Enjoying a sunny, Sunday afternoon and giving back to our communities

Once again, it's a sunny Sunday afternoon in Brussels. I've just gone for a long walk in the forest with my partner. We relished the cool breeze on our faces as we walked amongst the pine trees in silence. Occasionally, I looked past the tall branches over our heads to glimpse the powdery blue sky and handfuls of clouds poking through, like gifts from heaven.

The dusty smells and crunches of our dirt path, and pinecones scattered near our feet, marked the end of yet another summer. We've been lucky this year. It's been warm and pleasant in Belgium-not rainy like last year. I feel grateful for this unexpectedly clement weather and feel terribly sad for those in many parts of the world, especially southernmost climates, who are facing forest fires, draught, storms, and extreme flooding.

Nature has a special way of affecting humans, even if we don't always notice it. Many of my friends, colleagues, and clients may not know this, but I did my Ph.D. dissertation on human lifestyle and sensitivity towards nature. I spent six years in Japan conducting research; most of it concerned cultural differences between Japan and the West from a religious perspective.

I studied in libraries and university classrooms, and spent most weekends in forests, lakes, temples, shrines, festivals, on mountains, volcanos, and rice fields. I have wonderful memories of all the kind people I met in those places.

In Japan, appreciating the community in which one lives is extremely important. Thich Nhat Hanh, who was a Vietnamese poet and peace activist, both a Buddhist monk and Catholic Priest, and a renowned spiritual teacher and author, spoke of the importance of participating in one's community, or Sangha.

I received much inspiration from his teachings, in his many books, and through the wisdom that he passed to my teachers and mentors. So, when I finished my degree in Japan, I returned to Belgium, vowing to offer some of the gifts that I'd learned in Asia to my community.

While I was in Japan, I studied Buddhist and Taoist martial arts-qi gong, tai chi, kung fu, and karate-with Chinese and Japanese masters, as part of my research. Now, over twenty years later, I am still using the basis of these teachings in my daily life: especially meditation, mindfulness, and a deep appreciation of the natural world and all sentient beings, through the practice of qi gong.

As a mindfulness-based transitions coach, creative writing coach, and spiritual director, I want to use what I have learned in my lifetime to help people. Being of service to others, helping them explore their creativity and passion, and find their unique place in the world, is what I feel called to do.

For example, for the past few years, I have been teaching a qi gong class to seniors in a local park. It gives me such gratitude to offer this Chinese martial art, which I learned so long ago from my Chinese and Japanese senseis in Japan, to my community.

What do you feel called to offer your community?