Xu, the Podcast about Emptiness

In this episode of Xu, The Podcast about Emptiness Ryan explores the meaning behind chapter 26 of Laozi's Daodejing.  What is the importance of heaviness and how can heaviness become the root of lightness?  Take a journey into your Mountain Body and feel the felt sense of connection to earth and solidity through this musical contemplation of the Dao.  

This sacred Daoist invocation / mantra can be played to harmonize your heart mind, cleanse the space around you and infuse your life energy with the auspicious Jin Guan (golden light).  You can play this on repeat in your space to cleanse a room or home, or listen as a personal meditation as you visualize the golden light infusing every cell of your body and being.  

Here we explore techniques to restore the unity of the Body and Spirit.  Sometimes we get so far away from ourselves, from the present moment, from our body home.  Taming the wandering mind and helping it find it's way back into the body is the essential medicine gleaned from our Daoist cultivation practice.  Come, take a deep breath, and learn how to come home.  The ancient sages left us the technology, all we need to do is remember and practice.

In this episode of Xu, Ryan takes us on a journey into the benefits of slowing down and returning to a peaceful, present life rhythm.  Like a snail moving through the woods, we can all benefit from slowing down our daily rhythms and taking time to observe all the beauty of life around and within us.  The slow way is the fast way. . . ask the snail, she knows!  

In this episode of Xu, Ryan takes us on an exploration of an old Daoist saying, "The 10,000 thoughts become One."  Here you will learn a simple breath practice from the Emei Qigong tradition to help strengthen your mind, your spirit, and your ability to be present and concentrate in the moment.  Let your wandering mind rest for a bit as you take this journey  into the shining mind.  Into the mind of Dao . . . 

Today we take a musical journey into the Real Human within each of us.  What does it mean to be truly authentic?  What is covering up the great treasure, the real person, within each of us and how do we uncover it once again?  Ryan takes us into the feeling and potential of the ZhenRen, the real human, within the heart of humanity.  

How can we become a good traveler in our life?  How can we travel without leaving deep ruts and tracks behind us as we go?  Here, inspired by the Daodejing Chapter 27,  Ryan explores what it means to be a good traveler on this Earth.  Whether we walk through our neighborhood or travel to a distant land, the principle remains the same.  Walk in a way of restoration rather than consumption.  

Come friend, and take a walk through the woods with me.  In this episode of Xu, Ryan invites you on a musical stroll through the verdant woods in a musical, healing meditation with nature.  May we remember the importance of nature; of getting outside and walking through the woods with no goal or destination in mind.  Nature teaches and heals us if we allow ourselves to remove our city armor and walk softly amongst the trees from time to time.

In this episode of Xu, Ryan explores the power of a sincere heart to connect with the Dao.  Through the practice of Virtue, we cleanse our inner world develop a deep connection to the ever present guidance of our Inner Truth.  

In this episode of Xu we explore the benefits of becoming aware of and contemplating the two fundamental phases of universal energy, Yin and Yang.  Accompanied by gentle celtic harp and low whistle, Ryan guides a journey into the interrelation of creativity and receptivity and how we can change our heart, our mind, and the way we move our body through contemplation of these two complementary forces.  Take a centering breath and come along!

After a summer break, Ryan is back with a new episode of the podcast!  In this episode of Xu, The Podcast about Emptiness we explore the place within the body known as the lower Dantian.  Dantian means "field of elixir"  and is the foundational energy field cultivated through Qigong and internal marital arts practice.  We explore simple daily practices to help cultivate an awareness of your Dantian and ways to strengthen your Dantian Qi.  

In this episode of Xu we explore the path of cleansing the Heart Mirror.  How can we overcome patterns of self-destructive thought and judgment?  Together we explore the gentle path of Nei Guan (Inner Observation) as a way to unravel patterns and conditioning that hold us back from the realization of our true nature.  Come journey on stings of harp and guitar as we walk hand in hand along the journey of Xu.

In this episode of Xu, The Podcast about Emptiness we explore the practice of daily cultivation as a means of emptying our inner garbage can.  We all take in so much information, media and stimulus each day.  Our inner vessel becomes like an over-full garbage can.  As our true nature is the Xu, the emptiness beyond concept, it is always within us as we are within Xu.  All that is needed is a practice of daily emptying of the trash to restore our connection to the infinite field of potential that is Xu.  

In this first episode of Season 2 of Xu, we explore the function of the eyes, or "Spiritual Lights" in our meditation / cultivation practice.  Looking outward all day long will lead to exhaustion of our spiritual energy, or "Shen".  Learn the practice of turning your lights around to illuminate your inner landscape as a way to call the spirit back to the body.  Let us begin 2022 with a sense of inner wholeness and a true sense of the home within the body.  Music "Fire Water Wind" by Within Sound Healing

This is the first in the Bardic Interlude series of Xu, the Podcast about Emptiness, where Ryan dons his Storyteller cloak and cap and shares story from the old mythologies of the world.  Accompanied by his celtic harp, Ryan first tells the tale of Finn MacCumhail and the Salmon of Knowledge wherein young Finn is apprenticed to an old poet fisherman and ends up with much more than he bargained for.   The second tale told here is Finn and the Burner of Tara, a good Samhain tale with a surprising 'point' at the end.   Wishing you all a happy Samhain Celtic New Year and remember to hug your ancestors!

In this episode of Xu, we explore the idea and practice of stability.  How can we stabilize our body, our breath and our spirit?  When the world seems full of chaos around us, the best path we can take is to look within and find ways to strengthen and stabilize our own life.  In this way, we become a stabilizing influence for our family, our community and our world.  Hear the story and teaching of the three iron nails left in the cave wall by Daoist Immortal Qiu Quji back in the year 1200AD and how this lesson in as relevant to our life today as it was over 800 years ago.  

The Daoist sages have always pointed us to the Three Treasures, the three best medicines within our body.  In this episode we explore these precious treasures; Jing, Qi, Shen.  How do we nourish these three layers of our life energy?  Essence, Energy, and Spirit; Jing, Qi, and Shen.  We can think of these treasures as our Body, Breath, and Consciousness.  In challenging times, our treasures can become depleted and stagnant, so let us take this journey together to learn how to nourish and strengthen the foundation of a healthy life.    Music for this episode is "Dancing Stars" by Within Sound Healing

In this episode of Xu, The Podcast about Emptiness we explore the medicine of Chapter 67 of the Daodejing by Laozi.  The medicines of patience, simplicity and compassion are held here with a gentle acoustic guitar backing.  Come learn the story of the Patience Stone, left for future generations by the Daoist immortal Qiu Chuji and cultivate the roundness of heart which is the result of the great practice of patience.  

For hundreds of years, few have had as much connection with Emptiness as our mystic poets.  These souls grew their roots deep into the rich field of Xu and found a way to draw forth inspiration and healing for their communities in flowing forms of word and poem.  This week poet and healer Niema Lightseed shares her poetic flow accompanied by Ryan's music.  How do we transform through difficult times?  How do we honor and love the small as well as the great?  The dandelions, the mushrooms, the ants and precious bees? visit www.thebodypoetic.com to find out more about Niema.  

In this episode of Xu, The Podcast about Emptiness, we explore the practice of Returning.  The old classics refer to Dao, the Path, as the Returning Way.  Join Ryan on a meditative journey back to your home within the body.  In our busy modern society our attention is hooked and drawn out into the myriad stories of the world very easily and we may find ourselves feeling scattered and uneasy in the moment.  Here we learn the practice of unhooking and returning our spiritual energy back to the body.  This is the Returning Path.