Mantak Chia

Mantak Chia (Chinese: 謝明德; pinyin: Xiè Míngdé; born April 24, 1944, in Bangkok, Thailand) is a renowned Taoist master, qigong instructor, and author who has popularized ancient Taoist healing and spiritual practices worldwide through his Universal Healing Tao system.

Born to Chinese parents in Thailand, Chia began his spiritual journey at age six when Buddhist monks initiated him into meditation techniques to still the mind. As a young student, he trained in traditional Thai boxing and later learned Tai Chi Chuan while studying in Hong Kong; he also pursued two years of Western anatomy and medical science education to complement his Eastern studies. Over the years, he apprenticed under several masters, including Master Lu for Tai Chi, Aikido, and Yoga; Master Yi Eng for core Taoist practices like the Microcosmic Orbit and Fusion of the Five Elements; and others such as Master Meugi for Kundalini and Taoist Yoga, Dr. Mui Yimwattana for Chi Nei Tsang abdominal massage, Master Cheng Yao-Lun for Shao-Lin internal power and Bone Marrow Nei Kung, and Master Pan Yu for Yin-Yang energy exchange and Steel Body training.

In 1979, Chia founded the Universal Healing Tao Center in New York, establishing the Healing Tao system in North America , which he later expanded globally as European Tao Yoga and the broader Universal Healing Tao framework. He also created the Natural Healing Center in Thailand and the Tao Garden Health Spa & Resort in Chiang Mai , serving as its director to train and certify instructors in Taoist practices. Over 45 years, Chia has taught tens of thousands of students and certified more than 1,500 instructors worldwide, emphasizing self-healing, inner alchemy , and sexual energy cultivation.

Chia has authored over 60 books on Taoist philosophy, qigong, meditation, and related topics, translated into more than 40 languages, including bestsellers like The Multi-Orgasmic Man , Awaken Healing Energy Through the Tao , and Taoist Astrology . His work has earned him recognition as Qigong Master of the Year by the International Congress of Chinese Medicine and Qigong in 1990 and 2012, highlighting his influential role in bridging Eastern traditions with modern wellness.

Mantak Chia was born on April 24, 1944, in Bangkok, Thailand, to Chinese parents of Christian background; his father served as a Baptist minister, marking a departure from the family's ancestral Taoist healing traditions. Growing up in a culturally diverse environment blending Christian, Buddhist, and Taoist influences, Chia's early years were shaped by his family's relocation within Thailand and exposure to local spiritual practices.

At the age of six, Chia received initial meditation training from Buddhist monks , who taught him techniques to still the mind and cultivate inner calm, sparking his lifelong interest in spiritual disciplines. This early exposure motivated him to explore energy cultivation as a means to enhance personal health and vitality, particularly amid the physical demands of childhood activities.

During his teenage years, while still in grammar school in Thailand , Chia began studying traditional Thai boxing, known as Muay Thai , to build physical strength and discipline. His family later relocated to Hong Kong for educational opportunities, where, as a student, he pursued further training in Hatha yoga , tai chi chuan, and kung fu, integrating these practices to address health concerns and deepen his self-directed curiosity about internal energy work. To better understand the mechanisms behind healing energy, he studied Western anatomy and medical science for two years. These formative experiences, driven by a personal quest for balance and resilience, laid the groundwork for his later formal studies in Taoist traditions.

Mantak Chia's primary mentor was Yi Eng, known as the White Cloud Hermit or One Cloud, a reclusive Taoist master from the Dragon Gate (Longmen) sect of Quanzhen Taoism .