Way of the Dragon to achieve Wellbeing and Mental Health

https://fide.careers/way-of-the-dragon-to-achieve-wellbeing-and-mental-health/

I was approached by Javed (a wellbeing and mental health advocate within finance recruitment) to write about my experiences as a finance professional, so I replied back and said, I’ll have a think and get back with something that incorporates the theme of mindfulness so that it is linked to wellbeing and mental health.

So, before I start, you may be thinking what has the “Dragon title” got anything to do with wellbeing and mental health… Well in the Chinese culture the dragon is seen to have a wide range of emotions and qualities, strongly associated with moving water, it also symbolises natures forces and elements, yin yang and captures the very essence of balance in the universe which emulates fortitude, courage, strength, goodness, positivity, perseverance and energy.

Anyway, as finance professionals we are all susceptible to stress, be it work, life or family, etc… The key question here is what does mindfulness mean and how can we all promote positive wellbeing and good mental health? This is my story…

In my world, having outside interest helps for a start, which is both physical and mental, with an emphasis on bringing a combination of various things into an activity such as: focus, skill, precision, endurance, physical strength, creativity, staying calm, building confidence, motivation and sense of purpose. Make sense, so far? I do lots of DIY, spend time with family and do charity work. What I do for myself too, is to go, cycling, play the piano, walks, but most important of all, practice Chinese material arts- Wing Chun- a derivative of Kung fu.

As a martial arts practitioner for the last 16 years, some folks, incorrectly assume these “types” love to fight all the time! Far from it, winning a physical fight or losing, doesn’t matter. Staying alive, is what counts. Let me enlighten…. Many years ago, as a young man, I practically worked all over the world. The most memorable of all was my 3+ years stint in Asia, in particular, which allowed me to discover myself and has helped me achieve various positive things in my life. Now, I work to live, not the other way round!

Meditation has had a long history in China, where it originated from India via Buddhism, but was later abandoned as a faith. This art also travelled to Japan where it became known as Bushido. At that time, death through fighting was very real. Warriors used “fighting meditation” to stay calm when they were in danger. This gave the warriors the best chance to survive. In a fight, it gives us the best chance to win too. If you panic, get over excited or lose focus, you will not give yourself the best chance in a fight or in life. Coincidently, my middle name “Singh” stands for lion, the brave and fearless, in the Indian language, where the Sikh’s, many centuries ago were known for being India’s martial warriors, an elite army and basically over time became militarised to promote self-defence, resilience and show defiance to any oppression or injustice.

Getting back to my story, during vacation breaks in Asia, I came across by sheer luck Gwok Wai Jaam when I was in Foshan, South China (the birthplace of Wing Chun) when I lived in Hong Kong- about 2 odd hours away. He is a well-known teacher (from the Great Grandmaster IP Man lineage, which I respectfully follow) that we call in Chinese as “Sifu” in Kung Fu. I asked Sifu at his school, what the most important thing to remember was when practicing Wing Chun. He remarked in a very humble way, that proper mindset, control, simplicity, defence and forward energy were very key, plus many other things which would be of more interest to Wing Chun practitioner. While I do agree with the Master Sifu Gwok, I do believe that we also need inner peace to stay calm, including structure (where my definition of this will be very different to yours as a reader).

I practice Wing Chun forms every day, mainly in the morning to start my day off for about 30 minutes or less, depending on what my day looks like ahead. Anyway, here are few things that “fighting meditation” can help you succeed in a fight but also give you invaluable spiritual insight and clarity in your life, to help promote wellbeing and mental health.

100% Focus - when I practice my kicks and punches, my mind does not wander anywhere else. I don’t dwell on the past or future or what ifs. I switch on in the moment (present) as I fight (with explosive Qi energy, just like the lion in Singh) and then switch off again, so I am fluid just like still water (like the Chinese Dragon). This fighting mode or trance, if you will, then becomes my meditation or mindfulness, just as day become night- this is the spirit of the dragon in Chinese Kung Fu culture. If we lose our focus, you will lose the fight or aim.

Qigong - the way we breath is very important for meditation, so is posture for quick and rapid movement. If we don’t breathe deep enough, we’re not oxygenating our body and we will get tired quickly. The breath of Qi gives me power in my kicks, punches and strikes. The breath of Qi also gives power to our lives, where without it you cannot survive.

Knowledge of the “way of the dragon” - In a fight, our stamina is tested, often to the limit, you may find you can’t punch, jab or kick in the hope it will connect properly, we have to know exactly what we're doing and why we're doing it, including timing. We must know when to stay relaxed and when to use Qi power- the principle of yin yang. We must also know our opponent as much as we know ourselves. Sensitivity of oncoming (universal or other) forces at you are important too, where you can either yield, or naturally change posture structure and harness the force and simultaneously return it back using central forward energy with explosive results. This is called, the way of the dragon.

No Defeat – When I train, my Sifu has always said to me to be fluid, just like water, so that nothing surprises you. Prepare yourself for any situation by looking, staying relaxed, embrace qigong and practice control based on what he has taught me. This is the same in our lives, if something doesn’t go as expected, if we're unprepared, we can easily be defeated. Fighting meditation helps me to be flexible and allows me to turn any situation around to my advantage- one of many central Wing Chun principles.

Break Mental Barriers - We often create mental barriers in our mind as to what we can and can’t achieve in our life. Training to the limits of my ability unconsciously breaks through barriers and gives confidence in life. When I train now, I am no longer actually conscious of my training and incorporate the principles of Wing Chun in what I do in my everyday life, in that way automatically I exercise the sub and unconscious part of the brain and achieve the true meaning of enlightenment- which only you can achieve discover for yourself.

I am not advocating you take up material arts to benefit from the above, it doesn’t work like that, it takes time and often years of practice. If I’ve changed your mind, at the very least try and forget the phones, forget emails, I usually toss my phone to side by 20:00 and that’s it. Don’t take work stress out on family members either, create a harmonious and peaceful atmosphere instead. Don’t drink yourself legless because it a major reporting period, it will not help your mental health either. Instead talk to friends and family, watch a bit of TV, read a book, not on the phone or tablet, go into the garden/ park, or go for a walk (COVID-19 restrictions dependent, of course). There is singing and dancing too… take your pick… which my daughters love doing with me.

This is my story of my journey, where I’ve tried to connect my own dots that make sense to me personally, no one else can do that for you, as far as health goes. What you do to improve your own wellbeing and mental health is a personal choice and matter... but as a gentle reminder to all finance folks, try to do something that is positive for you, yes you…today, rather than tomorrow or sometime later.

Dee Singh Kothari is a senior partner in Kothari Partners

Ideas expressed and/ or methodologies in this article are solely of the authors. The author nor Kothari Partner’s accept any liability for the incorrect application of these ideas either used by companies, employees or other individuals alike.