When I was four years old, I shut myself inside my wardrobe. Curious to know what it would be like, I went into the tiny, dark room, only to realise I didn’t know how to get out.
Not yet old enough to understand that panicking isn’t the most efficient way to solve a problem, I screamed and cried. Moments later, my dad rescued me from the dark, scary room, but I was still hyperventilating. To calm me down, he held up a finger and blew on it, then he told me to do the same.
Then he moved his hand a little further away and told me to try again. I took a deeper breath and repeated the exercise. We continued this way until I felt present again and in control. Everything was okay.
As an adult, I’ve become more interested in techniques that calm the nervous system. I’ve found meditation and movement to have life-changing benefits, so when the chance to join a famous Qi Gong day retreat came up, I was keen to try it.
Shift is a wellness retreat run by the people behind Camp Kerala,
