Who is Damo Mitchell?

A Search for Authentic Teachings

In his early twenties Damo left the West to look for instruction that reflected the depth he had long sought. The aim was to meet teachers whose understanding rested upon direct experience rather than theory. What began as a short period of travel gradually developed into many years of study and immersion across Asia. During this time he lived in temples, mountain communities and small rural settings while working with practitioners who held skills passed down through their respective traditions.

His studies took him through various lineages of Daoist alchemy, Chan and Vajrayana Buddhism, classical martial systems and the medical arts. He trained with Daoist practitioners, monastics, martial artists and physicians, each offering a different perspective on the internal processes that sit at the heart of these systems. This period involved not only the learning of methods but also the slow process of understanding how they relate to one another and how their principles converge.

Much of his time was directed toward examining the places where traditions had become fragmented or incomplete. He approached different systems as parts of a wider landscape, cross-referencing their internal mechanics and refining his understanding of the underlying principles they shared. These years were shaped by extended periods of solitude and steady practice, as well as the challenge of discerning genuine material within an environment where authenticity was often difficult to find.

Founding Lotus Nei Gong

When Damo returned to the West he established the Lotus Nei Gong School of Internal Arts. The intention was to create a place where the methods he had studied could be practised within a clear and structured framework. The emphasis was upon presenting authentic material from the internal traditions and guiding students through the same process of gradual development that had shaped his own training.

Over time Lotus Nei Gong evolved into a community of practitioners working with Qi Gong, Nei Gong, Taijiquan and later Baguazhang. These systems were approached as means of internal regulation and personal refinement rather than as collections of techniques. Students were encouraged to engage with the methods consistently so that changes in the body, the movement of Qi and the stabilisation of the mind could take place in a natural and integrated manner.

The school’s focus has always been the cultivation of inner change. Training begins with grounding the body and clarifying the breath. As the practitioner progresses, attention is directed toward the regulation of Qi and the refinement of awareness. Damo’s approach aims to help students recognise the patterns within themselves that obscure clarity and to develop the steadiness required for deeper stages of internal work. In this way Lotus Nei Gong functions as a vehicle for those pursuing a genuine path of internal cultivation.

Leaving Tradition

Throughout his years of study Damo trained with a wide range of teachers. He worked with practitioners of both internal and external Gong Fu, meditation teachers, Chinese medicine doctors and instructors from several Yogic traditions. These teachers came from different backgrounds and lineages and each contributed to the understanding he now follows. He was given access to methods from Daoist, Buddhist and other traditional systems, receiving instruction in a manner that reflected the integrity of those lineages.

Although he valued the teachings he encountered, Damo did not develop a strong personal connection to the cultural forms and historical narratives that surrounded them. Over time he came to see that the essence of these methods rests within the direct experience they produce rather than within the cultural frameworks through which they have been expressed. The internal process does not belong to any one tradition. It points toward qualities inherent within all practitioners, regardless of their background or origin. This understanding gradually shaped the direction of his own work.

Students who have trained with Damo over the years have observed a steady movement away from a strict focus upon individual traditions. The aim has been to clarify the internal principles that sit beneath them and to present a coherent path of practice that guides the practitioner toward a more settled and integrated state. The systems he teaches are still presented in their traditional Chinese forms, yet the emphasis is placed upon the internal transformation they facilitate rather than the cultural structures that surround them.

Within Lotus Nei Gong the arts of Taijiquan, Qi Gong and other methods function as vehicles for internal cultivation. They provide the framework through which the practitioner refines the body, regulates the Qi and clarifies the mind. The school’s focus remains upon the inner work itself. The arts are the means, not the end, and their value lies in the depth of change they are capable of producing within those who train with sincerity and consistency.