American model Christy Turlington once said, “When you are balanced and when you listen and attend to the needs of your body, mind, and spirit, your natural beauty comes out.” As you begin this year, it’s a good time to evaluate what you can do to be the most beautiful you, for the coming year and beyond.
Your task is to address this trinity of factors—body, mind, and spirit—all of which work together for true beauty to emerge, energize you, and carry you through your life with enthusiasm and purpose. With that in mind, here are 11 ways to help you embrace your inner and outer beauty.
11 Ways to More Beauty
Meditate. The practice of meditation, even if you do it for only 10 to 15 minutes a day, is one of the most physical, emotional, and spiritual enhancing activities you can choose. Meditation has been shown to significantly reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, enhance compassion, improve mood, and help individuals connect with their higher self.
Visit nature. The physical, emotional, and spiritual toll our hectic, tech-heavy lives takes on us is becoming increasingly apparent. According to Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix, “We don’t experience natural environments enough to realize how restored they can make us feel, nor are we aware that studies also show they make us healthier, more creative, more empathetic and more apt to engage with the world and with each other. Nature, it turns out, is good for civilization.” Make a point to immerse yourself in nature as much as possible, even if it is only to take a walk through a park during your lunch break.
Dry brush. For smooth, glowing, vital skin, use a bristled brush and stroke your dry skin several times a week before you shower or bathe. Dry brushing removes dead skin cells and boosts circulation of blood and lymph throughout the body.
Exercise. When you engage in movement, you not only tone your body, you also boost endorphin levels, which enhances your mood. Be sure to choose an exercise that you enjoy; perhaps Zumba, tennis, yoga, Pilates, swimming, or a team sport.
Journal. Taking time to write down your thoughts, creative ideas, feelings, spiritual yearnings, and dreams is a great way to stay in touch with your emotional and spiritual self. Spending some time each day to share yourself—with yourself—can be incredibly uplifting, motivating, and fulfilling. It can also fuel your inner beauty.
Go (more) natural. The number of ways to go more natural are considerable. For example, include more natural foods and beverages in your diet, select natural cleaning products, drink pure water, buy clothes made from natural materials, use natural cosmetics and health products, purchase recycled items, patronize stores that sell organic, eat natural foods, and frequent restaurants that use natural, organic ingredients. Natural products are kinder to your body, which in turn contributes to a healthier, more beautiful you inside and out.
Consider collagen. Skin, bones, and connective tissue are composed of various elements, including collagen. Levels of this fibrous protein decline as we age, contributing to sagging skin, wrinkles, and weakening joints. That’s why it’s important to replenish our collagen stores as much as possible. Collagen supplements are one way to help your skin maintain its vitality and beauty. Another approach is to eat foods that restore, replenish, and repair damaged collagen, including fish, red vegetables, dark green vegetables, berries, soy, white tea, and orange vegetables.
Think positively. Your natural spirit and emotional beauty will shine through if you think positively and turn negative thoughts into positive ones. Negativity promotes tension, anxiety, physical health problems (e.g., gastrointestinal issues), and a sense of feeling spiritually disconnected. Finding the positive angle in situations and transforming negative statements into positive ones will allow your inner beauty to emerge.
Reduce sugar. Although sugar is sweet, it isn’t when it comes to your body, and especially your skin. Sugar causes inflammation, which is associated with lines and wrinkles, acne, and aging more quickly. Focus on sources of natural, unprocessed sweetness, like fresh organic fruits, honey, and sweet veggies, or sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit.
Step away from technology. Spending lots of time with your computer, tablet, smartphone, and intelligent/virtual assistants typically means less time to communicate face-to-face with people or interacting with nature. You will also lose time to exercise and opportunities to develop social skills. These activities result in virtual rather than actual experiences with others and your environment. Your physical, emotional, and spiritual essence and beauty can suffer when you depend on these devices to fulfill your needs. Research has shown that the use of social media can result in loneliness, anxiety, and feelings of adequacy. Step away from technology at least a little bit this year and discover the beauty of personal interaction and growth.
This article was first published on NaturallySavvy.com
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