The Tao In 10 Days - by Charles Freligh, PhD

COURSE

The Tao In 10 Days

With Charles Freligh, PhD

"You cannot know it, but you can be it, because you are it." The Tao Te Ching is an ancient text attributed to Lao Tzu. Simply put, the words of this text remind you of who and what you really are. And when you remember this, you have no choice but to relax. So, through ten short introductory sessions, let's relax into this ancient wisdom together. In each session, I've selected a combination of a few lines from various entries of the Tao Te Ching. In this way, we can cover ten central themes that repeat themselves through the 81 entries of the full text. And please feel free to leave comments, questions, and reflections throughout the course. Thank you for joining me.


Meet your Teacher

Charles has a PhD in clinical psychology, is a published author, and leads several spiritual retreats each year in addition to his individual therapeutic work. He is deeply rooted in the wisdom of Tao and Zen, and integrates these ancient teachings with modern psychology.

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10 Days

651 students

4.9 stars

12 min / day

Awakening

English


Lesson 1

You Are It

"Look and it cannot be seen. Listen and it cannot be heard. Reach and it cannot be grasped. You cannot know it, but you can be it, because you are it." What does it mean to be the it you're looking for. When you are it, you cannot know it, but you can be it.

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Lesson 2

No Judgment

"If you keep your mind from judging, your heart will find peace." This refers to the experience of the present moment without interpretation, analysis, or judgment. What happens when you experience the moment as a work of art without critiquing it?

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Lesson 3

Yielding Is The Way

"Having without possessing. Acting without expecting. Yielding is the way of the Tao." This might seem overly passive. But it is simply the balancing of activity with passivity. As the hand closes and opens, when the moment is right.

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Lesson 4

Wu Wei

"Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself? Just practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place." To not-do in this way is not really to do nothing. It is to let go of attachment to the doer who does, and just be the doing.

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Lesson 5

X | Infinity

"It is hidden, but always present. Empty, yet inexhaustible. If you want to know me, look inside your heart." In this session, I offer a mathematical fraction as a means of understanding the indivisible Tao and all individual expressions of the Tao.

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Lesson 6

Holding On & Letting Go

"Act, then let go. Express yourself completely, then keep quiet. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity." What makes it difficult to let go once you have acted? This acting & letting go is the way of the Tao.

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Lesson 7

Empty & Full

"When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you. It is the space inside a room that makes it livable. It is the space inside a bowl that makes it usable." What happens, in the body and in the mind, when you realize nothing is lacking?

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Lesson 8

Three Treasures

"I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, and compassion. Out of simplicity arises endless patience. Out of patience arises endless compassion. When your compassion is endless, your heart is as open as the sky." How does it feel to have a heart as open as the sky?

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Lesson 9

No Problem

"Stop thinking and end your problems. When you release resistance to the existence of problems, problems become no problem." Can you release your resistance to the existence of the problems and difficulties in your life? You still face them, and you may not like them, but you can let go of wishing they didn't exist.

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Lesson 10

Becoming Natural

"The soft overcomes the hard. The gentle overcomes the rigid. Open yourself to the Tao, then trust your natural responses, and everything will fall into place. Let the Tao be present in your life, and you will become natural." How does it feel to become natural?

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Ask your teacher

This course includes 48 community questions and 47 audio replies from Charles Freligh, PhD. The community classroom and teacher audio replies are only available via the app.

48

4.9 (66)

Recent Reviews

Heidi

August 18, 2026

A gift of self.

Omar

August 16, 2026

Great course. Thank you 🤩

varsha

August 14, 2026

Phenomenal.. Every single session resonates with me. Thank You Charles! Namaste!

KatieG

August 12, 2026

I went back and re-listened to Tao Te Ching Mastery: 83 Days of Ancient Wisdom right around day 10 of this course —and again was very taken and kind of swept away beyond the wisdom of the Tao to feeling a sense of genuineness and acceptance within myself—AND that deeper connection to all that is. This shorter 10 day version is also wonderful. I kind of like both an audio version and the video format. Seeing Charles and having him “in my room” brings another level of immediacy and maybe even intimacy to the experience. Thank you Charles for all you do and contributing so beautifully to this community.

Nada

August 11, 2026

Thank you Charles I did enjoy this course. Till next time 😀🕊️🪷 I do like the view of your place must be a dream comes true 👏👏

Ann

August 8, 2026

Thank you Charles. I feel my way of being on this journey called ‘my life’ has changed through my time with you. The way is still feeling a bit awkward. Maybe because I want to just be here, not to look back toward the way I lived before. I will continue to be the wave I am in the ocean with everyone & everything. Blessings on you & sweet times. Ann

Twyla

August 6, 2026

Calming, enlightening, hopeful. This course brought about a sea change in my heart/mind. So many seemingly random threads of thought and sensing coming together to make a tapestry. Lovely course

J.

August 6, 2026

Charles presence and style is calming and enlightening. Thank you so much for the journey. Peace to you.

Charles

August 5, 2026

A taste and invitation to experience the ocean. Come on in, the water is fine.

Sallie

August 2, 2026

Excellent. Informative. Accessible.

Tara

August 1, 2026

I chuckled when I saw the title of this course, really, the Tao in ten days? Charles conveys the heart, the flow of the Tao, in each session. Sometimes it includes telling a story on himself or sharing a Koan. Sometimes it's "just" the Tao. As i complete the course there is peace and a smile. Thank you.

Hannah

July 31, 2026

This was a wonderful course. 10 days of bite size (and also life changingly massive) insights from the Tao. Whether you are brand new to The Tao Te Ching or have been studying and practicing for years, this course is great! As a teacher, Charles is authentic, calming, grounded, and full of incredible insight. I can’t recommend his 83 day audio course called Tao Te Ching Mastery enough! In 35 years in this wave from, that course has been the single most impactful listening experience of my life. Team Charles, Team Tao!

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