life coach – Rhiannon Griffiths

Dec 31
2016

Why I Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions & Neither Should You

I will firstly caveat this whole post, by saying it really applies to those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, where the New Year celebrations fall in the middle of Winter – for all you gorgeous Aussies, Kiwis & Southern Hemisphere dwellers, I will get to you guys shortly…

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Winter Wellness Workshop Thame Rhiannon Griffiths Acupuncture

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So, why would I adamantly suggest that you shouldn’t make resolutions for the new year? After all, I am a coach & massively champion change & growth & positive movement forward in life, emotions & personal development… And I used to make New Year’s resolutions (that often failed in the first week of January!), so what changed?

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Well, first & foremost, I’m also an acupuncturist who has lived a “Five Element Life” for the last decade, so I know the importance of honouring the seasons & living in alignment with the energy of the associated Element. It’s like living in sync with the phases of the moon, or being mindful of the different parts of your menstrual cycle & how varied the energy & emotions & actions can be. It is living out of rhythm of nature that creates more disharmony & dysfunction in our bodies, minds & emotions.

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Winter is the season associated with the Water Element. My own Element is Water, so it is even more important for me to be mindful of what this Element needs; it is integral to my wellbeing. But it is important for ALL of us to honour Water, whatever our own Element personality type is – even nature slows down during Winter, everything retracts inwards and retreats under the ground, animals get cosy & rest & hibernate. Winter is nature’s season of REST, preparing the roots & seeds below the ground, for the energetic growing time of the following Spring. There is very little ACTION at this time.

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This time is for:

+ reflection, like the still, peaceful lake that you can see your face in

+ diving deep into your emotions, like you would in to the depths of the sea

+ pausing, being still – like the animals hibernating during Winter

+ ask the questions, gather the wisdom – the Water Element is renowned for its ability to do this

+ plant the seeds, READY for growth when the Spring arrives – the BIG POTENTIAL is in the seeds hidden underground in Winter

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Spring is really the start of the New Year in Chinese Medicine, it is when we have the RIGHT & APPROPRIATE energy to tackle New Year’s resolutions, change things in our lives, start new things, take action. In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are still in the depths of Winter, that is hibernation time, time to be still, time to reflect. The ENERGY of the season just does not match New Year’s resolutions or big bold new beginnings. It is not the time to be planning and doing, we need to wait until Spring for THAT kind of energy to rush in!

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So yes, do your journalling NOW, do take time to be STILL, to pause, to reflect; get the vibes you want to take over in to the new year, identify the feelings you wish to have, & plant the seeds, set the scene READY for 2017, but now is NOT the time to ACT, or expect yourself to DO heaps of things as soon as the clock strikes midnight & we tip over in to the new year… Water & Winter are about BEING, waiting for the potential to blossom into Spring!

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Possible questions to reflect upon:

+ what amazing things can I celebrate from 2016?

+ were there things that didn’t go according to plan in 2016?

+ what could I have done differently in 2016?

+ how do I want 2017 to FEEL?

+ what word(s) will set the scene for 2017?

+ does 2017 have a different colour / logo / mascot to 2016?

+ who do I need to be next year to make 2017 amazing?

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And this blog post isn’t intended to be about MY reflections of 2016, it is supposed to be encouraging YOU to pause & reflect, though there has been some pretty cool stuff for me this year:

+ ran my in-person Spring Health workshop, here in the UK, it was super fun

+ featured in publications including The Guardian, Healthy Magazine, Woman’s Weekly (twice), Women’s Health (three times), Woman & Home

+ went to the Maldives to write my first book, about the Five Elements, & made some little videos for you

+ trained as a Yin Yoga teacher (look out for workshops, classes & online stuff coming in the Spring!)

+ launched my first online course for you, Winter Wellness Wisdom

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You can learn more about the Water Element & how to live in alignment with the season of Winter in my brand new online course, Winter Wellness Wisdom, for physical & emotional wellness HERE, plus the Spring version will be hot on it’s heals in a couple of months, with exercises designed to REALLY get you going & moving forward with resolutions! So put any BIG actions on hold until then if you can…

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As for you Southern Hemisphere dwellers, you guys CAN afford to be more ACTIVE in your intention setting, as you are currently in the season of Summer, with it’s associated Element of Fire. It has busy, upwards & outwards Yang energy – if you choose to make plans & implement them as soon as 2017 starts, you WILL be more aligned with what the season is doing. Therefore you are more likely to make plans stick & be successful in your resolutions, as the energy of the time is supporting you in your endeavours!

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And if you don’t know what Element you are yet, you can download my FREE ebook here: https://goo.gl/NTmEF9

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Wishing you all a VERY Happy & Healthy New Year, wherever you are in the world – I’m grateful you’re here with me!

Sending heaps of goodness

Rhiannon xx

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Nov 26
2016

There are no Good or Bad Elements… Yours is Perfect for You … [Video]

by Rhiannon Griffiths

Watch the second video from the salty-hair-no-make-up-coconut-palm-trees series of videos I filmed for you whilst writing my book about the Five Elements on a tropical island in the Maldives…

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Sometimes we look at other people + wish we were like them, wish we didn’t get held back or affected by the things that challenge us, those things that don’t seem to phase other people… We might wish we weren’t our particular Element + that we were “a better Element”, but this just doesn’t exist, there is no such thing as a good or bad Element… Please know that whatever Element YOU are, you have the GIFTS of that Element at your disposal + this is a WONDERFUL thing!

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(Oh + bonus points if you spot the GIANT fruit bat, the size of a small child, flying past my balcony!)

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Watch the first video in this series, “You are not a Freak or a Weirdo… It’s just Your Element…”

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If you haven’t downloaded the FREE ebook + seen which Element you might be, get it HERE

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And if you want to be first to know about the real hold-it-in-your-hands book, when it comes out, sign up here

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Or if you want to spend 5 days in Cornwall (on a totally different beach!) with me May 2017 learning about all of this, take advantage of payment plan available until end of November

Nov 26
2016

You Are Not a Freak or a Weirdo, It’s Just Your Element… [Video]

by Rhiannon Griffiths

This is the first from the salty-hair-no-make-up-coconut-palm-trees series of videos I filmed for you whilst writing my book about the Five Elements on a tropical island in the Maldives…

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For all of you who have felt like you are different to everyone else, like there is something wrong with you, something that needs to be fixed, there isn’t, it is just your particular Element showing itself – watch this video to learn more about the Chinese Five Elements, the personality types, + how understanding which Element you are can help you to understand yourself more deeply…

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If you haven’t downloaded the FREE ebook + seen which Element you might be, get it HERE.

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And if you want to be first to know about the real hold-it-in-your-hands book, when it comes out, sign up NOW.

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Or if you want to spend 5 days in Cornwall (on a totally different beach!) with me May 2017 learning about all of this, take advantage of payment plan available until end of November.

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Aug 8
2014

What Does Going Off Coffee Have to Do With the Heart?

by Rhiannon Griffiths

A patient recently emailed me, surprised that she had gone off her beloved coffee. Having previously drunk a lot of the black stuff on a regular basis, she found she just didn’t feel like she wanted it any more. She was intrigued and wanted answers.

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From my integrated Five Element Acupuncturist perspective, it wasn’t a surprise. Each of the Five Elements – Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood – have an associated taste, as well as many other resonances, read more in my new ebook. Coffee is bitter, and bitter is linked to the Fire Element. The main Fire organ is the Heart, and in Chinese Medicine and Chinese Food Energetics, the bitter taste is said to go straight to the Heart and affect the energetics, feelings and functionings of the organ.

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Coffee Heart Five Elements Chinese Medicine

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This is why I avoid coffee, I LOVE the smell, but its affects on me and my heart are super strong. I get shaky, light headed and feel sick, like my blood pressure has dropped. I feel my heart beating like mad, skipping around with palpitations.

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For others, and maybe for you, it is different and the Heart is given some support from coffee – some boosting, a little kick in the morning of familiar warmth, of feel-good happy contented energy. But for some, a craving or too much dependence on coffee can indicate (or even create in the long term!) an imbalance in the Fire Element and it’s energy.

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The more we return to balance in the Fire Element and the heart, the less we NEED coffee. And this is what had happened to my gorgeous patient. Through work on herself, with the support of coaching and acupuncture, she had become more in touch with her Heart. She connected with her Heart, acknowledged it and really FELT into it. She was fully enjoying this Heart space she hadn’t realised she had been missing.

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So what does that have to do with coffee? The support from acupuncture and coaching had created a mindful, ACTIVE connection to the Heart space. This connected to the energy of the Heart, the nurture of the Qi (or life force) there, focusing attention there, shifting the energy there, creating a boost, a stimulation, a kick start of the Heart and the Fire Element. It therefore no longer needs to rely on the coffee and it’s bitter taste for that Heart boost or stimulation. As a result, the craving goes down, the body, mind and spirit no longer require it; it’s a sign that something internally has changed.

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Have you noticed something has changed for you recently? Have you gone off a certain food, or found yourself suddenly reaching for something that isn’t normally on your menu? It could be an indication of an internal shift, one of your Five Elements is in a changing state of balance – towards imbalance, or toward a better state of balance. Share your thoughts in the comments below and my acupuncturists brain may be able to shed some light on it for you!

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Note: original coffee cup photo from Tumblr

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Jul 29
2014

What I Learnt From My Professional Photo Shoot

by Rhiannon Griffiths

This post was written back in February, for the (very) soft launch of this new site in March. The crazy amazingness of Acupuncture Awareness Week 2014 then took over and the blog took a back seat… Read on to see what I learnt about perspective in the process of my re-branding and relaunch…

Welcome to this new space of mine, I’m so glad you’re here!

R x

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Rhiannon Griffiths Acupuncture paul wilkinson shoot proofs montage

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My intention for this new website was to show the world more of me, more of my true self. Whilst the old site was great, it was functional, clean and promoted me as a respectable white-coated acupuncturist, it had little of my true essence.

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It didn’t give you an idea of the kind of energy you would feel in my treatment room, nor the kind of deep, transformative support I foster in my patient-practitioner relationships, or actually who I am, and what choosing me as your acupuncturist or coach will bring in to your life.

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Then, after many months of procrastinating, putting it off, coming up with excuses as to why “now was not the right time” because of how I looked, or how I felt, or it wasn’t the right season for the photos I wanted, I actually booked a session with local photographer extraordinaire, Paul Wilkinson to portray me, my magic, my energy, my intention, on film.

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It was quite an experience. For someone who is not entirely comfortable in the spotlight, someone who can be hideously self-critical and doesn’t relish being centre of attention, having a solo photo shoot where all eyes are on you and you have literally no where to hide, is, well, very illuminating – on many levels.

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Paul is some kind of wizard with an incredible skill of calming nerves and allowing you to relax into the unfamiliar process. This means he captures the genuine spirit of his clients, minus all the BS, the insecurities, filters, preconceptions, and crappy stories we tell ourselves about ourselves – his shots are absolutely pure and true and magical.

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On getting the proofs back, I literally could not believe the photos were actually of me… and yet, I could also clearly see my true authentic self staring back at me. And it was THIS energy that I had wanted for my new site, for the world to see, to be able to connect with the real me.

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I learnt a lot about perspective. Your perspective of anything can change in an instant if you look at something through a different focus, a different lens. And in this instance, it was incredibly LITERAL – I had the lens of a camera focused on me for hours and it FORCED me to view myself from a different perspective.

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Having someone as skilled as Paul looking at you through a photographic lens SHIFTS the energy immediately. The detail he sees, the way in which he constructs the photos, the beauty he recognises, articulates and encapsulates, it cannot help but change your perspective, whatever you are looking at.

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camera lens perspective

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It is akin to the way your man looks at you, holding you in his gaze as though you are entirely magical, and wholly beautiful. Looking at yourself through his eyes is enlightening, helpful and reassuring. It opens up a new level of truth, coming from a place of love, goodness, compassion and connection. It utterly negates the self-doubt, the overly critical voice, and the fear of truly being seen. Seeing yourself through his eyes allows you to be out in the world as your deepest authentic self, and allows you to connect to this space in the purest way. His gorgeous eyes are a different lens, an alternative perspective, a different pair of glasses to look through.

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Similarly, seeing myself through the eyes of the camera opened up a whole other way of looking at me. It was an empowering, positive and transformative experience. Something inside me shifted, put me into a different space, and I am truly thankful for the universe guiding me towards working with Paul.

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Perspective is a powerful tool by which we can shift stuck energy in relation to ANY circumstance, not just how we feel about ourselves or view ourselves. I use it in my coaching sessions (and sometimes even in my acupuncture clinic) so that my clients can come to a better place of BALANCE.

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Often the “glasses” we have been wearing for many years are cloudy, scratched and do not reveal the sparkling, crystal clear truth of matters. We can become stuck in one way of viewing the world and believe it to be the only way. We re-tell the same stories about ourselves, repeat the same patterns, inevitably getting the same results.

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Sometimes the other perspective is something we could NEVER have imagined, or seen on our own, we need something or someone else entirely to help us to “see” differently. For me, it was a photographer, for you it might be a coach – tell me in the comments below how you have changed your perspective, I would LOVE to hear.

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See me on Instagram

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Check out my Pinterest

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Visit the website

Now on Instagram

Like on Facebook

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