Alchemy on the Island! After a brief hiatus Gimo and Dan found a tiny pocket of energy and motivation to get a flurry of recordings done at the end of their second year in Bali. They hope you missed them but aren't too offended if you entirely forgot that this podcast existed. In this episode, with the expert help of Aidan Keeva, Dan and Gimo go deep into the exploration of Chinese Medicine and discover that it was actually created by cultivators! Aidan shares his personal healing journey through the internal arts and speaks on topics ranging from the clash of worldviews of the eastern arts and western materialism, the dangers of reducing Chinese medicine to fit the western medical system, and the importance of translating the wisdom Chinese Medicine has to offer to people of different systems of health and the human being. Aidan's unique perspective as both a cultivator of the internal arts and an experienced clinician of Chinese Medicine help illuminate some of the more esoteric, and dare we say "spiritual," underpinnings of Chinese Medicine, whilst locating its place in the far greater world of the Daoist path of cultivation. For more information and resources mentioned in this episode from Aidan please visit www.AidanKeeva.com Please enjoy the show!

E04. Discipline in the Spiritual Arts

For many, the idea of spiritual practice involves following your bliss, being true to your feelings, and trying to calm the mind. However, according to many of the sages and mystics throughout history this would be pretty far off the mark. Though these qualities may be helpful for your psychology at times, the requirements for true spiritual attainment have long involved quite a bit of rigor, determination, and discipline. In this episode Laurence Katsaras helps us explore the idea of discipline in the spiritual arts, why it's so important, how to approach building it even if that at first feels intimidating, and how to skillfully apply it in all areas of your life. It may sound like a chore but somehow we managed to have a fun time talking about it! We hope this episode changes how you feel about discipline and enriches your life and practice with this incredibly important quality.