Welcome to the Taoist-Lifestyle Blog! Learn to blend ancient practices with contemporary living. Engage with nature, improve your well-being, and delve into Martial Arts and Alchemical work for a balanced and fulfilling life. Join us on this transformative journey!

What if not finding is not failure, but the path itself? In this issue of Notes from the Tower of Songs, a Tang dynasty poem by Jia Dao becomes a reflection on emptiness, alchemy, and the search for meaning. Through Taoist and Buddhist perspectives, the act of not meeting, not knowing, and not finding reveals a deeper understanding of cultivation and the value of “nothing.”

Mangzhong 芒種, the ninth of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, arrives in early June when harvest and sowing meet. As grain ripens in the fields and rice seedlings are planted, this season reminds us of the importance of timing, cultivation, and renewal. Exploring traditional customs, seasonal nourishment, Daoist inner landscapes, and neidan practice, this article reflects on what is ready to be harvested, what must be planted next, and how to protect the fragile beginnings that sha

In this final part of Walk the Line, Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen explores the remaining classical principles of Yang Style Taijiquan and the neglected principle of Bu Pian Bu Yi 不偏不倚 — maintaining centeredness without leaning to either side. From breathing and internal coordination to balance, structure, and momentum, the article examines why traditional Taijiquan training began with principles rather than choreography, and how losing the center affects both movement and int

Around 21 May, the Chinese seasonal calendar enters Xiaoman 小滿 — “Small Fullness.” Grain begins to fill, rivers rise, and the landscape slowly approaches maturity, yet nothing has fully ripened. In this article, we explore the agricultural, cultural, and Taoist meaning of Xiaoman, from waterwheels and Jiangnan landscapes to the symbolic language of the Nei Jing Tu and Neidan. Small fullness is not lack — it is fullness held in balance.

“Most people speak about taijiquan principles. Far fewer actually practice according to them. In this new Wen–Wu Field Notes essay, Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen explores the forgotten principles hidden within the classical Yang Style Taijiquan texts — and the gap between written theory and embodied practice.”

Zhuangzi (莊子); Shengjun Xianchen Quanshen Xiang Ce, Album of Sage Rulers and Worthy Ministers (Unknown artist)

“Understanding both life and death is key to getting rid of fear. Once you understand what death really is, there’s no need to be frightened. And so, you need to die to ‘understand’ it. You may think now that it is impossible to understand anything once you’re dead. You’re right. Understanding death does mean that death is the end of your life, of you, of your thoughts and feelings. Yet it’s the beginning of something else. And there are different ways to experience death. So

Searching for and Meeting Jia Dao Chinese ink painting in the style of the Southern literati tradition (12th - 13th century), depicting a solitary scholar in the mountains. Notes from the Tower of Songs Issue 2 By Dan KJ Vercammen Let’s travel back in time to the Tang dynasty to meet an interesting poet: Jia Dao 賈島 (779–843) . A Buddhist who, in his poems, seems also fascinated by a Taoist lifestyle . He was also known as Langxian 浪仙—the wandering immortal. As the theme of th

What do jing, qi, and shen really mean in practice? Beyond simplified translations, this article explores the complexity of Taoist internal alchemy and the challenges of interpreting its language, offering a practical perspective on theory, experience, and transformation.

Chinese poetry reveals layers of meaning through sound, imagery, and suggestion. In this first issue of Notes from the Tower of Songs, Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen introduces a famous poem by Li Bo and reflects on its melancholic beauty.

An introduction to the Cinnabar Library and the role of texts as “threads” (jing 經) — sustaining and transmitting Taoist alchemical tradition across generations.

Internal Alchemy cannot be learned from books alone, nor reduced to techniques or sensations. Drawing on personal experience and classical context, Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen explores why Neidan is so often misunderstood—and what is required for practice to unfold safely and authentically.

In this first issue of Zhuangzi for Cultivators, Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen reflects on the famous story of Zhuangzi and the tortoise. Set against the political realities of ancient China, the passage reveals Zhuangzi’s uncompromising view on freedom, power, and the conditions for a long and meaningful life. From a Taoist alchemical perspective, the choice to “drag one’s tail through the mud” remains a powerful metaphor for living freely, beyond status and authority.

What defines a Chinese lineage? Not reputation or claims, but transmission: a living continuity that binds people together, protects a body of knowledge, and safeguards its essential characteristics. Within a tradition, the distinction between those “inside the gate” and those outside it is not a matter of status, but of responsibility, depth of training, and the preservation of what cannot be obtained through texts alone. This essay offers a closer look at lineage as it func

Do you practice qigong? Do you think your qigong practice is neidan?¹ It is important to understand the difference between qigong and neidan. Neidan is internal alchemy, a very intense practice transmitted by traditional teachers in traditional ways. It is embedded in culture, e.g. Taoist culture, and is a multifaceted practice, connected with almost all facets of Chinese culture (medicine and health practices, martial arts, meditation, ethics, philosophy and religion, etc.).

I’ll let you in on a secret: if it’s Chinese and it’s ancient, it’s never simple. Chinese culture is a hug e and complicated thing, in which everything is interconnected. And so, the answer to the question “What is Neidan (Internal Alchemy)?” needs more than a few words.