In my late 20s I discovered Chi Kung, the less well known cousin of Tai Chi. An elegant form of movement meditation, I immersed myself in for five years in my early 30s. It helped me to navigate the stresses of being a litigation lawyer in the City and my transition out of law to building a successful coaching and mediation business.
In recent years my Chi Kung practice has been patchy, while I experimented with yoga and mindfulness – and scrolling on my phone.
On holiday in the Lake District the other week I found myself spontaneously practicing those Chi Kung forms I learnt decades ago. The sense of peace, wellbeing and “rightness” they give came flooding back to me.
A teacher of mine once said: “Remember what you’ve forgotten”. In the constant searching for newness – a “magic bullet” to deliver perpetual wellbeing – it’s easy to forget what we know already.
Last weekend was Lammas – literally “first loaf” – which marks the start of the harvest in the Celtic Calendar. It’s the festival that sits between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. In the UK it comes early in the summer holidays and heralds a time of rest after the efforts of the first half of the year – a time to reap the rewards of what we have sown.
When harvesting, don’t just limit yourself to this year but think back over your life. What resource can you revive that you’ve forgotten about?