A few weeks ago, I spent some time with a life coach – who is also a friend and someone that I admire greatly for her energy and vitality!
We talked about Quiet Mind, my sense of overwhelm, my Qigong studies, my teaching, and where I felt called to grow next. It wasn’t a strategy session full of marketing plans or revenue goals; more a gentle conversation about purpose, values, and the journey ahead. And, one of the things I committed to after that conversation was to show up online and share the next 40 days … the time I have set aside to nurture a small seed of an idea and see what begins to take shape.
The idea is simple: to share a little of the process of weaving together my many years of teaching meditation with my more recent journey into Qigong. Not a finished product or a polished offering, but a glimpse into a new practice as it unfolds.
This journey began with a question: What comes next?
That conversation became the catalyst. Not because she gave me all the answers, but because she asked questions that encouraged me to listen more deeply. And, somewhere in that conversation, I realised I wasn’t simply looking to create another course or offer another class. I wanted to continue being the student, becoming the teacher.
Over recent months, I’ve immersed myself in Qigong practice and study, exploring not only the movements themselves, but also the philosophy, traditions, and subtle principles that sit beneath them. Alongside my meditation practice, it has opened a different doorway into stillness … one that begins with the body and these beautiful gentle, flowing movements.
So, rather than waiting until I had everything figured out, I decided to begin documenting the journey.
I’ve called it .. 40 Days of Weaving a Practice
It’s not about mastering something in forty days; it’s about allowing a practice to be woven slowly, through consistency and curiosity .. by showing up, noticing, learning, and allowing the experience itself to teach me.
You can follow along on Instagram and catch up via the Highlights button ’40Days’
There have already been a few moments that have stayed with me. One of them came on Day 4, through the Taoist principle of Wu Wei.
Often translated as effortless action, Wu Wei isn’t about doing nothing. It is about releasing unnecessary effort and finding a way of moving with greater harmony and awareness.
This was a particularly meaningful reflection for me because Day 4 was the first day where adulting (and life-ing) took my day, and I found myself not having the time to put together something to share. I was again in that overwhelm state and feeling I’d disappointed myself and my coach. But, the next morning I realised that missing that day, reminded me of Wu Wei and what I already knew from my meditation practice – that some of the most important shifts happen when we stop trying to make them happen. And sometimes the best ‘action’ is learning to soften, to listen, and to trust the process. So, I discovered that not everything needs to be pushed into place and this is no ‘highlights reel’ .. sometimes there is wisdom in allowing things to unfold in their own time, when ready.
Then, on Day 7, I spent the day back into my journal notes and study guide .. coming back to what might seem like the simplest lesson of all: standing.
In Qigong, before we learn forms, coordinate breath, or direct Qi, we learn how to stand.
Our teacher was constantly bringing us back to our feet … reminding us to anchor and then soften through the soles, allowing the body to settle naturally into the Earth. This point on each foot is Yongquan (KI1), also beautifully translated as The Gushing Spring. It is the first point of the Kidney meridian in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is considered the point where our connection with the Earth begins.
Classically, Yongquan is described as a point where excess energy can descend and where our deepest reserves of vitality begin to rise. Whether viewed through the lens of traditional wisdom or modern anatomy, the invitation feels remarkably similar: come back to the ground beneath you.
I have also set up a nice practice space in my living room .. you can see some video of this space and the more I come to practise here, the more I realise this isn’t simply about postures or movement. It is about relationship … with space and gravity, with the Earth and Qi, and with the body that carries us through every ordinary day.
As a meditation teacher, I have spent many years inviting people to come home to the breath. Qigong is teaching me that we can also come home through the body.
Perhaps that is why this journey feels so complementary rather than separate. Meditation still sits at the heart of my work, but Qigong is giving me another language for presence and meditative stillness.
I don’t yet know exactly where these forty days will lead, but for now, I am simply following my curiosity and enjoying the ride. I wish to allow my practice to shape me, before I consider asking it to shape anyone else.
Thank you for walking alongside me.
Sarah