Logos & Ethos

~ old school dao ~

the goals of natural philosophy had been

wisdom, understanding the natural order,

and living in harmony with it.”

— Fritjof Capra & Pier Luigi Luisi,

"From the time of the ancients,

The Systems View of Life

Old school dao reinterprets early Chinese natural philosophy through the lens of complexity science & embodied cognition. It proposes coherence as the defining signature of living systems ~ a self-organizing rhythm uniting ontology, epistemology, and praxis. Within this framework, qi 氣 is understood as generative pattern rather than metaphysical substance, and knowing arises through attunement: the reciprocal coordination of body-mind & environment.

The Optimal Breathing Program serves as the physiological interface of this philosophy ~ the “Breath-Spine-Core” through which coherence becomes embodied form ~ while parallel indices map its cognitive, systemic, and ecological dimensions.

Together these frameworks position old school dao as a living epistemology of adaptation and a bridge between old school naturalism & contemporary systems thought:

~ a way of coherence through which life continuously knows itself ~

The Natural Philosopher's dao

the old school dao 'north star'

A natural philosopher studies life from within it. This essay introduces the old school dao ethos ~ natural philosophy reborn as embodied systems thinking. It sets the north star: coherence grounded in breath, pattern, and direct experience. Old school dao is a living art ~ a reminder that wisdom emerges when the body-mind listens & the world answers ~

What is old school dao?

a natural philosopher’s view from within

Old school dao names an early current of Chinese natural philosophy ~ a way of studying life from within its rhythms rather than above them. This brief essay sets the ethos: coherence as lived attunement, qi as generative pattern, and practice as a form of knowing. It is the seed of a way grounded in breath, responsiveness, and the ordinary miracle of being alive.

The Fourfold Rhythm of Knowing

an old school model of embodied intelligence

The Fourfold Rhythm of Knowing names the cognitive architecture behind old school dao: attunement, sensory cultivation, responsive timing, and iterative refinement. This model shows how coherence arises through embodied feedback rather than doctrine ~ a way of perceiving & acting that grows from quietude, practice, and direct engagement with the living world.

My Three Windows Model

seeing clearly in a confusing world

My Three Windows Model offers a clear way to navigate the many worlds of practice without confusion: the physical–natural, the philosophical–metaphysical, and the supernatural–mythic. Each names a different mode of knowing. This brief framework keeps experience honest, meaning grounded, and mystery spacious ~ a way to see clearly in a world where everything tends to blur.

Ge Xuan breathing fire as depicted in a 1503 painting by Guo Xu (郭诩).jpg

The Daoist Who Wasn't There pt. 1

Lao-tzu and his Crew

Part I clears the romantic fog around “the Daoists” and the myth of Lao-tzu and his imagined peers. It shows how Golden Age fantasies and allochronism distort the histories of qigong, taijiquan, medicine, and the so-called “Daoist arts.” This opening piece restores the old school “daoists” to real time and real culture ~ not timeless sages, but humans whose insights grew from the ground up.

The Daoist Who Wasn't There pt. 2

Beside the Point is the Point

Part II restores the compass. It clarifies why the old divide between philosophical & religious daoism/Daoism still matters, and how blurring it distorts everything from qigong to taijiquan. This essay cuts through Golden Age fantasies, imported metaphysics, and modern branding to recover the natural-philosophical thread — the living dao that listens, acts, and keeps both feet on the ground.

The Daoist Who Wasn't There pt. 3

The Baby & the Bathwater

Part III turns from critique to renewal. It honors what early natural philosophers actually gave us ~ alignment, stillness, attention ~ and shows how later Daoists expanded these insights into rich inner maps. This essay keeps the “baby” of functional wisdom while refreshing the “bathwater” of outdated claims, returning practice to nature, coherence, and lived inquiry.

Logos & Ethos

~ old school dao ~

the goals of natural philosophy had been

wisdom, understanding the natural order,

and living in harmony with it.”

— Fritjof Capra & Pier Luigi Luisi,

"From the time of the ancients,

The Systems View of Life

~ more essays coming soon ~

~ the OBP is the Breath-Spine-Core of osd ~

To support my work ~ support your health!

Give yourself the gift of Optimal Breathing

& Age like a Sage with my

Optimal Breathing & Taiji Qigong Programs

If you’ve enjoyed my writing & want to buy me an espresso

Subscribe for Updates & Newsletters
We will NEVER sell your info!

Logos & Ethos

~ old school dao ~

the goals of natural philosophy had been

wisdom, understanding the natural order,

and living in harmony with it.”

— Fritjof Capra & Pier Luigi Luisi,

"From the time of the ancients,

The Systems View of Life

~ more essays coming soon ~

~ the OBP is the Breath-Spine-Core of osd ~

To support my work ~ support your health!

Give yourself the gift of Optimal Breathing

& Age like a Sage with my

Optimal Breathing & Taiji Qigong Programs

If you’ve enjoyed my writing & want to buy me an espresso

Subscribe for Updates & Newsletters We will NEVER sell your info!

Subscribe for Updates & Newsletters
We will NEVER sell your info!