A Beautiful Space for You
For those of you who are new to The Embodied Way…Welcome! I send this newsletter out once per month, usually mid-month. You are always welcome to unsubscribe, which you can do at the bottom of this newsletter. My intention is to provide more value to you, when it comes to your life and your skin without being an annoying nuisance in your inbox! Thank you for being a client and for spreading the word about The Embodied Way:)
This month, I have been contemplating not only body acceptance, but I have been trying to sense my levels of ‘kindness’ to myself when I think of my body. Part of being embodied is noticing all the ways we communicate with our body on a continual basis.
At the Embodied Way, I seek to help you find new and beautiful ways to practice this communication. Communication that lifts up, cares for and allows for kindness expansion, not communication that diminishes or leads to feelings of less than or never good enough.
We are always aiming for communication that allows you to connect with your felt sense - which I call your inner knower.
Notes from Glenda
Most of you know that doing esthetics at The Embodied Way is only one part of my career. I also have an extensive background in coaching and business. In November, the business parts of my career were re-entered in a big way.
With anything new there are a lot of feelings and new experiences to navigate through. Most have been positive, and some have required my coaching and communication skills to navigate.
Along the way, I’ve noticed that the most important person to communicate with is me! What am I anticipating? Where am I believing old things about myself? Am I taking the time to be good to me and my body in this aspect of my work? Am I taking food with me to eat during the day or am I putting the business needs ahead of my needs?
All big important questions and things to be curious about. I promised myself that at this stage of my career, I would not forget my needs. I promised myself that I would take the time to listen to my body and my gut. In order for me to be effective and to enjoy my work- this is an essential practice.
It can be messy sometimes, but I set the goal, so each day I aim for some small way to communicate with myself- using curiosity, kindness, and alignment. My felt sense will tell me what those needs are- I can trust it.
Here are some of the ways I do this:
- Close my eyes and give them a rest, take a few breaths and notice my edges of my body
- Consciously release tension from my body and let it flow down into the earth.
- Notice lovely feelings and allow them to expand by enjoying them.
- Stand up from my chair, and go look out a window, then see what I notice.
- Find a sunny spot and let the light and warmth wash over me
- Ask myself before eating what my body needs and then when I feed it, to slow down, sit down and enjoy the experience
- Follow my morning routine, slow and easy, so that I can regulate and resource my nervous system.
- Move my body (and before I do- see what kind of movement I need)
Almost all the things I do, involve orientation (Download the Orientation Cheat Sheet). Orientation is the practice of noticing and meeting with your environment and letting the environment meet you. It is so good for the nervous system, and takes no effort. I love something that is good for me and that I can do no matter my level of energy or emotion.
This month, as spring comes and the earth comes alive, see if you can slow down and get curious about what you need most. Not only for today, but for the season ahead. And then trust your wise and trustworthy felt sense. It will let you know what it needs. BTW, you can never go wrong listening to your felt sense. It will always lead you in the right direction.
Product of the Month
I love a good, effective product, that’s why I choose to use Laboratoire Dr. Renaud. I have been using Laboratoire Dr. Renaud for over 17 years, and they continue to improve and innovate the line. Picking a great skin care product and line to use can be I-N-T-I-M-I-D-A-T-I-N-G to say the least, especially when what worked before stops working. It feels like you have to go back to the drawing board.
Each decade, each lifestyle, each skin type or condition requires a different approach. These need to be in alignment or you will not get the results you want when you buy product. This is what drives me to ask you lots of questions about you and your skin. It’s how I personalize your recommendations. I never make a recommendation that I haven’t thought about and tried to cover as many bases as possible.
As your skin comes out of hibernation (aka winter), your most important step is to Spring Up Your Skin with a beautiful facial, and to complement your facial with an at home exfoliant such as Satinage, LDR Peel Pads, or Dermazyme. Not sure which one is right for you? Just ask me.
See you soon!
The Giving Corner
This month I will again be supporting the Comox Valley Hospice Society. The CVHS offers a number of resources to our community such as advanced care planning, palliative care, grief support, and caregiver support. Please join me in supporting this wonderful organization. You can donate HERE
Quotes
"You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens." Louise L. Hay
"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." Maya Angelou
Endnotes
Well...although I had my fingers crossed for better skiing conditions, the season was a washout. So, I am embracing the spring flowers to perk up life. My hellebore is stunning, and the daffodils are perky. And, the birds are coming around for a few seed treats, which I love. May you find some of your favourite things to oriente yourself to.
See you soon and thanks for being your fabulous self!
Glenda
