2: Chi Time: The Quantum Qi Show withClara Apollo - Episode 2

2: Chi Time: The Quantum Qi Show withClara Apollo - Episode 2

Ever wondered what it takes to live in step with the natural forces that shape your life? This episode of Chi Time: The Quantum Qi Show brings together Taoist master and pioneering ecologist John P. Milton with host Clara Apollo for a rich, down-to-earth conversation about qi, nature and inner stillness. Across seven decades of practice, John has woven Western science with ancient traditions including Taoism, Buddhism, Native American teachings, Qigong and Tai Chi.

He shares how his journey started with a vision quest at the age of seven, alone in the forests of New Hampshire and Maine, surrounded by animals who felt like family. That early bond with "this bigger family of all living things" became the foundation for his life’s work, helping people "re-indigenize" and reconnect with nature as a living, supportive presence.

You’ll hear how his grandparents farmed using a simple dig stick rather than a plough, honouring "the fabric and the skin of Mother Earth" while consciously blending heaven and earth qi. John explains his approach to sacred passage – a contemporary, gentler form of vision quest – designed to loosen the grip of consensus reality and open direct experience of stillness, energy and the heart.

The conversation also touches on the Tao Te Ching, Chapter 16, and how John’s organisation, The Way of Nature, grew directly from that text. He offers a practical sense of Taoist ideas like wu wei, describing spontaneous action that arises from deep inner silence, and how water, air and other elements can guide us into a natural balance of flow and stillness.

Clara closes with a simple reminder that captures the spirit of the whole episode: "Your energy is important and so are you." If you’re curious about gentle, nature-based ways to support your own wellbeing, this one may spark some fresh ideas.