Radiant, firm, rosy skin, who doesn't want that? Of course, the products you use on your skin are key to your beauty routine. And as we all know, natural is the way to go. But did you know that besides skincare, there are some other things you can do to get a beautiful skin glow all over? There are some yogi tricks that not only have all kinds of amazing health benefits, but also have a lot of beauty potential! We'll tell you more.
Meditate, meditate, meditate
Your mind and your skin are inextricably connected. A new stream in science called psychodermatology is currently exploring that connection. Namely, there is a deep connection between the skin, the neuroendocrine system and the immune system. Let’s not get too sciency, so here’s a simple summary. Your thoughts and emotions cause chemical reactions in your brain but also in other systems in the body. So do you want balance in your system, your hormones etc. and thus ultimately your skin? Then you need to ensure balance in your mind and emotions.
Actually, this is not news at all, as there has been a lot of scientific research on the benefits of meditation. And one thing is very much certain: meditation helps with stress, anxiety and worry - often an underlying reason for many health and skin problems. By addressing stress, meditation triggers the body's self-healing capacity. Moreover, meditation slows down the ageing process. On an energetic level, meditation increases the prana, or life energy, in your body. And that too has its impact on your natural glow.
A simple meditation technique
Meditation techniques galore, there are many to choose from. You can opt for an app or YouTube with beautiful guided meditations. Especially if you have never meditated before, this is a very handy way to get into it slowly. 15 or 20 minutes is the minimum optimal time for a good effect on your body, mind and emotions.
Here's a really nice chakra meditation:
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Before you start, choose comfortable (yoga) clothes such as the trendy flared Pranafied yoga pants and Good Karma yoga top by Urban Goddess. This is really important so that your blood flow is not restricted and you can breathe freely and deeply.
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Choose a light meditation music of 15-20 min or use a meditation timer.
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Sit in a comfortable position, but with a straight back. This may of course be on the floor with a meditation pillow, but it can also be on a chair with your buttocks really against the base of the backrest.
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Gently close your eyes and try to feel your breathing from beginning to end. You are not changing anything about it yet. For a while, it's purely about focusing all your attention on the breath, on the sensations associated with that breath.
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Once you are really feeling this and you are well settled in your posture, try to keep your body really still and not move.
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Now slowly slow down your breathing. So a little bit deeper and a little bit slower.
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Now focus on top of your head, your crown chakra. First just be present there, feel it, and then with your intention and attention visualise or feel how you are breathing through your crown chakra. Deeply and slowly. With each inhale, prana (life energy) enters, with each exhale you release tension, stress and heaviness. You may also visualise this as light for prana, and grey smoke for tension. After 2/3 minutes, move on to your the spot between your eyebrows (third eye chakra), your throat chakra, your heart chakra, your navel (solar plexus) chakra, your lower abdomen (sacral chakra) and the spot at the very bottom of your spine (root chakra).
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Try to keep your body and face as relaxed as possible.
If all goes well, you can really see the effect of the meditation right away. Take a before and after picture of yourself, and see for yourself. Of course, the effect is enhanced if you do this daily or at least 3 times a week. Supplemented with a daily skincare routine tailored to your skin needs, you will maintain your glow both inside and out.
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