Lee Holden

Lee Holden is an internationally celebrated Qi Gong master recognized by the International Qi Gong Association. He is the author of 7 Minutes of Magic and a beloved television personality who has been aired in over 50 million households in the US alone. Lee is a licensed Chinese medical doctor and acupuncturist and the cofounder of the Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine and Chi Center. He lives in Santa Cruz, California, with his four daughters. For more, visit holdenqigong.com.

Author Photo © Kevin Painchaud

Also By Author

Lee Holden: Go Slow. Enter Flow.

The counterintuitive approach to life that Lee Holden calls the Slow Method has an immediate power to decrease your stress levels, boost your energy, and improve your overall health and well-being in remarkable, seemingly miraculous ways. But why is it so hard for us to slow down, even when we understand intellectually how ineffective and miserable it is to live at warp speed? 

In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with the internationally celebrated Qi Gong master and author about his new book, Ready, Set, Slow. Give yourself “the gift of slow” and tune in for this illuminating conversation about: the link between slow and flow; becoming more receptive to the energy that’s all around you; a brief history of Qi Gong and tai chi; a simple awareness practice—“Where am I?”; the coherence of energy and mind that defines the flow state; prioritizing “bliss over busy”; active relaxation; shifting out of stress and into the open space of the heart; how compassion, gratitude, and appreciation help heal the nervous system; mindfulness and an embodied experience of the present moment; liberating ourselves from our conditioning around survival; accessing the inner treasures of your energy system; applying the Slow Method when enjoying a morning beverage, at mealtimes, and in other situations where we tend to be on autopilot; finding your personal motivation for slowing down; breathwork; slow relationships; the Microcosmic Orbit practice; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

The Power and Bliss of Qi

Tami Simon speaks with Lee Holden, an internationally recognized qi gong master and Chinese medicine doctor. He is also the cofounder of the Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine and Chi Center. Lee has published dozens of books on topics ranging from t’ai chi to stress management. With Sounds True, Lee has created the audio learning series Taoist Sexual Secrets as well as a series on Your Body of Light, and a new home study course and online course Qi Gong for Health and Healing. Lee discusses the self-healing qualities of qi gong, the “secret” qi gong practices that relate to sexuality, in addition to a breathing exercise called “the cleansing breath.” (47 minutes)

Taoist Sexual Secrets

Tami Simon speaks with Rachel Carlton Abrams and Lee Holden. Rachel is a medical doctor, specializing in family medicine, and the author of The Multi-Orgasmic Woman and The Multi-Orgasmic Couple. Lee is a licensed acupuncturist and an internationally known instructor in meditation, t’ai chi, and qi gong. Rachel and Lee discuss the wisdom of ancient Chinese Taoist sexual secrets, and how we can apply these practices to enhance the flow of sexual energy in our bodies. (48 minutes)

You Might Also Enjoy

Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife...

In the second half of Acharya Shunya’s talk, she shares her personal journey from tradition to transformation, offering practical tools and Vedic insights to help us embrace our greater purpose here.

Through her personal experiences, practical guidance, and teachings from her lineage, Acharya Shunya offers us a roadmap to awakening and living a more meaningful, empowered life.

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife...

Acharya Shunya joins Tami Simon to explore Vedic perspectives on reincarnation, the journey of the soul, and the deeper meaning behind life, death, and rebirth.

Are you curious about what happens after we die? This week’s episode continues our series of talks on reincarnation. Here, Tami Simon joins Acharya Shunya, a trailblazing Vedic teacher and author, to explore ancient wisdom about the soul’s journey beyond this life, as well as her own direct insights gained in service of her own lineage’s evolution.

Acharya Shunya shares her step-by-step guide to what happens after death, revealing a compassionate, non-judgmental process focused on growth and remembrance—not punishment for the misconceived concept of “bad karma.” 

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Andrew Holecek: What Reincarnates? | Part 2

Join Tami Simon and Andrew Holecek for the second half of their exploration of reincarnation. Here, they delve deeper into Tibetan Buddhist perspectives on death, rebirth, and the power of “dark retreat” practice, revealing practical guidance for navigating everyday life.

What happens after we die? And what do habits have to do with the process? In this episode of Insights at the Edge, host Tami Simon welcomes Andrew Holecek, scholar, author, and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and non-dual wisdom traditions. Together, they dive into the mysteries of reincarnation and the “gap between lives.” Drawing from Tibetan teachings on the bardos, dream yoga, and the art of dying, Andrew shares practical insights on how these ancient teachings are not just about what happens after death, but also about navigating the transitions and challenges we face here and now. 

Join them to explore: 

  • How our beliefs about death deeply inform how we live
  • The nature of awareness and the influence of habits
  • How cultivating lucidity transforms both our dreams and our waking lives, and more

Note: These interviews originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

>