In this episode, I sit down with Dr Peter Wayne, Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital. A prolific researcher of the science of body-mind practices, Peter is the author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi (2013) and over 200 scientific papers. But he has also been a practitioner and instructor of taiji and qigong for over 45 years, and is the founder of the Tree of Life Tai Chi Center outside of Boston. Together we explore the intersection of science and practice, as well as the bridges he has been building for decades between them. Along the way, we discuss reconciling reductionism with systems thinking, Peter’s ecological way of speaking about the body, and whether or not one should mention qi in a scientific paper.
If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in multidisciplinary conversations about Asian healing and mystical traditions, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members area on Substack (blackberyl.substack.com), as each episode our guests share downloadable PDFs of articles, book chapters, and other materials for you.
One last thing: we are planning an “Ask Me Anything” episode coming up soon, so reach out via Substack or my website, piercesalguero.com, and let me know your questions. Ok, on with the show!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including these PDFs of Peter’s publications:
Wayne et al., “A Systems Biology Approach to Studying Tai Chi, Physiological Complexity and Healthy Aging” (2013)
Wayne et al., “Can Tai Chi and Qigong Postures Shape Our Mood? Toward an Embodied Cognition Framework for Mind-Body Research” (2018)
Wayne et al., “Integrative Medicine Is a Good Prescription
for Patients and Planet” (2019)
Wayne et al., “The Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person
Health” (2025)
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