15 - Mimi Kuo-Deemer - Practising Lightness, Lineage and Living Wisdom

Send us Fan MailToday, I’m joined by someone whose teachings have deeply shaped my own path — author, teacher and martial artist Mimi Kuo-Deemer. From Beijing rooftops to English meadows, from the Shaolin Temple to Zoom classes during lockdown, Mimi’s journey weaves together Qigong, Taiji, Buddhism and embodied philosophy with grace and authenticity.We explore what it means to live a life of practice - one rooted in balance, humility, and connection. Mimi opens up about the loss of her mother, the medicine of movement, and the joy of learning from masters like Liu Xuyang, Matthew Cohen, and Martin Aylward. We talk about lineage, grief, creative expression, and what it means to show up with kindness for ourselves and others, even in the hardest seasons.Mimi’s wisdom is deep, grounded and playful - an invitation to meet life fully.In this conversation we touch on:How Qigong and internal martial arts became Mimi’s life’s workLineage, destiny and finding the right teachersWhat the body remembers — and how we gently change itThe dance between grief and growthPractising in rhythm with the seasonsWhy playfulness is the fastest route to nervous system changeMimi’s daily rituals and how she balances quiet with serviceMimi refers to: Martin Aylward, Master Huang Ping, Shifu Liu Xuyang, and Sifu Matthew Cohen.Connect with Mimi: 📘 Books: Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis (2018), Xiu Yang: Self-Cultivation for a Happier, Healthier and Balanced Life (2019) 🌐 Website: www.mkdeemer.com 📺 Online Classes: Amazon Prime, Commune, Movement for Modern Life, Yoga and Fitness TV, Vimeo, and YouTube 🧧 Lineage: 6th Generation Lineage Holder in the Liu Fengchun tradition of Baguazhang 🧘 MTI accredited teacher | Authorised Insight Meditation Teacher | SYT | E-RYT | YACEPIf you enjoy my podcasts, please do subscribe and share. Feel free to comment as feedback is always welcome. Finally I would really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏