Inner Alchemy: The Urban Monk's Guide to Happiness, Health, and Vitality

by Pedram Shojai

From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Urban Monk

Unlock Your Inner Power. Transform Your Life from Within.

Ready to go deeper? After mastering the basics in "The Urban Monk," Dr. Pedram Shojai presents the advanced practices that create lasting transformation from the inside out.

"Inner Alchemy" reveals the secret Taoist practices that have been used for thousands of years to cultivate vitality, happiness, and spiritual power. This isn't theory—these are the actual techniques Dr. Shojai learned during his years as a Taoist monk and has refined through decades of practice and teaching.

Discover How To:
Harness Your Life Force Energy (Qi) for vitality and healing
Transform Stress into Strength using ancient alchemical practices
Awaken Your True Self beyond ego and conditioning
Master Your Emotions instead of being controlled by them
Cultivate Unshakeable Inner Peace regardless of external circumstances
Access Higher States of Consciousness through meditation and breathwork
Integrate Ancient Wisdom into your daily modern life

The Complete System Includes:
Step-by-step meditation techniques, breathing practices for energy cultivation, dietary wisdom from Chinese medicine, movement exercises (Qi Gong basics), sleep optimization for restoration, and stress transformation protocols.

Who This Is For:
Readers who loved "The Urban Monk" and want to go deeper, meditation practitioners seeking advanced techniques, anyone interested in Taoist philosophy and practices, people dealing with chronic stress, fatigue, or emotional challenges, and spiritual seekers wanting practical, proven methods.

What Makes Dr. Shojai Unique:
As both a former Taoist monk and licensed Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Dr. Shojai bridges the mystical and medical worlds. He translates ancient practices into language and methods that work for modern people with busy lives.

Reader Reviews:
"The missing piece I've been searching for. These practices actually work!"
"Dr. Shojai makes ancient wisdom accessible and practical. Life-changing."

Transform your life from the inside out. The ancient masters knew the secrets—now you can too.

Genres: Spirituality

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Dr. Pedram Shojai is a New York Times bestselling author, acclaimed filmmaker, and wellness expert who bridges ancient wisdom with modern living. As a former Taoist monk and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, he brings unique credibility to the wellness space.

Dr. Shojai is the author of multiple bestselling books including "The Urban Monk," "Inner Alchemy," "The Art of Stopping Time," and "Focus." His groundbreaking approach combines Taoist philosophy, Chinese medicine, and practical life strategies to help readers find balance, energy, and purpose in our chaotic modern world.

Beyond his writing, Dr. Shojai is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker, having produced and created multiple health and wellness series including "Interconnected," "Gateway to Health," "Trauma," "Conscious Parenting," and "Hormones, Health & Harmony." His films have reached millions of viewers worldwide and feature leading experts in health, wellness, and personal development.

Dr. Shojai hosts "The Urban Monk" podcast, has been featured on major media outlets, and speaks internationally on topics related to stress management, energy optimization, and conscious living. He is the founder of The Urban Monk brand and is dedicated to helping busy, successful people reclaim their time, energy, and vitality.

When he's not writing or filming, Dr. Shojai enjoys spending time with his family, practicing Kung Fu, and exploring the intersection of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science.

Connect with Dr. Shojai:
Website: theurbanmonk.com
Instagram: @drpedramshojai
Facebook: The Urban Monk

Reviews

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been studying Taoism for a few years (although I'm by no means an expert), so when I began this book, I thought to myself: "Oh, this book is for beginners." I already knew a bit about chi and the 5 transformations, yin and yang, different exercises and meditations, and so forth. But the deeper I read, the more impressed I became. First of all, the explanations are clear, not only with basic information, but even more important, the reasons why & how these instructions can help you develop your "light body." Second, the book is organized beautifully, with plenty of "how-to" information, easy-to-read philosophy, and often funny anecdotes from the writer's personal experience. Finally, Shojai ties the whole thing together with a beautiful section on developing the light body and step by step instructions tying together all the practices into an easy-to-follow package. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Taoism, energy, getting out from under negative emotions, or just plain improving your life. I borrowed my copy from the library and ended up ordering my own copy to refer to again and again.

[Lorena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had I known that the author, Pedram Shojai, considers Atlantis to be the source of much of the material he shares in this book, I would probably not have chosen to read this. If that doesn’t bother you, then you may appreciate this book more than I did.

I was curious about Taoism and qi gong, and this book does offer a decent introduction to these topics. I think my understanding was hindered in certain sections because the figures and tables didn’t show up correctly in my unproofed ARC, but that issue is likely to be resolved in the published version. In addition, I thought the health and lifestyle suggestions made sense and I liked some of the recommended exercises.

Where I struggled most is when the author starts discussing vampires, zombies, ghosts, demons, and entities from other planets and dimensions. Some of this language seemed clearly metaphorical, and that’s fine, but in some places, it sounded like the author was being literal. I find it hard to trust health advice from someone who believes in the need for exorcisms.

References are provided in endnotes, and a glossary is included at the end.

I was clearly not the intended audience for this book. I think this book is most likely to appeal to those with a strong interest in New Age spirituality as well as Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inner Alchemy is by the author of the Urban Monk. In both books, Taoist principles are explained and used to reduce the reader’s stress and challenges with modern life and free their minds for more spiritual thoughts. The Urban Monk is a more user-friendly book. True beginners will be able to quickly learn the exercises and improve their thinking. Inner Alchemy is the more advanced book and is better for either people already familiar with some Taoist principles or at least read the Urban Monk first.

Therefore, I recommend Inner Alchemy only for readers already familiar with the core principles of the Urban Monk. Read that book first and then this book will make much more sense. For those ready for more advanced topics, this book gets 4 stars.

Thanks to Sounds True Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ann T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Sounds True Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book ticked lots of boxes for me. I enjoyed learning about Taoism and energy healing. It was an enjoyable book to read with good examples of how to integrate practices into daily life. I would possibly have got more out of this if I had read The Urban Monk prior to this book however it wasn’t an absolute necessity.

A well recommended book.

[Jess Macallan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an ideal companion for fans of THE URBAN MONK, especially if you want to learn about Taoism. I appreciated the deep dive into yin and yang, understanding energy from Taoist perspectives, and learning more about the five elements (wood, metal, air, earth, and fire) and how they're applicable to everyday life. The practices are accessible for everyone and explained clearly. The companion videos will be helpful for visual learners.

The key takeaways for me included frequent reminders to create lifelong habits that clear my energy, set the right intentions, and remain authentic. I enjoyed the various practices, and although it's not comfortable for anyone to face their shadow, it's a necessary and healing process. This book serves as the perfect reminder to make sure your daily actions and thoughts are in line with your highest good. It's also a great book for readers interested in learning more about the Tao and how to cultivate their own practice.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence:
The human mind is infinite.

It's an interesting book, especially the last chapter, but I don't think I was ready for it, and it's not a good book to get from the library, really. There are physical exercises to learn and the like.

[Sunshine Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good things in this book. Qi Gong was totally new to me and I am having fun practicing it.

[Joshua Friesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timely and informative.