Kindred Yin/Yang Currents

The Taoist Bond Between Two Wanderers

There’s a special kind of magic when two souls, shaped by the unpredictable currents of life, recognize each other on the path. It’s not loud or performative, not a handshake of transaction or a social media “like”—it’s something quieter, deeper. A resonance.

That’s how I felt when I first connected with Patrick B. Stewart, the voice behind The Taoist Corner on Substack.

In a world dominated by noise, speed, and endless striving, it’s rare to encounter someone whose life philosophy pulses to the rhythm of stillness, surrender, and profound acceptance. Patrick’s writings reached me like a breeze through an open window, stirring something ancient and familiar in my own journey—a kind of wordless reminder that I am not walking alone.

As the creator of The Chocolate Taoist, I’ve long explored the intersections of Taoism, wandering, and the art of surrendering to paradox. Patrick, in his own corner of the digital universe, has been doing the same, weaving the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi into the fabric of his everyday life as a father, husband, and seeker.

What follows is not just a profile of Patrick—it’s the story of a meeting point, a confluence of two streams flowing toward the same ocean.

The Seed of the Journey: From Yin-Yang to Cancer Scare

Patrick’s entry into Taoism wasn’t born from an academic pursuit or a temple retreat—it emerged from the serendipity of childhood curiosity. As a boy in the early ’90s, he found himself captivated by the yin-yang symbol in an encyclopedia, sketching it in MSPaint without knowing its meaning. The symbol’s graceful flow lodged itself in his imagination. Years later, when he stumbled upon the book “The Tao of Pooh” in college, the childhood fascination came rushing back.

But the turning point arrived not in the classroom, but in the vulnerability of the body. A cancer scare jolted Patrick into deeper reflection. It was then that the symbol of the Tao transformed from a visual curiosity to a lifeline. Under the guidance of George Thompson at the Taoist Wellness Academy, Patrick began the practice of integrating Taoist principles into daily life—and, eventually, into his writing.

When I compare this to my own path, I see parallels. For me, Taoism also began not in libraries but in life’s messiness, uncertainty, and heartbreak. It was in moments of dislocation, illness, or loss that Taoist wisdom whispered its most profound invitations.

As Patrick puts it so beautifully, Taoism transformed his sense of interconnectedness from a vague “hippie-dippy” idea to a living, breathing reality—one where “should” falls away, and what is becomes enough.

Wu Wei in the Face of Tinnitus

Perhaps one of the most moving episodes in Patrick’s journey was his encounter with tinnitus—a constant, piercing ringing in his ear that threatened to derail his equilibrium. What could easily have plunged him into resentment and struggle became, instead, an unexpected teacher.

By leaning into wu wei, the Taoist art of effortless action, Patrick discovered that his suffering softened when he focused on simple tasks. Washing dishes, tidying up the house, even walking through the day became a form of meditation. Rather than resisting the ringing, he learned to embrace it as “the sound the universe makes,” a poetic reframing that reflects the heart of Taoism itself.

This story hit me hard. I’ve also faced times when life delivered a relentless hum of discomfort, whether through physical challenge, emotional grief, or the invisible ache of modern life. And like Patrick, I found that healing didn’t come from brute-force resistance, but from surrender, from falling into the flow of ordinary moments. It’s in these small acts, repeated daily, that Taoism becomes not a philosophy on a bookshelf, but a living practice.

Parenting in the Tornado: Mindfulness at Home

Patrick’s home life is anything but the quiet seclusion of a mountain hermit. With a wife, children, sports games, competitions, and pets, his household often feels like “a tornado of chaos.” And yet, it’s precisely here that his Taoist practice shines.

Rather than chasing the illusion of constant calm or stoic detachment, Patrick embraces emotions as waves to be ridden, not suppressed. Through mindful breathing practices—like box breathing and the 4-7-8 method—he’s cultivated an ability to stay present amid the storm.

This resonates deeply with my own experience for I, too, have learned that peace isn’t the absence of turmoil, but the ability to meet it with an open heart.

In our rushed world, where the cultural narrative tells us we must control, fix, and optimize every aspect of family life, Patrick offers a radical alternative: trust. Trust that emotions will rise and fall, that children will stumble and grow, that partners will clash and reconnect. This, too, is Tao.

Ancient Wisdom in a Digital Age

One of the most profound questions we wrestle with as modern Taoists is: How do we reconcile ancient wisdom with today’s dizzying digital landscape?

Patrick’s answer is disarmingly clear: while the surface of life has changed, the underlying human dilemmas remain. Whether it’s rulers navigating kingdoms or individuals managing their own minds and relationships, the Tao speaks across centuries. The challenges of sadness, inequality, and conflict are not relics of the past—they are the timeless terrain of the human heart.

Patrick points out a crucial insight: today’s culture constantly categorizes things as “good” or “bad”—whether it’s social media, food, politics, or people. But Taoism reminds us to release these artificial labels. Good and bad are human constructs. What remains, when we strip them away, is life itself—undivided, unfiltered, flowing.

This mirrors a core truth in my own journey: the more we stop clinging to rigid judgments, the more spacious and connected life becomes. Whether online or offline, in politics or in personal relationships, the wisdom of the Tao offers a radical act of deconstruction—and liberation.

The Call to Share Wisdom

Patrick’s aspiration for The Taoist Corner is not to pose as a guru on the mountaintop, but to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow seekers. He writes not to impress, but to relate, to remind readers that “no one is really truly alone.”

In a world flooded with outrage and division, he wants his Substack to be a small, steady wave in the ocean—a source of experience, technique, and wisdom that helps people rediscover their own inner resources.

For me, this is the essence of why connecting with Patrick has felt so meaningful. In my own work as The Chocolate Taoist, I’ve often wrestled with the tension between offering insights and staying humble, between teaching and walking alongside. Patrick embodies that balance with grace.

His journey has reminded me that we don’t need grand platforms or viral fame to make an impact. Sometimes, the most profound transformation happens in quiet corners—through a newsletter, a conversation, a shared story between strangers turned kindred spirits.

A Shared Path, Divergent Details

While Patrick and I come from different geographies, life stages, and cultural backdrops—he’s a Texas father balancing family life, I’m a wandering spirit exploring the fluidity of Taoist practice—we meet at the same stream.

We’ve both learned that resilience is not about hardening the heart, but about softening into reality. We’ve both tasted the alchemy of turning suffering into wisdom, and we’ve both come to see Taoism not as an escape from the world, but as a way to be more deeply in it.

Our connection is a living example of what the Tao teaches: that under the surface, all things are one, all lives are woven through the same cosmic dance. By finding each other across the noisy expanse of the internet, we affirm that the Tao has no boundaries—it moves through algorithms as surely as it moves through rivers and winds.

The Larger Cultural Shift

Patrick believes that as people grow disillusioned with external answers, they turn inward—a natural and necessary pivot. In this cultural moment, when noise is mistaken for knowledge and speed for progress, the hunger for stillness and meaning is growing. Taoism, Buddhism, and other ancient pathways are resurging because they speak to something timeless in us.

And here’s the miracle: every time we connect with a like-minded seeker, we amplify that shift. Every conversation, every exchange of ideas, becomes a ripple that joins the broader movement toward inner harmony and meaningful living.

Patrick’s work, my work, your work as a reader—they’re all waves in the same ocean. And that ocean is rising.

Why Connections Like This Matter

If I had to sum up why meeting Patrick has mattered so deeply to me, it would be this: in a fragmented world, resonance is a form of healing. To encounter someone whose life embodies the same questions, the same longings, the same experiments with surrender, is to be reminded that we are never as alone as we think.

Patrick once wrote, “Suffering is painful, but suffering alone is tragic and unbearable.” These words stay with me. Because when we walk together—even if only through words on a screen—we lessen the weight of each other’s burdens. We become mirrors for each other’s growth. We help each other remember that the Tao is always, already here.

As The Taoist Corner and The Chocolate Taoist flow side by side, I am grateful for this meeting of minds, this kindred current, this quiet revolution of the heart.

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Diamond Michael Scott

aka The Chocolate Taoist