A Meditation On The Move
Welcome to a journey of conscious exploration
My name is Julia Chi Taylor
I have been running all of my life - it feels I was born to run.
In the running step I experience freedom and my true expression.
My invitation is to come and join me in an ongoing 'meditation on the move', and engage with me in authentic dialogue as I continue to discover through my sport, and my life how to be still... And together through all of our creative expressions, and in the mirror of all our relationships rediscover that place at the beginning where we once knew ourselves and what we had come here to do and be...
As the years have passed I have seen where my energy had become blocked, and where I had lost and hidden my true expression. I have seen this through witnessing repeated destructive patterns and behaviours that prevented my flow, limited me and took away the relaxation and enjoyment of my creativity.
I have come to to see that I needed to 'get out of the way of myself' and let my energy flow through the running step; allow it to express itself in the dance and the motion of running.
All that is required is that we know ourselves and that we are true to ourselves. From this place we can become the master of our body and our mind and allow our true nature to shine and reflect in our creative endeavours and within our relationships.
I knew from when I was young that all I needed to do was to 'run free'. To let the running take me where it wanted to. To stay in the step. To be in the moment and so to experience running as a meditation on the move.
I knew this. But practicing it was often more difficult...!
Ironically being fast at running meant that I often became caught up in the mind and in the pursuit of results and attached to an outcome. Instead all that was needed was that I stretch for excellence and witness and be happy with what emerged. 'Rest in the heart and Surrender my acts to the divine'
I ran at international level for some years. My first international was in 1979, a three mile X country race; and I continued to run at international level until 1993. Two of my best results were first place in the Dublin City Marathon in 1985 and 7th place woman, 3rd British woman in the 1986 London Marathon in a time of 2.36.31, which gained me selection for the Commonwealth Games.
I loved my running, and I learnt about myself as I ran. I came face to face with myself in the reflection of my training and competition and in the mirror of my competitors and my reactions to my performances.
I discovered inner strengths and latent talent; I developed new skills and I found that in mastering my running I became better equipped to master myself in other aspects of life, and especially relationship .
The better relationship we have with ourself, the better we are able to relate to another.
All relationship is a mirror for us to see ourselves reflected.
The clearer we are of past hurt and the emotional baggage that we store as a result, the more able we are to be in relationship in the here and now.
Through continually clearing our own unresolved pain we will be able to be conscious and present in relationship with another. Sport is a very strong metaphor for life and a place where we cannot hide and our unresolved tension is exposed.
If we commit to clearing our blocked energy so that we can express in the moment from the space of stillness and truth within; we are able to be present and clear in our relationships.
And so Running Conscious has been born from my own well spring of experience. Years of running. Years of exploring relationship. Years of working in other people's lives as a coach, mentor, healer, counsellor and educator.
I still love to run, I am still running to learn and I can still run fast and for a long way; but now I truly experience running as a meditation on the move.
