Sometimes, I'm just off...
Sometimes, I'm just off and this weekend was a reminder of how incredibly uncomfortable that feels. The moon in Virgo and daylight savings reminded me of how even just a simple change to our environment can throw us off in our energy fields. Luckily the solution usually presents itself and we just have to be willing to listen. So instead of spinning with my head cut off I made a few choices to change and I wanted to share them with you for it might inspire you to do the same or just understand where I'm coming from.
Why your skin is getting the best of you and how to regain your power.
I’m piggy backing off of last weeks post to dive into depth on one of my main points. I mentioned last week how you don’t want to be quick to blame your skincare and I received such great feedback. It’s hard for me to talk about accountability because I’m human too and need just as many supportive humans to help guide me through this life. Just because I’m a service provider it doesn’t mean I have all the answers. How annoying would I be if I was the smartest person in the room at 29? I would literally roll my eyes to myself. There’s no way to know everything! I’m learning along the way just like you are and so unfortunately if you don’t do your own work I can’t help you. Which bums me out too! I am a virgo that likes to have 100% on my record when it comes to client retention and only after starting my own business did I realize that is not a goal anyone in my profession should want or have. Reason number 1 loops into the idea that I just mentioned that I don’t know everything to heal everyone and reason number 2 being I need to choose who I work on just as much as you choose me as your esthetician. It’s an energy exchange like no other. I meet you and within 20 minutes strip your face to it’s purest state that is a portal to your inner health. Not many people want to admit that they sneak snacks at midnight or they drank a whole bottle of wine by themselves.
Most of us have grown up feeling shamed for certain habits and so we collect them as dirty little secrets. The more dirty little secrets you have the more you start to believe your own denial about yourself. Part of me feels like being the face of health and eco conscious living I have to hide the fact that I bought a paper bag from Trader Joe's earlier and that I ate donuts over the weekend (they were baked and somewhat healthier but still). I’m tired of having these dirty little secrets. Especially since they are miniscule compared to the amount of good I create and healthy habits I stick with. I NEVER shame myself over my skin anymore. I’ve been walking around with a nose full of blackheads since I was 10 and honestly, they are part of who I am. If one day I didn’t have them, I would feel really strange and pretty annoyed with how ordinary I would seem. I’m not ordinary. I’m extraordinary which to me is being weird, messy, and somewhat neurotic at times.
That’s my depth, we all have it whether we have discovered it yet or not. So now that I’ve gone on my own, incredibly long tangent, my goal with this post is to help you navigate why you’re jumping around from your skin health habits and how to finally let go of the shame that comes with it.
Last week, it hit me...
Have you seen La La land yet? Well I've seen it about 4 times now and within the first scene I'm bawling. Mostly because I'm a sucker for musicals but secondly because even though I'm not an actor, I identify with the message of the film so much. In the opening scene there is this song and dance sequence to the song "Another day of sun" that any Los Angeleno will tell you feels very relatable. This city can eat you up and spit you out but then we wake up and do it all over again the next day.
Last week, it hit me...
I was reminded that our first Skin Food Talk was a year ago and I was hit with a wave of emotions. It's not just because of the success of this past year, it's because I had a lot of memories resurface and I realized that this last year taught me how to better cope with the challenges of this life.
Happy Self Love Day!
having to do something extravagant on a random Tuesday. However, even when I was single I realized how Valentine's day was a time to give back to ourselves no matter what our relationship status is. Especially since it was one of the few days in the year that some of the spas I worked at would extend their hours. For a business to project ahead of time that more people would be taking care of themselves on a particular day was genius in my opinion. And they were never wrong, for 12+ hours straight at several locations each hour on the hour was booked up with people who were taking the time to care for themselves or someone they loved. A simple shift in perspective can remind you that this day is bigger than a fancy dinner and chocolate, it's simply about love. Love for yourself and others if you so choose. So instead of feeling low or irritated here are my top 5 ways to enjoy Valentine's Day whether you are solo or paired up:
FP Escapes Recap; what I learned and what you didn't see
On Saturday, I landed back in LA and was greeted by a fellow passenger with a “good luck”. Though I’m sure the sentiment was very surface, I felt it on a multitude of levels as I awaited assistance to get off of the plane. I guess I should back up a little bit before you all start to worry. The previous Saturday I was on my way to Mexico with Tara for our long awaited trip to Todos Santos for a Free People Escape in which we were going to be hosting our signature Skin Food Talk, a beauty workshop, individual consultations and managing the Tara curated meals for 20+ guests and staff for the next week. We were ready, excited and open for the chance to grow individually and as a partnership. Packed with bikinis and yoga clothes, our day started in the early hours of the morning as we fly to Cabo around 8 am. Our social media feeds were flooded with our friends getting ready for the Women’s Marches in all parts of the world. The FOMO (fear of missing out) started to kick in until we realized that we would be able to hold space for our sisters marching on as we were chosen for this trip for a reason.
All my wedding look details
After my last post I was asked a lot about the specifics of my wedding look. Here is how it came together. I started the day off with 5 minutes of dry brushing with my Pursoma jute dry brush. I put a timer on and slowly worked in an upward fashion, always moving towards my heart and focusing on areas that have cellulite or rough skin. I followed up with Pursoma’s earthbound body mask covering myself completely including my face in a light layer. I meditated as I let the mask absorb for 15 minutes. When I was done I washed off with a hot and cold shower to flush out any toxins. This is a great way to wake up and energize as it gets your lymphatic system moving wonderfully. I drank a ton of water before and after as well to keep me energized.
Staying true to yourself
So I got married over the weekend...
I got engaged in an "unconventional" way and I got married in an "unconventional" way. But who is it really unconventional to? Because I stuck with what felt like the most organic way I could imagine such an important day. Yet I was still met with many questions from the get go about the "whys" of my choices. Everyone becomes an advice giver when it comes to another person's life event, and don't get me wrong, I listen. See here's the thing; I've been doing treatments for a long time and overtime I listened to the thousands of brides, bridesmaids, grooms, and in laws speak of the weddings happening in their lives and I came up with a few of my "when I get married rules". They definitely apply to many other life events as well as the day to day. Here are some tips as to how to stay true no matter what:
What to expect from me in 2017
2017 feels like it took forever to get here didn’t it? Up until the last day of the year it was draining but here we are now, first few days of 2017 and it already feels filled with hope. I wanted to take the time to write down my intentions and realized how much it meant to me to share those with you. Here are my Therapeutic Skin Coach intentions for 2017:
Unsolicited advice from uber drivers
Not having a car in LA means that most of my days I have to take uber or lyft to get around. I tend to get car sick so I often sit in the front seat and this opens up an opportunity for my drivers to ask me many questions. I totally get it, most people treat these drivers like they would a taxi driver or bus driver and don’t dive into dialogue other than basic chit chat. The first questions are always related to what I do or where I’m going. Over the last few weeks I have been prepping for my upcoming wedding by taking classes at a local yoga studio (Set and Flow if you're interested! I highly recommend!) so naturally the conversation leads to why I’m doing yoga and how I like it. Throughout this dialogue I have been advised to try the “lemonade” diet (this is not a Beyonce diet either...it’s a version of the master cleanse I guess) and to download an “anorexia” app (not an actual anorexia app, but those were the words it was presented to me by). This is when I started paying attention, not because I was interested in the suggestions but because I was startled to think who else gets this kind of advice.
Negative Self Talk
Over the past few weeks, I have been struggling with a lot of insecurity and distrust for how my path is unfolding. During the last few days, I realized that I wasn’t honoring myself and representing my beliefs that I share with my client base. With a trip to the east coast planned for an event I was speaking at, I started to feel the insecurities of exposing myself. As a naturally reserved and shy person, I can get really reclusive and it takes a lot of self-care and love to get myself in front of a crowd of strangers to speak. The good news is that since I’m so passionate about our topic I know that I can kill it even when I’m feeling the most insecure. The problem I was finding is that I wasn’t treating my body and my mind with the love it needs. As I was in this low, I felt all sorts of emotions from myself and others. I was feeling like I am just attracting negative feedback and energy. GUESS WHAT; I WAS! With all of the negative self-talk I was giving myself I was only digging myself deeper. Here is what I did to get myself out and how you can do the same:
Why I work from home
This weekend I attended a fantastic workshop at Wanderlust Hollywood hosted by the lovely Lauren Singer from Trash is for Tossers. One of my personal resolutions this year was to decrease my waste and continue to educate myself on how to help protect our mother earth. Having the opportunity to meet Lauren and learn some of her go-to recipes for zero waste home care products reminded me of why I decided to leave the spa world: IT’S INCREDIBLY WASTEFUL! Here are some of the main reasons why working from home is a small way to make a big impact:
My Self Care Practices
Many people ask me what I do with my skincare routine. They literally want to know everything I use and assume that a few skincare products is all it takes to accomplish great skin. This is simply not the case. A lot of the work comes from a lot of self care. Self care is so different for everyone too. That’s the most beautiful part about it all. The tools I’ve developed in order to fill my cup are catered to my health and wellness. Here is some insight into my self care practices and the people who help keep me accountable for my well being.
Who Cares!
It’s important to find balance in life right? I know I’m constantly working on what to shift my focus on. This world is so over-stimulating that we can often start to feel overwhelmed with what to care for? I’ve learned that as an empath I take on a lot more energy than needed. In fact there is a point in which you can care too much. This is the fine line I’ve danced with over the last few years and you know what, it’s okay to let go of some of that baggage. As an esthetician I inevitably act as a source of therapy for some, and a punching bag for others. It comes with the territory and after 10 years, I understand that the ones who need to use me as their excuse to be upset it’s simply a projection of what is going on with them. You know what I do for those folks? Give them more love, since they clearly need it.
My journey into 2016
My journey to 2016 has been nothing short of amazing. I found myself roadtripping across the states so I can get to Texas on time for the holidays. It was really important for me to experience my vacation, which seems fair right? My partner James and I decided to really live in each moment of each day. Here is my journey into 2016: