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COLLEGE OF TAO
JUNE 2025
NEWSLETTER
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Honoring the Fire Within:
Balancing Masculine Energy in the Peak of Yang
By Dr. Mao Shing Ni
As we enter the heart of the solar year in June, we move into the season of Fire, the element that represents the peak of Yang energy in the Taoist Five Element system. Fire is bold, radiant, passionate—an outward expression of life’s fullness. It is the energy of midday, midsummer, and midlife. In the body, it corresponds to the Heart and Small Intestine, governing joy, connection, speech, and spiritual clarity (Shen).
It is no coincidence that Father’s Day also falls in June, a time when we traditionally honor the masculine energy that provides strength, direction, and protection. In Taoist cosmology, Yang symbolizes these outward-facing, active, structured qualities. When balanced, Yang brings vitality, courage, and leadership. But in excess, it can become controlling, aggressive, or emotionally detached—the “fire out of control.”
The Risk of Over-Yang in Modern Masculinity
In our fast-paced, achievement-driven culture, excess masculine energy can manifest as:
- Workaholism and burnout
- Emotional suppression
- Competition over collaboration
- Difficulty in receiving support
- Lack of inner reflection
Just as fire can illuminate or destroy, unchecked Yang can burn bridges, harden the heart, and disconnect us from deeper meaning. This is particularly relevant in how modern society defines “strength.” True strength is not the absence of emotion, but the integration of inner stillness with outer action.
Signs Your Fire Element May Be Excessive
- Restlessness, insomnia, or heart palpitations
- Excessive talking, nervous laughter, or inappropriate joy
- Skin eruptions or red eyes
- Over-attachment to external acknowledgement or praise
- Inability to slow down or connect deeply
Tips for Balancing Masculine Fire
Rather than extinguishing fire, we temper it—just as metal is forged with heat, then cooled and shaped with intention. Here are some ways to support a balanced Fire element and healthy masculine expression:
1. Cultivate Yin Stillness
Balance outward action with inward rest. Practice Taoist meditation, silent walks in nature, or Fire Element Qi Gong and Happy Heart Meditation to harmonize your Heart Shen.
2. Connect with Water Element
In Five Element theory, Water controls Fire. Spending time near water, soaking in cool baths, or drinking chrysanthemum or mint in the Detox Tea can ease overheated emotions.
3. Strengthen the Heart, Not Just the Will
Perform acupressure on acupoints like Spirit Gate (Shenmen) and Inner Gate (Neiguan) to calm the spirit and deepen heart-centered awareness. Secrets of Longevity: Acupressure Healing
4. Redefine Strength as Vulnerability
Encourage emotional openness—especially among fathers, sons, and leaders. Sharing feelings and listening without fixing builds real connection.
June is a potent time for a Fire Ceremony—write down what no longer serves you and offer it to a sacred fire with reverence. Invite the higher purpose of masculine energy to rise.
A Father’s Day Reflection

This June, let us honor not just our fathers, but the masculine spirit in all of us—regardless of gender. May we remember that true masculinity is not domination, but presence. It is not control, but guidance. Not noise, but knowing when to be silent. Just as the summer sun knows when to rise and when to set, let us, too, learn when to shine brightly, and when to return to the still point within.
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The Alchemy of Transformation
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15 % off everything at TaoStar.com
(The Wellness Living Bookstore)
with Purchase of the 2025 Retreat Recordings including coupon
Only until June 15, 2025
Limited Signed Copies of the Spiritual Workbook available while they last at TaoStar.com
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On Sundays at 7:00 am PT, you are invited to join us via Zoom in a Spiritual Renewal Ceremony facilitated by the Ministers of the Integral Way; including James Tuggle, Sue Sullivan and Jono Howard, along with others who guide us in how to apply the wisdom of the Integral Way. This service is free for the College of Tao community, friends and family.
Join Zoom Meeting Here
Meeting ID: 136 428 813
Passcode: 006090
Find your local number: Click Here
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From Diversity to Unity: Return to the One Spiritual Source, Hua Ching Ni, p 6
photo: Sybil Harmon
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This month we complete Lao Tzu's Tao Teh Ching and Hua Hu Ching with Chapter 81 as elucidated by Hua Ching Ni. On the first Wednesday, July 2nd, we embark on studying OmNi's deep commentary of the Tao Teh Ching with his books 8,000 Years of Wisdom, Volumes 1 & 2. Please contact Amira to enroll in this free course and, if needed, receive the books at no charge, generously offered by a friend. The supply is limited.

Otherwise, the books are available as downloads from https://taostar.com

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Book: One Spiritual Reality A Guide to Universal Harmony
By Hua-Ching Ni and Mao Shing Ni, Ph.D.
The book selection is provided by Urs Bitzi.
One Spiritual Reality, Chapter 30 p.192-201: “The Great Practice…For Enhancing your Spirit and Strengthening your Life”. I feel in this short chapter OmNi summarizes so many aspects of spiritual cultivation in the form of aphorisms which are fascinating and easy to read. However, all of them contain deep essence and are based on profound knowledge. Our steady practice and diligent study may help us to understand the wisdom of these verses and make them useful in our life. Subtitles such as: “Practices to Achieve Perfect Union with Heaven” or “The Interaction of Heaven and Earth” describe the content of this chapter.
I feel to reflect on, discuss and ask our questions of Dr. Dao, can help us to bring these important themes and details together into a comprehensive context and make it clear for our cultivation. Thank you!
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Dr. Daoshing Ni, a 38th generation doctor of the Ni family lineage, facilitates this monthly Tele-Study group.
If you have any questions, please contact:
vladimiriliev@sbcglobal.net
CLICK HERE to purchase book
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Interested in Feng Shui as a professional service or simply as self-help to improve your home environment?

Feng Shui Level I gives you all the tools you need to balance living or working spaces to support complete health.
Level I training also opens the way to our Level II study coming up in 2026/27 - personalized Feng Shui applications to balance individual life using a uniquely nuanced and thorough I Ching birth chart system. All teachings are delivered through a rational, secular lens using updated psycho-social-spiritual and systemic frameworks to replace superstition with insight and empowerment.
More information and contact: Feng Shui Information
Looking forward to seeing you there
Thank You - Claire Cuneen
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Events Update from The College of Tao Shrine and Retreat Center
Southern Oregon, USA
2025 Schedule
October 3 - 5, 2025 Sisters of the Heavenly Way Retreat
"There is nothing greater we can do for the world
and ourselves than to know peace."
Sisters are invited to settle evermore deeply into life's innate peace
in order to restore to life its original sacred significance.
Co-facilitators - Amira Kusala & Barbara Wolff with Elena Babienko leading Merry-Go-Round. Barbara will be joining us via Zoom. 3 days / $450
Please contact Amira Kusala for specific details
taoistmentorship@gmail.com
October 9 - 13, 2025 Harmony Tai Chi Level 3 (58 Step)
Instructors - Peter Stege and Dr. Mao Shing Ni (Dr. Mao will be there October 12 - 13). Experience in HTC Level 1 (18 Step) is required for this retreat. 5 days / $750
Our retreats are in a mountain setting, with healthy meals, quietude, simplified regular daily schedule with balance of training, rest and physical work.
Registration for October retreats: www.collegeoftao.org
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“T’ai chi is one of the most effective spiritual practices. With regular use, it can improve your health and help you unify your body, mind and soul. If that is not sufficient for you, then with the same devoted practice, you will be able to verify that the Heavenly Father, Holy Son and Holy Spirits are within your very life. You will also be able to witness the Trinity of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity in your life. That is to say through the simple practice of t’ai chi, you can accomplish spiritual integration. Or to put it another way: through the ritual of t’ai chi, you can realize the Heavenly Heart. T’ai chi movement expresses the harmony of all human constructive efforts in all aspects of life.”
The Path of Constructive Life
Embracing Heaven’s Heart
p.169
by Hua-Ching Ni and Mao Shing Ni
For further information on learning the Harmony Tai Chi style of the Ni Family, including the October 9-13 Immersion Retreat at the COT Shrine and Retreat Center in Oregon, please contact Peter Stege, pstege@hotmail.com
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Retreat Center Site Improvement Volunteer Opportunities
Includes land maintenance, gardening, housecleaning & home improvement. Shared cooking of meals and other daily chores.
August 4 - 11, 2025
Inquire about the cost of food and transportation. Read Registration Guidelines linked above.
Requirements: COT Mentorship, CHI Health certification in any CHI form or ITMI Teacher certification (any level) are required to attend any of these Retreats or Site Improvement Sessions.
For information on Retreats and Site Improvement Sessions please contact: Peter Stege pstege@hotmail.com
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Work to Serve and Teach
Alannah Fitzgerald
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photo: Alannah Fitzgerald
Serving as a Conduit of the Divine
What is a conduit? A conduit is generally defined as a channel through which something is conveyed to another, such as a pipe to convey water to a destination or a wire through which electricity can travel from a point of origin to a receptive item such as a lamp or even a professor teaching his or her students, conveying information, etc. In light of this, my question to all of us is: How do we, as a human being, offer ourselves in service to another or others in a capacity that truly serves and teaches, simultaneously?
For some of us, well, we just jump in and help others, usually as an act of love or kindness. And that’s great! Here’s where I like to take a deeper look within, quietly and non-judgmentally, to examine any subtle underlying motives. In addition to this, it has become apparent that it’s not what we do so much as it is how we do what we do.
As students of Tao, we cultivate inner purity, clarity, calmness and awareness. As our minds relax and thoughts eventually settle, a quiet awareness gradually emerges, and from this inner awakened state of being, we may feel a spacious sense of presence. A presence that allows peace within, a presence that is unborn -- the unborn, the formless, eternal essence of life. It is from this presence, very much alive, that we can serve as a conduit of the Divine.

| | Sisters of the Heavenly Way | | |
Someone asks an awakened one:
What can we do in a world that is so cruel and
where horrible acts are committed every day?
The awakened one replies: There is nothing greater you can do for this (apparent) world than to find peace, to find your Self. So that at least from you, from this little vessel, there’s a light coming that unites instead of divides.
All women are welcome to attend our next gathering in June.
For West Australians we meet on June 15th at 7:00 am
For Californian women we meet on June 14th at 4:00 pm PT
For our Eastern US women we meet on June 14 at 7:00 pm ET
Contact Barbara Wolff to join our gatherings:
sistersofuhw@gmail.com

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BROTHERS MEETING
May 4, 2025
We read the following quote from our text, Eternal Light page 52: “The principle of spiritual cultivation is simple. It is like channeling water, but it is channeling energy.” This is an interesting principle and the basis of acupuncture. As with water, you can channel energy, but you should not try to stop it. To try to stop it is fruitless, but you can guide it as it flows. We recalled when humans harnessed electricity using this principle and how transforming that was for society. Channeling the energy of electricity made it useful. But what about our life energy?
After some discussion, we realized that the opposite of channeling is dispersion. So we were presented with two ways of living, two ways of using our own life energy. One of channeling it, the other of dispersing it. But how do we channel our life energy? And what are we channeling it to? Later on in the chapter, Omni talks about the world religions stating that they are systems to channel energy from the sexual organs to the head, but nothing beyond that.
In contrast, the Integral Way is a system to channel our life energy to become a complete being. Instead of dispersing our life energy through reckless indulgence in worldly life, we use movement practices, meditation, invocations, etc. to guide our life energy toward a better goal, a spiritual one. When you practice, you can use your silent intention to channel your life energy in the right direction, toward union with Tao.
You are welcome to join us for our next meeting
on Sunday June 1, 2025 at 10:00 am PT
Please email Rob Bruce:
RBTBRC@yahoo.com
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Thank you for joining us.
Volunteer Editors:
Sue, Alannah,
 Sybil and Amira
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Photo: Sybil Harmon
Calligraphy Talisman: Elena Babienko
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