Discover how hidden emotional patterns quietly shape your relationships, work, and self-talk — and why awareness is the first step to real change.

This is part 1 of a powerful 4-part Inner Child series for 2026.

In this video, you’ll learn how long-standing behaviours form, how your Inner Child shows up in daily life, and why these patterns once helped you feel safe. Through a grounded wu wei approach, you’ll begin to notice these patterns without judgment — reducing inner conflict and creating space for calm, self-respect, and clarity.

With your hosts, David James Lees (ordained Taoist monk, emotional and spiritual health teacher) and Alexandra Lees (mindset and business coach).

Discover our online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Subscribe to David’s FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:

• Our INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qq
• Our GOLDEN THREAD PROCESS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIAsS_wgdRN7QGBKIk54sbyD

Is there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom

Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

Music by Earth Tree Healing

Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

Discover why softness—calm, grounded, and authentic—is often the strongest form of power.

In this episode of Tao Dialogues, we explore the strength of softness, a profound Taoist teaching that challenges the modern belief that power must be loud, aggressive, or forceful. True strength is not about dominating a room—it is about staying rooted in calm truth, authenticity, and inner alignment.

Through Taoist wisdom, wu wei, and the understanding of Shen, we discover how gentleness, emotional awareness, and quiet confidence create a deeper and more sustainable form of strength. When we stop performing power and start living from truth, we conserve energy, remain steady under pressure, and respond to life with clarity rather than reaction

Read the blog post that inspired this episode: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/p/shifting-the-story [third blog on this page]

Our Tao Dialogues are powerful yet gentle teachings about authenticity, spirituality and finding emotional balance and flow in everyday life. These spoken-word episodes draw from David James Lees’ practice as a Taoist monk and teacher, and expand upon popular posts on ‘David’s Journal’, his Substack blog.

Subscribe to David’s Journal here: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Discover David’s online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:

• TAO DIALOGUES PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICamFP2zMyey3KGTnfm2aUq&si=AW_ZOUeldKv3nHhF
• SHEN (THE SPIRITUAL SELF) PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIBmp50wYcmU7jCBLp1Qvl-j
• INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qq

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

If you love our work, make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom

Book an online consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

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Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

Music by Earth Tree Healing

A calming meditation to rewire negative self-talk and replace fear-based thinking with trust, clarity, and self-compassion - with Taoist monk and teacher, David James Lees.

This guided meditation will help you rewire negative self-talk, release fear-based thinking, and move from emotional reactivity into calm self-trust. Learn how to pause before believing anxious thoughts, recognise emotional logic for what it is, and shift your inner dialogue from control to clarity.

Through breath, affirmations, and gentle visualisation, you’ll reconnect with your authentic self (Shen) and cultivate a kind, grounded inner voice rooted in trust rather than fear. Perfect for reducing anxiety, calming overthinking, and building emotional resilience.

⚠️ PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERY

This meditation can be practised daily or whenever you need it.

Learn more about our online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Subscribe to David’s FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Other teachings and guided meditations you may enjoy:

• End Toxic Self-Talk | How to Release Limiting Beliefs and Rewire Your Inner Dialogue https://youtu.be/KiD3Zgnhtyw
• GUIDED MEDITATION PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIA12P7BftG6a18lIWFDjL35&si=bWWub6YyoZpXhFub
• LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zID3yxrdCbbZFuKHCwgV6qhX&si=-zdah_z6MiSZIl0t

Is there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom

Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

-

Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

Music by Earth Tree Healing

Learn how to end toxic self-talk, release limiting beliefs and rewire your inner dialogue with Taoist wisdom and the Golden Thread Process.

Are you struggling with harsh, toxic self-talk that you know isn’t true — but still can’t stop? This episode dives into how limiting beliefs take root, why your Inner Child clings to them for “safety,” and how to release them using Taoist wu wei principles and the Golden Thread Process therapy model.

You’ll learn how unhealthy self-talk becomes identity, how to trace emotional triggers back to their root beliefs, and how to gently rewire your inner dialogue into clarity, compassion, and emotional freedom. If you’re ready to end toxic self-talk and create a healthier, grounded inner voice, this conversation will guide you step by step.

With your hosts, David James Lees (ordained Taoist monk, emotional and spiritual health teacher) and Alexandra Lees (mindset and business coach).

Discover our online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Subscribe to David’s FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:

• How to Stop Negative Thoughts & Critical Self-Talk https://youtu.be/GD1O1EsET1E?si=9WOVZHrY8KuP_ymn
• Silence Your Inner Critic – Guided Meditation https://youtu.be/UJi8uOyaarU?si=gyDDVTHQFWwuel8I
• Our INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qq
• Our GOLDEN THREAD PROCESS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIAsS_wgdRN7QGBKIk54sbyD

Is there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom

Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

Music by Earth Tree Healing

Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

You were never on trial — guilt, shame, and self-blame are learned illusions, not truth.

In this episode of Tao Dialogues, we explore how to end guilt, shame, and self-blame by recognising a powerful truth: you are not on trial.

Many of us replay the past, defending ourselves in an inner emotional courtroom shaped by childhood conditioning and the Inner Child’s need to be “right.” But Taoist wisdom and wu wei (effortless effort) remind us that guilt and shame are not facts — they are emotions created from beliefs.

Through the lens of Shen (your intrinsic spiritual essence) and the Golden Thread Process, we uncover how to release self-judgment, step out of emotional drama, and return to clarity, compassion, and alignment.

This episode is for you if you:

• Struggle with guilt, regret, or shame
• Replay past mistakes and self-blame
• Feel trapped in perfectionism or people-pleasing
• Want emotional freedom rooted in Taoist wisdom

Read the blog post that inspired this episode: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/p/empty-courtroom

Our Tao Dialogues are powerful yet gentle teachings about authenticity, spirituality and finding emotional balance and flow in everyday life. These spoken-word episodes draw from David James Lees’ practice as a Taoist monk and teacher, and expand upon popular posts on ‘David’s Journal’, his Substack blog.

You can subscribe to David’s Journal here: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Discover David’s online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:

• TAO DIALOGUES PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICamFP2zMyey3KGTnfm2aUq&si=AW_ZOUeldKv3nHhF
• SHEN (THE SPIRITUAL SELF) PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIBmp50wYcmU7jCBLp1Qvl-j
• INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qq

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

-

Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

Music by Earth Tree Healing

You don’t need to earn love — you already are worthy. This guided meditation on self-worth and unconditional love helps you release the belief that love must be earned through performance, perfection, or approval - with Taoist monk and teacher, David James Lees.

Rooted in Taoist wisdom and inner child healing, this meditation gently guides you back to your intrinsic worth — the part of you that has always been whole, calm, and enough. Through stillness, affirmations, and compassionate awareness, you’ll reconnect with your true spiritual essence and dissolve the old survival belief: “I must prove myself to be loved.”

This meditation supports:

• Healing self-doubt and people-pleasing
• Releasing perfectionism and performance-based worth
• Reconnecting with your inner truth (Shen)
• Living from love, not lack

Love is not a reward. It is your nature.

⚠️ PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERY

This meditation can be practised daily or whenever you need it.

Learn more about our online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Subscribe to David’s FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Other teachings and guided meditations you may enjoy:

• Guided Meditation for Self-Love & Self-Acceptance https://youtu.be/sJtQu6vaSHM?si=LK29zlEuio48HcIq
• GUIDED MEDITATION PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIA12P7BftG6a18lIWFDjL35&si=bWWub6YyoZpXhFub
• LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zID3yxrdCbbZFuKHCwgV6qhX&si=-zdah_z6MiSZIl0t

Is there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom

Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

-

Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

Music by Earth Tree Healing

Break free from seeking love and approval from others and discover how to reclaim your self-worth without performing, pleasing, or proving anything.

Are you still trying to earn love by performing, pleasing, or never making a mistake? In this episode, we explore how the belief that love is conditional forms in childhood — and how it shapes people-pleasing, perfectionism, and the constant fear of not being “enough.” We uncover how to break free from the performance trap, heal the Inner Child, and remember your intrinsic worth.

You’ll learn how conditional love sabotages relationships, how to dissolve old vows using the Golden Thread Process, and how to create love from within rather than chasing it from others. If you're ready to reclaim self-worth and experience love without conditions, this conversation will guide you back to truth and emotional freedom.

With your hosts, David James Lees (ordained Taoist monk, emotional and spiritual health teacher) and Alexandra Lees (mindset and business coach).

Discover our online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Subscribe to David’s FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:

• LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zID3yxrdCbbZFuKHCwgV6qhX
• Self Love & Self Acceptance – Guided Meditation https://youtu.be/sJtQu6vaSHM?si=1RrasPbkzN8Uxpee
• Meditation for Self-Love & Loving Relationships https://youtu.be/duUfdGPUtFs?si=yPPN9lu9d5OanIjW
• Our INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qq

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom

Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

Music by Earth Tree Healing

Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

Procrastination isn’t laziness — it’s a signal calling you back to stillness, clarity, and aligned action.

In this episode of Tao Dialogues, we explore the stillness before action — a Taoist approach to ending procrastination and perfectionism without force, pressure, or self-criticism.

Rather than pushing yourself forward, this teaching invites you inward — to the sacred pause where Shen (inner wisdom and clarity) aligns and true action is born. We uncover how procrastination often arises from the Inner Child’s need for safety, not a lack of discipline, and how wu wei (effortless effort) restores natural momentum.

You’ll learn how to:

• Stop fighting procrastination and listen to its message
• Release perfectionism without lowering your standards
• Use stillness as preparation, not avoidance
• Take aligned action that flows from truth, not fear

Read the blog post that inspired this episode: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/p/shifting-the-story

Our Tao Dialogues are powerful yet gentle teachings about authenticity, spirituality and finding emotional balance and flow in everyday life. These spoken-word episodes draw from David James Lees’ practice as a Taoist monk and teacher, and expand upon popular posts on ‘David’s Journal’, his Substack blog.

You can subscribe to David’s Journal here: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

Discover David’s online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com

Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:

• TAO DIALOGUES PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICamFP2zMyey3KGTnfm2aUq&si=AW_ZOUeldKv3nHhF
• SHEN (THE SPIRITUAL SELF) PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIBmp50wYcmU7jCBLp1Qvl-j
• INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qq

Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity

Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/

Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdom

Sign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup

-

Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

Music by Earth Tree Healing