Renew Skin and Spirit in the Comfort of Your Home

December is an ideal time to prepare for the new year. As the year winds down, there are some activities that are not only fun but also beneficial to overall health. Two such enjoyable activities are the renewal of your skin and your spirit. Rather than go to a spa or a retreat, skin and spirit can both be revived, renewed and regenerated in the comfort of your own home. Simply carve out a private area and make sure all electronic devices are off.

For skin renewal, the three basic steps are cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Be sure to choose products that are made with ingredients of the highest quality, such as the Kenzen True Elements® Marine Organic Skin Care line, which is EcoCert® COSMOS certified, an international certification renowned for its strict guidelines and guarantees the highest organic integrity.

At the heart of the True Elements® range is a synergistic blend of sustainably harvested organic seaweeds and coastline plants. These natural ingredients are a source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and fatty acids.

For cleansing, regenerating and remineralizing, use Velvet Cleansing Milk and Radiance Scrub. The Velvet Cleansing Milk gently removes impurities while seaweed extracts provide trace elements and minerals that help boost the radiance of the skin and maintain its moisture content. Radiance Scrub is formulated to gently exfoliate the skin with natural perlite mineral so that its natural glow can shine through. Organic seaweed and sea fennel help to strengthen and protect, while organic aloe vera helps to renew damaged skin.

For toning, refreshing and brightening, use Refreshing Tonic Lotion and Youth Activ Serum. The tonic is perfect for the removal of makeup and grime. Seaweed extracts, spray-dried seawater, and aloe vera are combined to help soothe and tone the upper layers of the epidermis, leaving skin that looks fresh and bright. Youth Activ Serum is rich in marine extracts and hyaluronic acid to plump skin from within and supports skin’s elasticity, leaving the skin looking firmer and smoother. Organic ulva lactuta helps brighten skin and decrease the appearance of dark spots.

For moisturizing, protecting and restoring, use Moisturizing Face Cream and Revitalizing Serum. The Face Cream is smooth and light, enriched with marine extracts, shea butter and hyaluronic acid to moisturize the skin. Organic sea fennel is packed with minerals to support skin cell regeneration. Revitalizing Serum is enriched with sea fennel, hyaluronic acid and marine magnesium to moisturize intensely and help transform dry, dull-looking skin into supple, youthful-looking skin.

Your complete skin regimen can be followed with spirit renewal, or you can set aside special time just for your soul. Again, find a dedicated space that feels peaceful and serene. This can be outdoors or indoors, depending on the environment you prefer. You can choose complete quiet or select soothing, meditative music—whatever promotes calmness within you.

You may choose to sit or lie on top of the KenkoGround® to feel connected to nature. Practice deep breathing and simply rest, or do some stretches to help your physical state be in tune with your relaxed state of mind.

Another way to practice mindfulness for renewal of your spirit is to write down your feelings and thoughts. Renewing your spirit does not have to involve goals and to-dos, only if writing those down feel beneficial during this private time. You can focus instead on your inner secrets, emotions and deepest reflections.

Enjoy your private time with yourself as you head towards the end of the year, and you might decide to to schedule skin renewal and spirit renewal regularly! It’s all part of empowered living and feeling good every day, both internally and externally.

Beginner’s Guide to Reconnecting with the Earth’s Energy

You don’t have to be a guru to connect with the Earth’s energy and stay connected! According to Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev, also known as Sadhguru, “The Earth is the basis of life. The more you are in touch with it, the better it is. If your hands and your bare feet are in contact with the earth, it will harmonize the physiological process in your system. Whenever it is in contact with the earth, the body reorganizes itself. Try to spend at least a few minutes a day in the garden, barefoot, touching plants or trees. This is a simple way to connect with the earth.”1

Primitive peoples (think cave men) lived similarly to animals, a way that was “down to earth.” With industrialization, the human race started distancing from the earth. Sadhguru explains, “Animals are very connected to the earth because they do not have the intellect and awareness that human beings have. When it comes to humans, their psychological space dominates over their existential presence. In a way, an earthworm experientially knows the connection to the earth, but it cannot consciously realize it. If you pull it out of the earth, it wants to go straight back into the earth. If you pull a fish out of the water, it wants to go straight back into the water. This is not only essential for survival but also just because of the familiarity of habitat. In that sense, they know the connection.”2

In recent decades, “grounding” and “earthing” have been studied and known to be simple and effective ways to incorporate connectivity in your daily regimen. Here are a few grounding activities to help you reconnect with the Earth:

•          Practice deep breathing. Count to four as you inhale, hold it and exhale twice as slowly. Slow breathing is a way to become aware of your body and to release tension.

•          Stretch. Notice how a dog or cat stretches throughout the day, especially when they are rising from a nap or a night’s sleep. It doesn’t have to be specific “poses” or asanas as in yoga or Pilates. Just stretch and focus on how you feel—try a combination of toe touches, arm raises, side bends or windmills.

•          Get wet outdoors. Taking a shower may help wash away some anxiety, but have you seen the joy that running on the beach and taking a dip in the ocean can bring to children and grownups alike? Look at the children playing with the garden hose on a summer’s day—they’re barefoot and spraying each other and without knowing it, connecting to the earth’s energies!

•          Be aware of your surroundings whenever you are outside. Use all five senses to connect. Consciously see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Obviously if you are not eating something, you are not actually tasting, but you can sense the “flavor” of the air around you.

•          Visualization can be powerful for grounding. Imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet into the earth, providing stability and strength.3 Visualization is a way for you to become physically one with the natural environment.

Grounding is another facet of empowered living and a way to help you feel good every day. When you can’t connect with the earth outdoors, the KenkoGround® is a simple way to bring grounding indoors—inspired by nature and adapted for contemporary lifestyles.

1, 2 https://isha.sadhguru.org/en/wisdom/article/connecting-with-earth-methods-significance

3 https://www.coreenergetics.org/grounding-techniques-in-body-psychotherapy-finding-stability-in-a-chaotic-world