When two-time flag-winning Crows midfielder and former Richmond captain Kane Johnson retired in 2009, he was unsure what path to take next.

Travel was the natural answer for Johnson, and that’s where he found a new passion - the ancient meditation art of Qigong.

“I ended up going on a lot of overseas trips, which included a trip to China to train with the Shaolin Monks,” Johnson said.

“It’s where I learnt meditation, Qigong and a lot of energy practices, meditation and mindfulness practices, which I really connected with.

“It was a line I really followed when I got back to Melbourne and have been studying that ever since.”

The Eastern Ranges product spent seven seasons at Adelaide and featured in 104 games.

He was then traded to Richmond and captained the Tigers for four years, before hanging up the boots mid-season 12 years ago.

Speaking to AFC Media, Johnson said his love for helping people balance the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life started during his captaincy at Richmond - but it flourished while overseas.

“When I was captain at Richmond I sort of went through a lot of my own personal growth through that time, just to be able to equip myself to be a better leader,” Johnson said.

“I had a coach outside of football, like a life coach who really started to open me up to new ways of thinking and sort of living and being.

“He changed my perception a little bit around life and being a human.

“One of the first books I received when I became captain was Way of The Peaceful Warrior and I remember reading that book and it changed me instantly.

“Through that, I started to really enjoy that process and what it meant to constantly be in a learning and growing mindset.

“Then when I left (footy) and started to learn more skills, I really enjoyed helping people become the best versions of themselves, watching people grow and learn and not be stuck in a one single mindset.”

Johnson’s new passion also led him away from the big city of Melbourne to Brunswick Heads, a small town on the north coast of New South Wales where he set down three years ago.

The father-of-two works for a holistic health company called SANO Health, using what he learned overseas to help athletes and corporate business leaders.

“Part of that journey when I finished football, I ended up in Brazil living in the rainforest there with a friend of mine and fell in love with living in nature and being in nature,” Johnson said.

“Once I got back to Melbourne there was always an itch to get out of there and the closest connection to what I had in Brazil was probably up here (in NSW), so we decided to bring the family up here.

“I work for a health and wellbeing company that predominantly works across multiple sectors including mining, corporate and even sporting.

“My part of that business is running leadership retreats, taking them through high performance practises and conversations, working on connections and creating a bigger purpose.”

Reflecting on his career at the Crows, Johnson said he would be forever grateful for the time he spent at West Lakes.

“To be able to finish your career and have won two premierships definitely helps you feel more content,” Johnson said. 

“(It) makes you realise the sheer level of effort that goes into that and the sheer level of reward that comes from that.

“We were successful on the field but we were actually really tight off the field as well.

“Blighty came in and he was big about that connection and making sure we all stuck together and working hard on the field but making sure we had fun off the field.

“He really supported us younger players to really go after it and not worry about mistakes but play with flair and fun and connection and he was amazing for the younger guys.

“We had a really good time and I really cherish those friendships now.”

Johnson has two sons Oskar, 7, and Phoenix, 4, and his eldest is playing football for the Brunswick Valley Bulldogs.

While he enjoys watching Oskar play, Johnson doesn’t own a TV and rarely watches AFL, except for the finals series.

But he does have some advice for current players.

“Have fun, I think, is the main thing,” Johnson said.

“Sometimes when you become professional you lose the essence of why you actually started playing the game; because you loved it.

“It’s really important to keep that essence in there and keep that spirit alive.”

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