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Elevate your lungs to super hero status

Hello to you!

I really do not need to tell you why we should be focusing some self care time on our Lungs this season. Here is some Lung theory, some Lung ‘dos’ and some Lung ‘don’ts’:

First, the (Chinese) theory…

Five Element acupuncture theory links Autumn to the organs of Lung and Large Intestine (they always work in pairs, think Yin and Yang). It suggests that these organs come into their peak energetic time during this period. The super-powers of the Lungs and Large Intestines are ‘structure and boundaries’. Yes, fifteen years ago that was meaningless to me too!

The idea here is that each internal organ has some ‘personality’ and these personalities make up a pretty cool team that works to manage our mental, emotional, spiritual, energetic and physical health. Lung and Large Intestine are the office managers that maintain order, respect, quality. They will fire you if you misbehave and raise an eyebrow if you are caught smoking in the loo. They command our respect, they keep us precise, they inspire our brilliance, they give us value and routine. Out of balance, they can make us sloppy and unkempt or rigid and over bearing.

Nice theory, so how do we translate that into practice that supports our lungs specifically.

Think about these dos…

Breathe the best quality air you can. That is outside, in a garden or in a field or near plants, trees, grasses and nature. If your garden is next to the A1 you might need to have a rethink and take your lungs somewhere else for some slow, restful, deep breaths.

Or, get yourself sorted with an air purifier. These have plummeted in price lately and I bought an excellent one for the clinic for below £150.

Or, get some house plants. They will help clean the air. Please learn how to look after those plants as rotting plant matter and soggy old compost is going to encourage mould. Same goes with cut flowers, no stinking water or mouldering stems. Not cool for Lungs!

Moisturise your Lungs. Simple. Just drink some more water. On waking you should be drinking a glass of water to clear those nightime toxins away. Please don’t start with me that you don’t like water! I’m over listening to grown adults complaining about drinking water. It’s tasteless! Let’s move on.

Humidify your air. Do some slow breathing exercises in the shower and show those Lungs your respect. Open windows when the heating is on. We need to be careful that by humidifying our air it doesn’t cause damp. By damp I mean stagnant old water lying around without air flow. If you are drying clothes inside now, open a window.

Consider using the Lung loving herb Mullein. It grows here in the UK, I’ve even had one growing outside the back door at one point. It looks like a furry foxglove, tall and spire like, with small yellow flowers. Now, I am no herbalist, but medicinal plants fascinate me. You need to do your own homework here. If you have medications or ailments you must be your own health detective. Herbs are not for everyone. If you deem Mullein suitable you can buy tinctures or teas. Please read the instructions and educate yourself. Susan Weed on Youtube is a wealth of Mullein info as is @she_is_of_the_woods on instagram.

Try stretching. This opens the Lungs and enables clean air in. It also counters our habit of shallow breathing. On the energetic level, it opens us up for inspiration and respiration. It can also be used as a morning ritual that ‘team’ Lung will love.

Consider doing some office management yourself. Who or What needs firing right now? Who isn’t pulling their weight, what ideas or items aren’t contributing to you. CUT. THEM. OUT. (or communicate kindly that change is required). Losing losers in your life is self care 101. You can do it kindly, no drama, it doesn’t need to be a blood bath. Try filling a charity bag with junk that’s in your way.

Have a think about what you consume. Cows milk is known to promote phlegm. Mix things up in the milk department, there’s plenty of other options from goats to peas! What other foods do you notice causing you to ‘snot’ up or become wheezy? Say bye bye to them if you can.

Here are some quick dont’s…

If you smoke, don’t. Or cut down. Now is an important time to protect your health. Quitting the fags is one of the single most valuable ways to supercharge your health. Vapes too. Plus, who knows what the hell is in that filth.

Ditch the scented candles. Instagram home styling account holders will be gunning for me across the globe. Those pretty little pots of fragranced wax are doing your air quality no good. Even the hipster-friendly soy or harvested-under-a-full-moon-essential-oil-infused ones are sending up a cocktail of airborne pollutants. Think planet, think Lungs. Others in the firing line are incense, certainly plug-ins (winces), sprays, bleach, chemical cleaners and perfumes. Sorry, these are all irritants that Lungs naturally do not wish to get involved with. I’m a mild hypocrite here. I’m losing the candles, but i’m going to struggle with saying bye to cologne, so I’ve switched to something more natural, no chemistry set fragrance.

Don’t be a perfectionist. This is one of the key issues I regularly see patients struggling with. Perfectionism is Lungs gone rigid. It’s a limiting practice that does not serve us. Know your boundaries and know when to stop striving.

I feel I have nourished my Lung energy in this post. I’ve been direct. Forthright. Clear and a little judgemental.

Long live the Lungs!

OK not being OK

I was just in the car and wondered to myself ‘How am I doing?’.  I do my best thinking in the car, which is a shame as I don’t really go anywhere in it much.  If I try and sit down and have a think about something important, my mind goes to mush unless I’m driving. Then the thoughts flow.

My answer, to myself, was…I’m not ok, but I’m ok with not being ok.  For now.

It’s become a massive cliche but ‘everything’ has changed. That change is only just starting to take shape. The future seems a very different place, to me. Uncertain and much less focused than the ideas I had about it six months ago. A lot of my fears pandemic-wise have abated and in part that has been due to my return to work.  They still creep up on me though. For instance, every time I see a bus full of face masks my blood runs cold.

Talking of work, I was sat in the clinic earlier contemplating the new set up, stripped back so that cleaning is quicker and touch points are eradicated and wondered what a new patient might be thinking when they walk in. I’ve always felt that the treatment room was a welcoming space, but now when they walk in the first thing they see is a stark metal sink surrounded by cleaning sprays and PPE notices.

‘It doesn’t need to be this way’ was my next thought.  I’ve figured out how to work as safely as possible, I’ve become accustomed to the new procedures and protocols to reduce touch, maintain distance and clean, quickly.

So, it was time for another re-work of the space to assimilate the change, but make it more welcoming and pleasing. As it turned out, that was pretty easy to do. It has been a relief that the practice is showing signs of recovery and new patients are booking and starting up their acupuncture experience. One of my greatest fears was that after twelve years of building the business up from nothing, it would all be lost. Fingers crossed.

So, what has all this reflection on my present situation this morning done for me?

  1. Change happens. At different rates and different magnitudes. If I had written down everything I would have to experience over the last twelve months, it would have freaked the living daylights out of me. This leads on to..
  2. We cope. It’s human to cope. We do it almost instinctively and that is how we have evolved. No matter how overwhelming something seems, after a few sleeps, we adjust and it becomes more manageable.
  3. Huge change brings opportunity. This immense change has cleared the way for the new. Some of you know I was working on a side line last year growing and selling local flowers. That’s all gone now, partly due to the P word. Partly due to being able to take the time to reflect and realise it was fun, but it wasn’t exactly right. At first it stung to let it go, now it feels great and I’m excited at what may be next.
  4. My attitude to my work has changed. I am now clearing more time for myself and getting my practice diary organised. Previously, I would basically leave my online diary wide open. That has been trimmed down to Wednesdays – Saturdays.
  5. Keeping healthy is taking priority. Moving more, eating better, working on balancing my ‘midlife sleep issues’.
  6. Letting things (and people) go.  If it ain’t working, it’s time to release the grasp. Repeating the same behaviours will likely not bring new outcomes.
  7. Downsizing my day to day expectations. Maybe there is beauty in simplicity. Lockdown has meant life is smaller. So be it. I’m not wasting time pushing against it. Accept it.
  8. Be more disciplined. My biggest challenge is working with myself. I am untidy and often disorganised. I am working daily to remedy this. Particularly the sodding kitchen!
  9. Not knowing what is ahead is something I can accept. I was fooling myself that I had handle on the future anyway. We do it, but it’s a waste of time. It’s a security blanket and I’m a big boy now and my sucking cloth can be binned. So what if the future has fangs. I got through the last twelve months ok, I can do the next!
  10. Ask for help, especially from more experienced people and professionals. Today I’m having a chat with a nutritionist. Outside input is valuable, it provides opportunity for new ideas and better outcomes.
  11. People wearing face masks whilst riding their bikes, in the countryside, miles away from anyone, do not need my attention, I do not need to comment, I do not need to connect with that. They’ve got their way, I’ve got mine!

A lot has been turned on it’s head. I’m going to make it work for me. I’m going to work on it until it feels ok. It’s not perfect, but it’s progress! As the wonderful woman on my ‘F*ck It’ meditation keeps telling me.https://youtu.be/wnh9NmU_oKc

Over and out.

Peace brothers and sisters.

Alex

Living with & learning from lockdown

Hello!

How’s it going with you?

Anyone sick of hearing the phrase ‘unprecedented times’?

I guess there’s no way of getting away from it, things have changed. One thing I have realised is that in many ways being an acupuncturist has to some degree prepared me for these changes. By supporting others with their ‘ups and downs’ it’s given me insight on my own behaviour patterns, how to understand stress and how to move forward.

This time two weeks ago I was pretty much in meltdown.  It lasted about three days as I realised my income was ending and the life I took for granted had abruptly vanished.  The three key emotions I faced was anger, fear and frustration.  A pretty potent mix.

One of the fundamental laws of Five Element Acupuncture is ‘there is always change’. Whilst experiencing the ‘melt’ it was helpful to remember that those feelings would change and I knew from observing myself in the past that my negative feelings may come up regularly but they change pretty quickly, normally into positive actions.  I have now figured that negative emotion is now the beginning of something better, as long as I make it so.

When lockdown first started, I didn’t have a plan. To be fair I’m not much of a planner, I prefer to go with inspiration and be flexible, constantly assessing new information and then acting, there’s no master plan just a cluster of small, short term plans that generally move me in the right direction on reflection.

In the second week of lockdown, I started to notice the following list forming to help me move forward in a positive way.  Without fear, anger or frustration.  Maybe you’ve read about most of them elsewhere but if just one of these helps someone, then it’s worth the twenty minutes it’s taken to write them out..

Control what you can and forget the rest – seriously, forget it!  There’s loads we could stress about at present. What’s the use? NONE.  Be proactive, take positive actions, protect yourself, then chill out.  Let the stress go, work with what you’ve got.  Maybe this time is important for us to decide what it is we want in life and when the time is right, act on it.

Watch your narrative – this is make or break! The story you tell yourself about yourself and your place in the world is important. Two weeks ago mine was ‘I’m going to be poor and pointless’  Frankly, what ********! I decided that ‘I can overcome adversity one step at a time’ was a far better narrative.  Rather than being a victim of circumstance, I was going to make circumstance work for me. There’s now so much I want to do during lockdown I haven’t got time for a pity party. This led me on to…

Create a new routine – humans thrive with routine. It’s fair to say humans generally benefit from some structure and routine to feel safe and secure.  This routine should be based on positive, self caring, supportive routine as far as possible, not a humdrum one.  This has been the greatest struggle for me so far.  It was useful to realise this early on.  Now, I’m up and at it each day without even having to think, by…

Exercising each day – before I even get chance to think in the morning I am getting up and getting out for an 8000 step walk.  I get up super early to avoid other people (no offence) and get it out the way.  I’m not a natural ‘exerciser’ and find jumping around in front of Joe Wicks on Youtube boring. However, walking for me is different as there is so much to see out there that I normally thunder past in the car.

I noticed immediately that these 8000 steps utterly transformed my mood. It also motivates me, something that I can struggle with.  I feel lighter, clearer minded, happier, more content and ready to be productive with the rest of my day.  By the time I really wake up in the morning I’m already 4000 steps in and this feels good!  This morning my walk made me realise this lockdown is an opportunity to…

Expand my consciousness – rather than having a long list of things to get done this morning I was totally present, in the moment, thanks to the birds! I suddenly became aware that I could hear the skylarks out by the ring road. This was an exciting moment.

I’ve done this walk many times before but my mind was full of other stuff and I simply yomped past without noticing.  WHAT A WASTE.  From noticing the Skylarks I then noticed there were Lapwings and it went from there until I was pretty much fully absorbed in the landscape.  This felt amazing. To be part of something much wider, noticing more, expanding my conscious mind to my surroundings rather than a truck load of unnecessary mental trivia.

Try something new, regularly – this helps keep our brains elastic, ready for change and interested.  So far, I’ve done ten online jigsaws (who knew I’d find them so relaxing), I’ve tuned into the radio, normally music around the house irritates me, now I love it and it also helps with my routine as I’ve begun sitting down with John Suchet on Classic FM at 11:30am for a cup of tea.  I’ve also reconnected with my childhood by switching on Heart ’70s!  In addition I am teaching myself how to grow veg, on Pinterest, as a cheap option to feeding myself, healthily.

Stop multitasking – this is utter luxury. Instead of spinning all the plates to keep two businesses running and a home etc, I’m just doing single tasks and concentrating on them.  It was difficult at first as I keep feeling that I need to be rushing onto the next thing but now, I don’t.  Lockdown has given me the sense of having more time.  Better organisation in the future, when things return to normal, can help me maintain this feeling and stop the unnecessary mental race.

Be helpful – this one I have yet to conquer! Helping others makes you feel useful, part of something, less isolated and content.  As yet, I haven’t figured how to be of use.  I feel confident that once this massive gear change has settled in that I will figure this one out. Being helpful, from a distance, seems like a challenge.

On a final note I have also accepted that if there’s a day when none of this can help, well shucks, that’s fine too. I don’t know what’s ahead but this list is a start to help me deal with what ever it may be.  I hope that some of these utterances may help you. I’d be interested to hear how you are tackling this new situation.  Drop me a note…

STOP PRESS: on a practical note, Vitamin D has been shown to significantly help the body fight virus infections.  Most of us will be deficient. I regularly take a Vitamin D spray. You may wish to research this yourself and get one ordered for delivery.

 

Pretty Patterns for 2017

Acupuncturists seek natural patterns

Patterns are everywhere. Look up now and see. They are on that feature wall opposite. They are on our clothes, furniture, our finger-tips and all around in nature. The universe is based on them. Seasonal patterns, growth spirals in plants (137.5 degrees), planet orbits, mating cycles, they can be found all over the shop.

Yin-yang theory is a pattern too. A pattern of life and death, growth and retraction. An ever-changing cycle following a set pattern.

A set pattern.

A set pattern!

How many set patterns exist in your life? I’m talking about patterns that you dictate, routines that you live and think by. Stop for a moment and think about your set patterns. This can be tricky as they can be so ingrained that we can find it difficult to separate ourselves from them and objectify them.

Let me show you some of mine and let’s see if you recognise them?

A recent one that has emerged is falling asleep too early in the dark evening, say 9pm and then waking at 2pm wide awake and ready to go. I then lie in bed for an hour reading the news, checking emails and generally flooding my brain with blue light from my mobile. I then drift off back to sleep at about 4am and re-wake at 7am feeling tired.

My friend, this pattern is not working for me!

I would assign that pattern to a behaviour pattern. What about other patterns in my life? How about patterns of thought?

A routine thought pattern I fall into is lazy-lacking-motivation-boredom-frustration pattern. This one really aggravates me and it takes a while for me to work my way out of it. It normally results in some over reaction humongous house/business restructure overhaul to get me out of it and re-motivated. I feel exhausted just thinking about it, frankly!

It is fair to say that some patterns work well and others don’t.

Are you aware of your patterns that do and those that don’t?

Think of how much easier life would be if we could constructively critique our own patterns and use more of those that work and shed those that don’t.

The good news is, WE CAN!

And, it’s pretty easy. Here are some pointers to get you on your way:

  • Start small

 

  • Notice some of your daily routines such as getting ready for work and analyse them for their comfort and effectiveness

 

  • Notice if they make you feel ‘in flow’ or ‘at odds’

 

  • Act accordingly, grow the ‘flow-ers’ and ditch the ‘odders’

 

  • Use this reflective technique to assess your thought patterns too

 

  • Create a ‘mental watcher’ to keep an eye on your own thought patterns. This just means being more aware of your own thoughts and see if they work for, or against you

 

  • Take people with you. Encourage those who share your life to help look at how your patterns work for each other. Talk about the concept, reflect on your ‘together patterns’ and see if they are working for you

 

  • Try to incorporate this pattern of observation every single day to keep your life flexible, responsive and fresh.

 

We are about to be bombarded with the whole “New Year, New You” hog-wash.

I hate it. It’s a cliché. It’s normally propagated by someone trying to sell you something!

Ignore it this year and instead, make a resolution to keep your patterns at the fore of your mind and keep them working for you every day of the year.

This January I will be using the theme of patterns in a great deal of my acupuncture work. Have a think about your patterns and maybe come with some ideas and puzzles that we can chew over.

Have a fantastic 2017!

Alex

Acupuncture Gatherings

enjoy acupuncture

Feel Good together with an acupuncture gathering

I had this idea last September for developing small events called ‘Acupuncture Gatherings’. The idea is simple, as the best ones are.  You and two friends can have a relaxed, in fact, very relaxed get together in my comfortable clinic surroundings for no other reason than to have some fun.  I have ‘piloted’ the idea a couple of times and it has worked really well. It goes something a little like this:

Today’s menu of relaxing activities:

For starters

Enjoy a drink

Ask questions about your session

Have a go with my favourite point of all time

For main 

Sit back with the four-point peace combination (hands and feet)

Learn how to turn your phone into a haven of tranquility

To finish

Learn stress-release acupressure points to take away

I said it was simple!  The event can be tailored to your own specific requirements and as always I am happy to answer any questions you may have about acupuncture gatherings and how they can be booked.  The gatherings are only available in York as I do not have sufficient space in the Harrogate clinic.

The event is a great way to have a very different celebration with friends or family. Or it can simply be for no other reason than a kick-back, do something unusual and learn a few new methods to chill.

Prices start at £15 per person and the gathering lasts for about an hour and a half to two hours.

I love this idea and would be delighted to share more ideas with you about your event.

Transformational Vs Restorative Acupuncture

In this blog entry I explore how experiences of acupuncture treatment can differ.  Have a browse and see what you make of my scribblings:

Restorative versus transformational acupuncture

By Alex Lochhead, Five Element Acupuncturist

I seem to be going through a phase of treating other acupuncturists at the moment, which is a good opportunity to learn more about other practitioners’ treatment styles and opinions.  Whilst treating a very experienced practitioner we got talking about the difference between restorative acupuncture versus transformational acupuncture.

Traditional acupuncture, as developed in ancient China, was part of a system of ‘living well’ or the much-coined phrase ‘wellbeing’.  It stemmed from Taoist (pronounced Dow-ist) philosophy that acknowledges we each have a particular path to tread that needs tuning into.  Taosim is not a religion, more a teaching.  It’s a way to live respectfully and harmoniously with nature, one another and ourselves.  Acupuncture grew as an extension of this philosophy to offer a care system helping us to move towards the Tao, our intended path or destiny.  The theory goes that if we are following the Tao, we remain healthy in body, mind and our spirit.

When I sit here and think about that, it suddenly seems like a very lofty and intimidating career choice, to help people find their destiny!  However, it’s not.  A strong theme within all Taoist teachings is humility and respect of the simple and the small.  Tuning in to one’s own Tao or destiny need not be some humongous, dramatic, painful struggle, more a quiet and still listening moment.  It doesn’t need a fanfare or expensive courses in therapy, self help books, trips to mount Kilimanjaro.  It simply needs quiet reflection, soft eyes, listening ears and time.  We all know the feeling when something feels instinctively right.  It might be described as ‘heart felt’ or ‘intuitive’ or a ‘gut feeling’.  Whatever it’s called, you will have experienced it in action.  This is Tao.

Few new patients I meet choose acupuncture as a mode of achieving their destiny.  I certainly didn’t expect to have destiny as a regular work-based concept when I began studying acupuncture back in 2006.  I approached acupuncture from the angle of fixing bodies.  Frankly, I thought it was all about stimulating nerve endings and giving advice on posture or such like.  Big mistake.  And a happy one too!  On discovering this whole extra world of meaning I discovered that acupuncture, when practiced from the ancient perspective is capable of offering both a restorative treatment and a transformational one.  

What’s that mean?  In simple, or Taoist terms, restorative is about bringing a body or mind back into what the patient considers the norm, acceptable, preferable or what they are used to.  Transformational is more concerned with a change in perception, an awakening, a realisation or a spiritual/emotional shift.

A purely restorative experience would be a patient suffering a migraine coming from treatment, finding that acupuncture reduces the incidence of their pain and they feel restored to their preferred physical and emotional state.  Job done, thank you very much, see you in six weeks!  A restorative treatment could lead to a transformational experience if the patient achieves a new understanding of themselves, their life, their health, which moves them forward in a way that opens up new channels of awareness in their life.  This might mean a greater appreciation of what good health means, how their lifestyle might contribute to being migraine free.  In general terms it would mean an emotional or spiritual step forward, a higher awareness for want of a better term.

A transformational experience, can however, exist without a restorative state and this is usually expressed as a move forward in the ‘awareness’ or ‘perception’ stakes rather than the physical.  In clinical experience this is where a patients’ original symptoms have not improved or altered or may not even be capable of changing due to severity, but their perception of how these effect their life has.  This, I feel, is where the true magic of acupuncture lies.  I’ll be the first to admit that it comes with an air of disappointment, as there is no change in the physical condition.  This particularly troubled me as a newly qualified practitioner, when every improvement in a patients’ condition comes loaded with meaning.  Are my treatments effective? Does the patient value me?  Do I offer good value?  Do I believe in the power of acupuncture to heal?  

All of this aside, there is something so powerful, significant and awe-inspiring when you see someone transform their view point.  When they ‘get it’, understand more or overcome a barrier that has been obstructing them.   This is where the magic lies for me.  I’m not going to try to offer an explanation as to how it happens.  I feel that it is unique to each person who experiences it.  It could be the fact they have taken time out of their day to think in a slightly different manner to usual.  It could be the time spent talking and sharing together during the treatment.  It might be the needles, it might be the lie down.  I just don’t know.  Taoist belief suggests we should not question the Tao.  It is what it is.  Is this truly the Tao at work?  I hope so, but who am I to question?

 

SUMO and acupuncture combined!

Well that got your attention. You are possibly thinking I am about to spin you a tale about oiled-up Japanese warriors in uncomfortable undies imparting some great piece of life advice regarding sumo and acupuncture. Not quite. I’m talking about the other SUMO…

Shut Up, Move On.

I can’t clearly remember when SUMO exactly entered my life. It was around the time I was working in Cornwall on an ‘arms-length’ project with Caradon District Council. We were a very small team that was charged with creating a new service to help people in crisis. It was a complicated and frustrating process as well as highly rewarding and frankly, a bit of a laugh. As a team we used ‘SUMO’ a great deal when various economic, procedural and colleague issues arose. We had to, there was no time for sitting and dwelling on our numerous operational problems, we had to deliver for clients and funders.

Since those days I’ve used SUMO to help weather the things in life that are sent to test. I regularly tell my patients to SUMO and it proves to be a liberating mantra when we get caught up in lifes’ trials.

I still have the privilege of working with people in crisis. As I am sure you are aware, acupuncture is more than just a pain treatment. I firmly believe it helps nourish the human spirit also. How? I’m not entirely sure exactly how, but I see it happen all the time. Mostly it’s receiving support from someone who is on your side, listens without judgement and can be trusted. In combination, the needle part then allows the body to relax and the mind absorb new perspectives. Frankly, I do not spend too much time over thinking the ‘how’, more the ‘how can I do it better’ for the next patient through the door.

The crises we face vary greatly, but some of the things we can employ to help mitigate them do not. I have put together a hit-list of things we can do to SUMO when things get tough. It is a list as much for myself as it is for any other. I genuinely use these tips day to day.

When the going gets tough, try these..

  • Use mantras. I do this all the time, with my fav being SUMO. I also use ‘I choose peace’ if feeling anxious and ‘F*ck It!’ if frustrated. I say them out loud as a constant reminder to break negativity and try and take a better path in my mind.
  • Watch who you spend time with. Do they radiate positivity or spread doom? Minimise the doom-mongers if you are feeling off.
  • Get rest and breathe. Deep breaths help release tension, feed the brain oxygen and lower heart rate, overall making you feel more chilled.
  • Axe the unnecessary. When you are up against it, cut out the unnecessary activities. Crisis can bring along a lot of extra work and so some of the regular tasks need axing. It is not possible to ‘do it all’, so don’t even try. Prioritise, by making a list of the most urgent and necessary tasks.
  • Asking for help is a skill that few people possess during difficult times. Have some compassion for yourself and let others muck in. In most cases helping others is a rewarding experience, give them a chance to feel useful.
  • Flip-think. This is a new one I am learning about. It kind of falls into the ‘silver-lining’ Ven diagram of disaster! Instead of concentrating on the downside to the crisis, thinking about what this time of perceived turmoil might be bringing in terms of new possibilities, new paths, new opportunities, reviewing existing plans, meeting new people, learning about yourself and others.
  • Guillotine the guilt. Humans seem to be drawn to guilt. It creeps into all kinds of situations and takes hold without us even realising. Take time to try and recognise its’ existence. Analyse why you are feeling it, then cut its’ flaming head off. Guilt is mostly a total waste of time. It’s often a self centred emotion that tries to make everything about us. Well, newsflash, unless you have done something truly vile to someone else, it’s a waste of time. If you have done something vile, then tough. Maybe this dose of guilt will teach you to be a better person!
  • Try and laugh. Seeing the lighter side of life can be a real tonic and humour helps us put things into proper perspective and enables us to deal with tough stuff. Seeing the lighter side is not disrespectful, but a way of diffusing intense emotions. Have a little titter with trusted friends, just be careful who you do it in front of! Raucous laughter at the expense of others can be damaging, so have tact.
  • Put the kettle on. Make tea. Be British. When it all comes down to it, a nice calm brew can work wonders. Plus, it’s what we British do best.

Fresh New Season

fresh new season

In line with Chinese Philosophy I have been very busy during the creative season of Spring.  Spring is seen as the season of ‘Wood’ in China and possesses qualities of renewal, growth, creation, moving forward and vision to the future.  It is without doubt my favourite season and I relish the new outlook it brings.  By the end of February I am well and truly over the whole winter ‘thing’.

My old logo

My old Logo

This Spring has brought a new flush of creativity as after seven years in practice I decided to have a makeover.  Not me, my logo.  Plus, my website was ageing (aren’t we all!) and needed some serious cyber-technical-wizardry to bring it up to speed. So, it’s goodbye little black stones and hello ‘Five Element Lotus Petal Icon’ (or Felpi for short!). I decided to embrace the world of social media and advertise for a graphic designer on www.peopleperhour.com.  I’d never used this site before and thought it worth a shot, rather than ringing around designers in the area.  After uploading the job onto the site and then heading off to bed I was pretty freaked out to sign on to over fifty proposals from as far a field as Pakistan, Iran and the United Arab Emirates!  This I had not expected.  I spent most of the morning sifting through all the talented people who had responded and plumped for a designer in an exotic and foreign land over the Pennines, Manchester!  We had a brief conversation over the phone, where I pretty much told him what I didn’t want (helpful) and he set to work creating me a new look.  I think ‘Felpi’ looks great and hope you like it too.

Next, the website needed an overhaul. That decision was simple and I texted my mate Emma Heptonstall in Vietnam. Thankfully she was only there on holiday so we arranged a meet up for when she got back and she told me what I wanted! I love Emmas’ no nonsense approach and within a week the fledgling site was built. She even coaxed me into using orange! Not a colour I would have thought about, but I think it looks brilliant. Thank you Emma, you’ve made a potentially intimidating process an absolute breeze.

I suppose at some point in this blog entry I need to ‘nutshell’ some kind of message and here it is:

It ‘feels good’ to refresh and renew aspects of your life.  Moving forward is important. At the same time it ‘feels good’ to draw on the people and things in your life that enrich and support it.  They bring different perspectives and help you learn and grow. This Spring has been a great example of this for me. How has it been for you?  Think about what makes you ‘feel good’.

Oh and by the way ‘Feel Good’ is my new little strap-line for my practice as I am pensioning off ‘Relax, Heal, Enjoy’.

Hello brave new world!

A

Welcome 'Felpi'

Meet ‘Felpi’

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