College of Tao retreat ‘26
Excerpts of talk
by Dr. Mao Shing Ni
Walking the Way: Living Tao in a Changing World
There comes a moment in every life when knowledge is no longer enough. When techniques, teachings, and even healing...must become something more. They must become the Way you walk. This is the essence of the Tao. Not something you study or visit occasionally, but something you live, breath by breath, step by step.
We are living in a time of great acceleration. Information is abundant, yet wisdom is scarce. Stimulation is constant, yet people feel empty. Medicine is advanced, yet chronic illness is rising. From the perspective of the Yellow Emperor and Lao Tzu, this is not surprising. When human beings lose alignment with Heaven and Earth, disorder arises - first in the spirit, then in the body, and finally in society.
What we are witnessing today is not just a health crisis. It is a loss of alignment, rhythm, rootedness and meaning. To walk the Tao is to return to the rhythm of nature, the intelligence of the body and the stillness of the spirit. We must remember that we are not separate from life, we are an expression of it.
When you practice Qi Gong and engage in Taoist meditation, when you breathe consciously, when you align your posture, your intention, your heart you are not merely doing "exercises or practice," you are recalibrating your place in the universe.
Many people come to the Integral Way seeking healing. And that is good. But healing is only the beginning. Healing removes blockages and cultivation changes destiny. Those seeking healing ask: How do I feel better? Those seeking cultivation ask: How do I fulfil what / was meant to become?
This is the transition from patient to practitioner, practitioner to cultivator, cultivator to living embodiment of the Tao.
In modern terms, we might say, each of us carries a unique blueprint, a pattern waiting to be expressed. Science calls this epigenetics. Taoism calls this Destiny Ming guided by Spirit-Shen.
The Tao is showing you how to fully become who you already are. But this requires cultivation. Without cultivation, potential remains dormant, energy becomes stagnant and life becomes reactive instead of purposeful. With cultivation your energy flows, your clarity emerges and your purpose becomes self-evident. . . . .”
“Close your eyes for a moment. . .
Feel your breath.
Feel your body.
Feel the quiet presence within you.
That presence. . . is the Tao.
It has always been here.
It will always be here.
The question is not whether the Tao exists. The question is: Will you walk it?
And in doing so. . . you will not only transform your own life, you will become part of the healing of the world.”
Complete College of Tao 2026 retreat recordings open for viewing until end of July 2026
Available for purchase now on the College of Tao website