My roots, my space, my life
I am all over the place—doing several things at the same time, and thinking about rowing, cooking, races, injuries, teenagers, school, braces, responding to messages, responding to polls... AH! But I want to tell YOU a story. A real story.
So... f***k everything, I am writing now!
This month, I am starting to do gong baths at the Learning Hub in Chiswick House & Gardens. This is BIG for me—it is a mini-dream come true. How did this happen? I feel like I need to reflect on this journey, tell the story, so I go back in time. Think 2010...
Till and I were looking for a place in London, my dear friend Vern took us on a tour around Chiswick. The first place he took us to was Chiswick House. If you haven't been there, it is a 26-hectare park with so many vibes: an 18th-century house, a serpentine lake with ducks and swans, shaded wooded areas, open clearings, cafe, and a glasshouse with a "Mini Versailles" garden. It can feel happy, mysterious, majestic, atmospheric, onerous—it matches many moods. Till and I settled down in Chiswick.
In March 2020. My dad passed away, and COVID hit around the exact same time. It was a deeply introspective period for me. Chiswick House kept its doors open, and I went for a walk there every single day. I went alone, or with my family; we climbed trees, played, and found new paths. It was a privilege.
It was then, when time slowed down and there was no need to "arrive," that I learned to pay attention to the small things in a way I never had before: the reflection of water under the bridge, colours, the smells, the sounds, how the ducks and swans behaved, etc. The little canine love of my life, Kai Albert, came along in 2021, and he literally grew up walking through Chiswick House. All this to say: Chiswick House is a core part of my history.
When I first started doing gong baths, I wanted to be hired by an established wellness studio so I could forget about the admin, building a client base, and finding spaces. But that wasn't meant to be. I had to build my own space, attract my own clients, and scout my own venues. I ran gong baths at my rowing club, and then found a venue in Hammersmith. It was all fine, but a sense of grounding was missing. I was looking for a gong bath "home."
Last year Chiswick House started to build the Learning Hub—a brand-new community space—and my son said, "You could do your G-Baths here." I thought, that would be amazing, but how? I emailed their events team, it turned out they were looking for wellness activities, and even spotted my flyer in caffe Nero... are you thinking what I'm thinking?... right?
My first Gong Bath at the Learning Hub will be in a week's time, 15th September(whoop whoop!). My two beautiful gongs will be there, holding the space and making it very special.
I’m not going to bang on about "manifestation" because the word has been overused to the point of annoyance. But I will leave you with an image that I hope stays in your mind:
Imagine yourself walking with long, deep roots—like a tree, but energetic roots stretching down into the earth. Way down deep, all roots are connected. Now think about your heart's desire—something you wish for, crave, and dream of.
And here is the thing: you are already connected to it...