From the jungles of Bali, come join Dan, Gimo and friends on a magical, and at times, arduous journey through the vast and rich world of the Daoist internal arts. As these two students pause to make sense of their surroundings they will be speaking to their fellow cultivators and exploring the deeply mystical whilst attempting to ground in the tangible and ordinary. Though the topics are broad and range from Qi, Internal Alchemy, Meditation, Nei Gong, Taiji, Kung Fu and more, there is a unifying principle - to steadily move towards a deeper connection with that which is eternal within us all.
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
22 Jul 2025
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
26 Feb 2025
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.
20 Jan 2025
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!
21 Sept 2024
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.
21 Aug 2024
E03. Qi, What is it Good For?
Sitting on the bed of Gimo’s room, Anastasia Frenkel, Dan and Gimo explore in depth the concept of “Qi”.
Generally translated as “life force”, qi is at the heart of what powers the internal arts. The word qi can also vary in meaning depending on the context, be this martial arts, Chinese medicine, philosophy or even daily conversation. Anastasia shares her extensive practical as well as intellectual understanding of qi from the perspective of neigong and the broader Daoist internal arts.
Sharing a bit of her personal experience, she explains why it is a good idea to accumulate as much qi as possible and how to do so (because yes, it turns out that qi is a substance that's worth accruing greedily), as well as describing the role qi plays as interface between the mind and the body.
It’s an intense talk, full of qi. We hope you enjoy it!
6 Aug 2024
E02. Nei Gong Along
In this episode Gimo & Dan speak with the esteemed and gracious Leo Bierman about the heart of their practice in Bali, Nei Gong.
The powerful body based energetic path of Nei Gong contains many practices designed to open the body, purge pathogens, build Qi, and generally prepare the individual for deeper spiritual transformation. The work is at times both physically and mentally challenging and the benefits are deep and lasting.
If you want to explore this strange and potent practice from the perspective of three individuals who have devoted their lives (at least for now) to this path, or you just want to know what the hell would make several seemingly sane individuals pack up their lives and move across the world, then please check out the episode!
Structured Nei Gong Program listed in the episode: https://lotusneigong.com/structured-foundation-program/
26 Jul 2024
E01. What is a Cultivator?
What is a cultivator of the spiritual arts? We're glad you asked . . .
In the first episode of the show, Dan, Gimo and their guest Jackson Collings tackle the equally crucial and vast topic of spiritual cultivation, the core aim of their studies on the Island.
The conversation runs between high minded ideas and practical notions, punctuated by anecdotes from Jackson’s fascinating personal journey, including his accomplished teachers and snowboarding with kangaroos..
The topic of cultivation is dissected to various degrees of depth, touching upon the first steps to take in beginning cultivation; the benefits that can be gained from it; the levels of discipline required for the task; the debate on whether this is a natural or unnatural aim; the process leading from a “smooshed”, to unsmooshed and finally smooshed again sense of self; and more.
We would be very pleased if you joined the conversation through the comments, please feel free to share any kind of personal insight on the matter.
And, as we are moving our first steps in the world of podcasting, we would also be most thankful for your suggestions on how to make this and even more incredibly splendid and unmissable show. Thank you!
Gimo & Dan
For further resources on topics covered in todays episode you can check out the Internal Arts Academy at https://damomitchell.com which is not affiliated with nor a sponsor of our show.
Article by Jackson referenced in the show:
https://www.jacksoncollings.com/writing/the-path-of-cultivation
26 Jul 2024
E00. Introduction to Alchemy on the Island
Welcome to Alchemy on the Island!
Meet your hosts, Dan and Gimo; learn a little bit about what makes them tic and listen as they attempt to convince you to come hang on the island with them by jangling sparkly previews of all the wonderful things in store on season one. Enjoy the show.
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