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What Lies Ahead

Posted by ragriffs Feb 14, 2022 ReCharge My Mind, ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

I have always heard that days, weeks, months, and years fly by as you get older. Time appears to be passing by at a higher speed. This warp speed has me taking note more than ever of what I want out of life. I have always been the type of person looking at what is available and what is possible. I don’t believe anyone could ever accuse me of not grabbing life and living it to the fullest. This year, as with the past many years, I am taking stock of what I have accomplished, what I would like to see for the future, and how I can improve myself. What I hope for is to take positive action each day to fill life with more meaning. Here are some ideas I am planning, and you may want to consider too. Be More Mindful Mindfulness has become a buzzword in the last few years. Mindfulness is a form of meditation that has been around for a very long time. It is being aware of emotions, feeling both physically and mentally as well as noticing your thoughts with acceptance and without judgement. Practicing mindfulness can lead to a healthier you by learning to live in the moment and enjoy life as it happens. Research has found that the practice of mindfulness in as little as eight weeks can boost your immune system with the ability to fight off illness. It may also reduce stress, increase positive emotions, and help with focus and memory. Pursue Your Passion Finding your personal passion is not always easy. Tony Robbins has a test he calls the “Rocking Chair Test” which is a way to find your passion. This test is to imagine yourself at 90 years old, in your rocking chair, looking back on your life. You would question yourself about your biggest regret, things you wished you had experienced, and how you want to be remembered. Following your passion comes from the heart and not the head. It’s an exploration of interest, skills, and getting in touch with yourself. Simplify Your Life Life appears to become more complicated each day and working towards simplification can appear overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Everything in life takes up space – physical space (things), mental space (thoughts), and calendar space (time). By streamlining your life, you will free up more time, space, and energy. Ways to start may be looking at your environment, which affects us physically and emotionally. Other ways to simplify your life are to work on healthy mental habits by having positive self-dialogue, limiting time with toxic people, and the information you are allowing into your life. This can include social media, television, and other areas of influence that can take up your time. Give yourself the freedom to enjoy life’s simplest pleasure without having them own you. The Four Agreements Finally, you may want to just live by these simple, life changing, four agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Be Impeccable With Your Word Speak with integrity, say only what you mean, and avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. Don’t Take Things Personally Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. Don’t Make Assumptions Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. Always do your best Your best is going to change from moment to moment and it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse, and regret. I am looking forward to discovering all the wonder and possibilities that lie ahead and come from new beginnings. I hope your journey is just as exciting. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with positive changes in diet, fitness, and life direction. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally. You can find more information at https://robinannegriffiths.com.

Relax, Release, Restore

Posted by ragriffs Sep 20, 2021 ReCharge My Fitness, ReCharge My Mind, ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

Do you find yourself a little tense these days? You may find that your stress levels are up, and worry is robbing you of sleep. You may see the beginnings of health-related conditions that are associated with stress. These health conditions include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Although we cannot always stop the cause of our stress, we can control our response. I find I need self-care to unwind, deal with stress, anxiety or just relax. It may surprise you to know that yoga can help, and you may sleep better, too. Yoga? Relaxing? Yes! For those of you that remember yoga as head stands and pretzel moves, it may surprise you to learn the benefits of restorative yoga. What is Restorative Yoga? Restorative yoga is unlike the yoga you may have tried or seen. It is a style that is suitable for all levels, including beginners, to promote relaxation physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is a style of yoga that you can do on the mat or in a chair to promote the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that helps you rest, heal, and restore balance. This slow-paced practice focuses on holding the poses in stillness and deep breathing. A restorative class may be slow moving, focusing on breathing and passive stretching. It may be fewer postures than you have experienced in the past. The emphasis is on a calming practice, slowing down, opening your body, and relaxing the mind. Benefits of Restorative Yoga Holding the asanas (poses) for longer periods and connecting to a deeper breath helps stimulate the relaxation response. This response can help in health-related ways, such as reducing blood pressure. This type of yoga has been studied and scientific evidence has been found to back up the benefits. Other benefits that may be helped with this type of yoga include: · Chronic pain · Depression · Anxiety · Improved sleep · Improve overall well-being Restorative yoga is a practice for healing. Often, the practice uses a variety of props, such as blocks, bolsters, and blankets. These props help hold poses for longer periods with more ease and less tiring on the muscles. It allows you to unwind and relax. Generally, poses are comfortable and gentle, allowing you to hold the poses longer so the mind and body can relax together. The stress we experience daily is unavoidable and you may not realize how you need a break to relax, release, and restore. Yoga can be a great way to deal with the daily tension you are experiencing. “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” — Eleanor Brownn Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with positive changes in diet, fitness, and life direction. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally. You can find more information at https://robinannegriffiths.com.

Attitude Altitude

Posted by ragriffs Aug 23, 2021 ReCharge My Mind, ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

“It’s your attitude, not your aptitude that will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar Years ago, I noticed my mother had a negative way of looking at most things in life. She was always looking at the downside or the things that could go wrong. After seeing this pattern, I developed a habit of saying a positive comment to every negative one she said. It didn’t change her, but it helped me tremendously. I developed a habit that took hold and stayed for a long time. I thank the heavens my mother is not around these days. As it was her nature, she would have become immersed in the news and be extremely frightened. This would have truly been the end of days for life on earth, according to her. Although I don’t watch the news (we gave up our cable long ago), outside forces and influence still affect my thinking and attitude. Our environment easily sways our thinking and how we respond and express ourselves. It’s easy to have a positive attitude when life is going well, but as daily living gets tougher, we need to stop and see how we are reacting. I have lately felt grumpy and negative more often than I should. I realized I was beginning to sound like a cranky old lady, and it made me stop in my tracks and think of my mother. Immediately I came up with all kinds of excuses of how today is different, but deep down I knew I needed to adjust my attitude with some altitude, meaning to get it out of the abyss I was digging myself into. Having a negative attitude will hold consequences. People do not want to be around a person who can suck all the good out of the air, and that is what a negative attitude will do. Many of us are dealing with additional pressures we didn’t have a few years ago. How are you handling that pressure? Are you fearful, angry, and sad? Although you may not be saying it out loud, your family, friends, and business acquaintances can sense and recognize it. Maybe you’re not satisfied and believe things could be better. If so, look at positive actions you can take. We have a choice of how we handle the daily pressure we face. Changing an attitude can alter the way we view the world. You have the power to change your attitude and the way you view life. A positive attitude is not fake. It’s about developing a habit of looking for ways to accept and move forward. The way we respond can benefit our own mental state. A good start is to assess what it is you need to adjust. What is the underlying reason for your negative attitude? Perhaps you need to adjust the outside exposure you are receiving from the world and regulate how often you are being subjected to these outside sources. Set goals that will help you change. Change can be difficult – and if you dwell on the struggle, it will be! Don’t fear mistakes and take risks. Use the word yet. Instead of “I can’t figure it out” use “I haven’t figured it out yet, but I will.” That little three letter word has the power to change your negative attitude into opportunity thinking. Keep looking at what you are trying to achieve and think about the rewards of what you are working toward. Remember, giving your best will leave you with no regrets. We can waste too much time trying to manage everything we have little control over. The only thing we can control, and impact is our thoughts, beliefs, and mindset. Don’t make excuses, make progress. Accept responsibility and show gratitude for the chance to be better at life. Attitude can make a big difference in all aspects of our lives. “Realize that if you have time to whine and complain about something, then you have the time to do something about it.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with positive changes in diet, fitness, and life direction. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally. You can find more information at her website.

Love and Letting Go

Posted by ragriffs Jul 12, 2021 ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

Throughout our lives we have relatives, friends, and pets that capture our love and then leave us for whatever exists in the afterlife. I have had multiple experiences with the grief of losing someone that touched my heart and going on without them. Many of these losses were sad, but others leave a deep hole that somehow feels you will not be whole again. I experienced such a loss this past month with the death of my sweet Doberman Pincher, Ti. Grief is a hard emotion to deal with on any level. We can feel grief in many different situations throughout life. Sorrow can come with the loss from a relationship breakup, friendship, or divorce. Other ways you may feel grief is from the loss of a job, health, or treasured dream. Even a move, relocation, or change in life can bring on the feelings of loss, and change can be a catalyst for grief. With each of these changes you may need to find healthy ways to manage the pain in order to let go, find new meaning, and eventually move on with your life. Whatever your loss, it’s personal to you, so don’t feel ashamed about how you feel, or believe it’s somehow only appropriate to grieve for certain things. If the person, animal, relationship, or situation was significant to you, it’s normal to grieve the loss you’re experiencing. Whatever the cause of your grief, though, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can ease your sadness and help you come to terms with your loss, find new meaning, and move on with your life. When you are going through the pain of loss, your emotions can be a roller coaster. The loss in the form of death means it can never be like it was before and it changes the meaning within your life. You may find your physical health affected by bouts of fatigue, weight loss or gain, aches, pains, insomnia, indecision, or poor decisions. Other emotions you may experience are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Grief is personal and can be experienced in multiple ways. There is no right or wrong way to grieve and no one can give you a road map or timetable. A few things to keep in mind about grief is it’s a natural response and can at times feel overwhelming. Often when dealing with loss, we can retreat from others and not look for support. It’s important to express your feelings and having support from others can help with the healing. The key is to not isolate yourself. Just having others to interact with you can help. You may want to speak with a therapist, grief counselor, turn to your spiritual faith or use activities that are comforting to you such as meditation, praying or speaking to a member of your spiritual community. Your physical health is more important than ever, and the stress of a loss can zap your energy and emotional reserves. Taking care of yourself—mind and body, can help you cope emotionally. Working towards getting enough sleep, exercise and good nutrition can help with the pain and lift your mood. A few steps to consider are acknowledging your pain and know grieving is a natural process. Express your feelings by writing about it in a journal. If possible, write about memories that were special to you or create a scrapbook or photo album that would give you comforting remembrances. Many times, our feelings can be intensified because our routine has been disrupted. Keeping yourself involved in a routine or activities that bring joy can aid in the grieving process. Grief can come in many forms, and rather than moving away from our feelings, we can embrace the knowledge that we need to take the time to understand our feelings and let ourselves heal. During this healing time, embrace a mantra, statement, or slogan that you can repeat to yourself frequently. I have done this many times throughout my life, especially in times of stress, grief, and other tough situations. It can be a simple, positive affirmation you use from within. This is a statement you can say or think and use anytime as a reminder. An example of these statements may be: · Recovery takes time. I will allow myself to heal. · I fill my heart with love instead of loss. · I can relax and let all the feelings flow through today. · I look for the rainbows after the storm. · I rest today when I need it. · I take care of myself as I heal. · I’m discovering new strengths within myself. · I can let go and still feel the love. Whether you are going through a change in your career, relationship, or losing a loved one, you can do several things to help bring peace and comfort during a hard time. Set your fears, ego, and other internal challenges aside and let yourself heal. My heart aches for the loss of my devoted Ti, but I know he lived a full and wonderful life and gave me much more than I ever expected. I saw a quote but don’t have the author that I believe all rescue pets owners may find some comfort. “When a rescue goes over the rainbow bridge, it’s giving up their place for another that needs it.” Although I believe Ti will always be one of a kind, I can only hope to find another that will give me as much love and joy. “What we once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we have deeply loved becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller. Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with

The Benefits of Gratitude

Posted by ragriffs Jun 6, 2021 ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

I believe today is more important than ever to cultivate gratitude. We are surrounded with so much negativity daily and bringing more positive energy within can be healing. You may wonder what gratitude is and why we should articulate it. Gratitude is an expression or acknowledgement of what has been given to us. Psychology research shows that gratitude can improve health and create greater positive emotions. By expressing gratitude, we can better deal with adversity, have courage to face challenges and gain perspective. Gratefulness is a choice. A way to give and the ability to receive what has been given to us. I have a friend who wrote in a daily journal what she felt grateful for over thirty days. She had been going through a tough time and wanted to focus on the good in her life rather than the worry, stress, and unhappiness she had been experiencing. Once started, she made it public by posting her thoughts of gratitude on social media each day. Now think about this for a moment. Can you name thirty things you claim appreciativeness for and the reasons for your feeling? I can imagine you can come up with some ideas at first, but can you go deeper and state the reasons? I believe many of you will say you are thankful for your faith, family, friends, pets, or career. All important reasons in life to express appreciation. But when it comes right down to it, are you truly thankful and do you find depth to your feelings? So often we pass through this world not realizing what we have and how fortunate we are. We have expectations and don’t see how the smallest thing can bring us joy. There are moments in life we take for granted and then moments that bring us clarity. Life doesn’t wait for anything or anyone. It’s fleeting and in constant motion. You can lose a loved one, experience failure or success, lose everything or win big, but life does not stop. What we do from the moment of birth to the day we die is important. There is a poem called The Dash, by Linda Ellis. The poem is about the dash between the dates on the gravestone; the date born and the date of death. The dash represents an entire life and how that person lived. The poem reminds us that our material processions are not important, but how we lived, loved and spent our time. Those moments of time are significant. We have an opportunity to reach out to the world and do things that will make a difference. Our experiences, knowledge, heartaches, hardships, loves, losses, successes, and achievements can strengthen us. It’s a choice taken every day. Choose to appreciate the people around you and live a life in accordance with your values and ideals. We should savor all the joys, sorrows, happiness and sadness we experience every day. We should appreciate our life and all that happens around it because life does not stop but continues. Do you feel passionate about your life? Do you see how much you have, and do you share with others how grateful you are? I challenge you to write each day one thing you have gratitude for and why. Do you think it may change the way you think? Or how it could influence your day? Don’t misunderstand; negative things can still happen in your life. But you may find expressing your thankfulness daily can help with perspective. It may assist you when setbacks occur. Focusing on the positive can help change your outlook on life. The science of gratitude shows us that keeping a journal of items we are thankful for can help with our satisfaction in life. Research has shown benefits of better sleep, stronger immune systems, and positive emotions are connected to personal gratefulness in life. The focus of having appreciation can provide benefits in all areas of life; social, health, career, spiritual and emotional, leading to more happiness overall. So how do you get started on the journey to having more gratefulness in your life? You can start small with taking notice of the world and the beauty that surrounds you. Include acts of kindness in your daily life. It could be just a smile, kind words, helping others, or focusing on the good rather than the negative. Over time, you will find you have developed a habit. Having gratitude is a skill you can develop and bring new and positive benefits into your life. Be mindful of the present moment. Take the time to look at what you have in life to appreciate; then celebrate the wonder and moments of bliss. “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with positive changes in diet, fitness, and life direction. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally. You can find more information at her website.

Renewed Energy From A Nap

Posted by ragriffs Mar 29, 2021 ReCharge My Mind, ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

When I was a little girl, my mother would try daily to get me to take a nap in the afternoon. I was an active child and laying down to be quiet and sleep was not in my nature. She would lie down with me and wished I would fall asleep. What happened was my mother would fall asleep and I would lay there wide-awake having conversations with my imaginary friends. Later, when I began school, there were mandatory afternoon nap times. More than once I found myself in trouble for talking, playing, and keeping other children from napping. As I grew older, naps were not on my agenda. My mind was too active, and I didn’t see the point, I had too much to do and I wasn’t tired. I rarely would take a nap and for those I can account for as being up too many hours, jet lag, or illness. Naps were just not for me! In recent years I have found that I now look forward to a quick nap. I have found many benefits and reasons for them and find renewed energy when I allow myself to indulge. Many cultures around the globe embrace napping. The Spanish Siesta, Japanese Inemuri, and Italy Risposo to name a few. The United States though has not incorporated regular naptime into their culture. In a 2018 government study on the impact of frequent napping and nap practice, only about half of adults (47%) napped regularly despite the known benefits. Perhaps you have always enjoyed restful naps, and if so, it may surprise you how many benefits it brings. For those of you who have been reluctant, I hope the following information will help you see the many advantages of naptime. Why Nap? While the American culture has encouraged afternoon naps for children, it has frowned on adult napping despite afternoon drowsiness and lack of sleep. But research shows that napping can bring benefits of reduced fatigue and stress, increased alertness, improved mood, performance, better memory, and health. Studies have shown that sleep plays an important role with our creativity, storing memories and learning. Napping helps with motor skills, verbal recall, and sensory perception. Taking a nap can also help your heart as a study found that people who napped for 45 to 60 minutes had lower blood pressure after undergoing mental stress. As odd as it may sound, napping during the day can help older adults with improved sleep at night. Studies have shown combining mild exercise with a 30 minute nap in the afternoon helps to improve nighttime sleep. When to Nap? Examples of when you may want to consider a nap is when you are experiencing sleep loss due to work schedules, having fatigue or sleepiness or just want to add to your daily routine for health benefits. A 10-to-20-minute nap can give you benefits for your brain and motor skills. Longer naps can leave some individuals feeling groggy afterward. Timing can be important, and some say sleep is better between 2 and 3 pm as this is when we have a natural tendency to be tired. But times vary by individual based on your schedule, age, medication use and if you are well-rested or behind on sleep. Napping can also interfere with nighttime sleep if you are sleeping too close to bedtime. Effects Of Sleep Deficit Have you noticed that if you lose sleep one day, you will feel it the next? It builds up a sleep deficit that can impair our daily functions. When we become fatigued, we can become more stress and moody. We can also have impaired judgement, reaction time, difficulty processing information and short-term memory. Getting enough sleep is important and enough varies with age. Sleep can help our immune system and regulating body weight. Studies have linked not having enough sleep to increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Tips For Napping To get the health benefits that come from getting more sleep, you can set the stage for successfully napping and sleeping at night. Create the right environment. Go for a place that is comfortable, quiet and without distractions. If you are looking to have a regular nap schedule, then be consistent with your time. Have a blanket close by if needed as your body temperature drops when sleeping. Set an alarm if you don’t want to sleep too long and feel groggy. If you are not used to sleeping in the day, make the room dark or wear a mask to block light. Have a white noise machine or soft music. Try meditation to help ease yourself into sleep. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and let your mind slow and your body relax. To help you with a meditative relaxation program you can follow these steps: Relax the muscles in your face by releasing all tension in your jaw, forehead and around the eyes. Relax your body as you drop your shoulders as low as you can. Relax your neck and upper arms. Breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly. Relax your body starting from the upper body to your lower body, imagining each part of the body releasing any tension. Clear your mind of all thoughts. Try to visualize a happy memory or place. This may help you get relaxed mentally and physically, so that you fall asleep in no time. Happy Napping! Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with positive changes in diet, fitness, and life direction. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally. You can find more information at her website.

Taking Care Of You!

Posted by ragriffs Mar 8, 2021 ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

Learning About Self-care What is your definition of self-care? I find it interesting what others think of when the subject of self-care comes up. Most often I hear the idea of self-care as self-indulgence such as the spa, an evening out with friends, retail shopping therapy, eating your forbidden food, drinking wine, or a vacation holiday. What I don’t hear is taking care of health, finding time to decompress, focusing on internal awareness and self-love. Do you have time for everyone but you? You have good intentions, but overall you find yourself empty with little energy. You tell yourself that tomorrow will be different, then repeat the same pattern over. Are you neglecting the most important person you know? I am talking about YOU! Let’s talk about self-care and how you can incorporate more of it into your life. Taking care of yourself is the first big step in finding inner peace, self-discipline, healthy boundaries, and confidence. So, what are some ways you can adapt more self-care into your life? Make A List Start by listing items that contribute to your wellbeing. Often, we need to change our work and personal life to help with our mental, physical, and emotional state. An example could be swapping social media time to read a book. Another possibility might be a nature walk once a week or getting creative in the kitchen by trying new recipes. Perhaps you need fewer toxic individuals and more positive people in your life. Look for folks who will fill you up rather than drain you. Each person has different needs, so your list may be distinct from someone else. Healthy Boundaries Look for roadblocks that could deprive you from accomplishing your list. Plan by scheduling items as an appointment. You will most likely go to a scheduled doctor or dental appointment. So, treat your self-care activities the same way. If your plan is to start the morning with a ten-minute walk, then put it on your calendar just like any other meeting. This meeting with yourself will build a long-term habit. Quiet Time Finding time to be still and present can be rewarding. It can be as simple as setting in stillness and focusing on how you feel. Perhaps you will use this time for self-reflection, meditating, reading, or journaling. It may manifest itself when enjoying a hobby or other recreational endeavors. Quieting the mind can help with self-love and inner strength. Quiet time can create emotional balance and help us see more clearly. Keep In Touch Connections with others can help us overall. This may be a friend, family member or mentor. Be engaged with someone you enjoy talking to and schedule time to call or meet often. Be present when together and not distracted to enjoy the emotional connection. Be Mindful Whether you are cooking, eating, walking, or talking, be mindful of the moment. By paying attention to our actions, we are more careful of what we are doing and how it affects us. For example, many of us eat without notice of the texture or taste. Focus on nature’s beauty and if talking to someone, listen to them. Immerse yourself in whatever you are doing and enjoy it completely. Embracing Change Whatever you are incorporating into your life as part of a self-care program, remember change is going to happen. Look for transformation and plan for the shift in your schedule. Take baby steps to ease more self-nurturing into your daily routine and see the change that blossoms. We can strive for these different self-care paths each day. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, only a conscious effort that will become a habit in the future. I hope you find time for YOU this year and give yourself the care and love you deserve. “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment,” Stephen Covey. Robin Anne Griffiths is a certified master development coach, personal trainer, behavior change consultant, and yoga instructor. She specializes as a movement instructor for senior populations. Her mission is to help with living a fuller and healthier life as you age. Her Better You Series is three unique programs tailored to help with positive changes in diet, fitness, and life direction. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally. You can find more information at her website

I Embrace

Posted by ragriffs Jul 19, 2020 ReCharge My Spirit, ReCharge My Travel beach, breathing, meditation, yoga Leave a Comment

Living in Florida has several advantages, and one of them is being able to travel to different locations around the state. A change of scenery can change your attitude. This past week I spent time in Vero Beach. This was for some much-needed rest, relaxation and to think about the goals I have in motion for the rest of this year. The weather was perfect and the first morning on the beach began with a group yoga session. This group all gathered with their yoga mats to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic horizon. A light breeze was blowing warm air, but not too hot. It felt magical. What I love about yoga is we each can take something from it that is personal. One may be a mantra for the day such as, “I embrace,” which could mean embracing the fact you are on the mat. Another may mean you embrace what is safe for you and you are doing your best. It also could be you embrace the connection of your breathing or the strength you feel as you move through the asana poses. You embrace your spirit. So often we lean on the side of finding fault with ourselves. In yoga this can be an easy path to go towards, and it can deter someone from continuing or even trying. Instead of focusing on what we may not do, I would encourage you to be grateful for the things we can do. The path of yoga is so much more than what many believe. It is a spiritual connection within your mind and body. You can learn so much about yourself when you are focusing on how your body is feeling and adapting to whatever you are doing within the moment. If you think about it, you can carry that philosophy into all parts of your life. Recognizing your feelings and how it is affecting your body and mind can help you throughout your day. Let’s begin with your breathing. Pranayama or yoga breathing has several benefits for the mind and body. As I stated earlier, yoga poses are only a minor part of the practice. Breathing plays an enormous part of the eight limbs of yoga practice. The deep breathing exercises within yoga can bring many benefits to our life. Some of these benefits include relaxing your body and mind, reduce anxiety and promote overall well-being. Scientific studies have shown the benefits of a regular practice can also provide a reduction in hypertension, strengthen the respiratory system, aid in weight loss and healthy eating habits, improve digestion and boost the immune system. Another limb of yoga is meditation. Several research studies have shown multiple benefits. Incorporating regular meditation into your yoga practice can create a calmness, relax the mind, bring self-awareness, and sharpen your concentration. A recent study from UCLA found that people who had been meditating for the long-term had better-preserved brains than non-meditators as they aged. Another study at Yale University discovered mindful meditation decreases activity when our minds begin wandering, which can deter us from worrying and being less than happy. When we practice yoga, think of it as the analogy of working with technology. Often when we are working with technology, we get frustrated because we either don’t understand or can’t do what we think it should do. For example, you can’t always compare one type of technology to another. Think of an Apple phone compared to an Android phone. Both work, but often if one user tries to explain a function to the other user, the communication is loss since the functions are different. When practicing yoga, it’s good to listen to your body and try not to make comparisons to others in the practice. We are each different and our makeup may allow us to feel and understand the practice of yoga on various levels. We may benefit more from meditation, breathing, postures or other practices within the eight limbs. Yoga practice encompasses a lifestyle and way of living and has many benefits. Learn to embrace and enjoy the benefits of each. Namaste

Is It Too Late To Start A New Beginning?

Posted by ragriffs Aug 11, 2019 ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

This was a question asked of me just recently. My first thought was seriously? Do you believe there is a time to decide not to take on a new dream or change in your life? Every day we are beginning again. You may not realize it, but each morning when we rise and start our day, we have an opportunity. We can look at the world and react accordingly. Think you’re stuck in your current destination? Perhaps you just don’t believe you are capable of new endeavors. Think again. Our world is full of different scenarios of which we can affect the outcome of the day by our actions. Let’s begin at home. We have options how we treat family. For example, we can show them gratitude and patience. Have you only looked for what you are receiving from loved ones or are you giving first with no expectations? Compromise will go a long way to change the direction how a family connects with each other. Family is more work than many of the situations we interact with daily. We often take our love ones for granted instead of giving them the attention we should. How you are directing your attention and should you be making adjustments. Career is another place to generate a new outlook and see an opportunity. You may think you are stuck in your current situation? Begin by looking at what you have available to you and what your attitude is during the day. We can reinvent our self by continuing to learn. Perhaps you can’t change careers at this point in life, but you can direct energy into being the greatest in your situation. Find the things you do well and be the absolute best you can. Put effort into your day as if you are working for you and you alone. You may find your day is brighter and your engagement is better. Are you open to learning? Whether you are self-employed or work for a corporation, you can increase your knowledge. Whatever your business interest, read more on how it works. You may find a new direction as you absorb information about what you do daily. Passion and hobbies can lead to new endeavors. Many people begin a new career or side business that developed from what they enjoy. Several people, through education, have taken their interest and become an expert in their field. For example, perhaps you enjoy cooking, gardening or sports and can teach others. Look at what you love and how you may expand that passion into a new life for yourself. Every day are recreating our self and many of us do it more than once in a lifetime. Exploring your world is another way of starting new each day. Look around you and find the beauty in nature. Take a moment during the day to notice everything between the sunrise and sunset. Enjoy the expansive night sky and stars. Whether it’s in another part of the world or in your own backyard, note the wonder of our world and all it provides and offers us. You will marvel how we are part of the universe. Each day is a gift and you have the choice on how you use your gift. No, we are never too old to start something new. We only have to try. “I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.” Maya Angelou Robin Anne Griffiths is a published author, certified master development coach, personal trainer and behavior change specialist. She works with groups and individuals on life transitions to create personal balance – physically and mentally.

Seasons Of Life

Posted by ragriffs Jul 28, 2019 ReCharge My Spirit Leave a Comment

What do you see for your seasons of life? Do you feel you can set a path for change, comfort, reflection and planning?

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