Billy Chang used to perform, suspended or soaring through mid-air, on the dazzling stages of Cirque du Soleil. Today, his work is more grounded: on Wu Zhi Shan (Five Finger Mountain) outside Taipei, Chang runs a retreat that invites people to take care of themselves through movement, nourishment, and other forms of meditative practices.

At the core of his Natural Kind Academy is the belief that the body is not simply for display or discipline, but a vessel for intuition. “I use the body as a device,” Chang says. “I’m using my ideas and knowledge of the body to help people hear the true voices of their hearts.” Drawing from his background in dance and circus arts, he leads movement and meditative programmes not only for performers but for anyone seeking deeper self-awareness or self-expression.

Chang’s methods are rooted in lifelong practice. He remembers meditating as a young child on temple visits with his family–and, later, sustaining that practice through the relentless pace of his touring life. With the Cirque du Soleil troupe, he would be on the road for six to eight months on end, only returning home to Taiwan for brief visits. Yet he made time to always find centre, even in the most unlikely places. “After a show, I would go on stage to meditate, to feel the space, to find peace where a few minutes ago it was loud and crowded with thousands of people,” Chang recalls. 





Today, he offers others a place to find that same peace, but on a stage where anyone can begin. The academy’s mountain setting is more than scenic. Chang says it allows for freedom not found in daily life. “You have certain rules when you live in the city. Rules say you can't do that, you can't do this, you have to behave,” Chang says. “At Natural Kind Academy, there are no rigid rules—you are free to sit, lie down, or roll around. We are outside of rules but on the path,” he says. “For example, when I say I want to be free, it doesn't mean I will curse at the people I don't like. I don’t shout at people when I feel anger but I can express my emotion.”





This ties in with Chang’s belief that self-care is not self-centred, but how you relate to others. “My self-care is not just for myself, but also the environment I'm in,” he explains. “We are a part of society, we are a part of this land, we are a part of this universe. So when we talk about self-care, it's not just about me. It's about who I am in this space.”



This belief manifests in simple acts—like being attentive to people’s needs, or cooking for them. The week before the conversation with Another Land, Chang had just prepared meals for some 240 people who came to join in a two-day wellness festival. “Through cooking for people, I transfer my energy to them. When I see them happy, I am happy too. This joyful energy is the best nutrition for my self-care,” he reflects. His perspective suggests an alternative approach from hyper-individualistic wellness trends of today, framing care as a cycle of giving and receiving.

Discover more of Natural Kind Academy here