Stress is such a big glow killer in our lives and not only that, it throws our hormones out of whack, disrupts our thyroid, can lead to weight gain, takes away your energy and dulls that glow of yours, all the things you just don’t want to happen. So to help each day with the stresses and strains that life may throw at us, I want to introduce you to meditation. Can meditation help improve skin?
What is meditation?
What is meditation? Meditation is a process of calming your own mind. Now this sounds basically impossible but is interesting when you start off as there are lots of thoughts that come into your head when you try to quieten down. This is totally normal and something that should be welcomed. Let the thoughts enter and leave your head like moving clouds in the sky. There is no judgment of the thoughts, and no action is required. Just sit and let them pass. Soon you then get to a place where your thoughts are less and less and you become fully present. And that is when you reach your meditation.
One of the ways this helps us is to slow down, to breathe, to be fully present and to let the chatter of life leave us to come back to our true selves. This can help set us up for the day or relax us before sleep, due to the way we breathe slows down, the mind relaxes and we become more centred.
How can meditation improve skin?
Meditation has been increasingly recognised for its potential to improve skin health. Scientific studies have indicated that meditation can have a positive impact on skin conditions due to its ability to reduce stress levels. Chronic stress is known to trigger various skin issues, including acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Engaging in regular meditation practices has been shown to lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which, in turn, helps to alleviate stress-related skin problems. Moreover, meditation promotes better sleep patterns, allowing the skin to undergo necessary repair and rejuvenation during the restorative sleep phase, leading to a more radiant complexion and a reduction in the appearance of dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.
Additionally, meditation's stress-reducing effects can also contribute to healthier skin through immune system modulation. Stress weakens the immune system, making the skin more susceptible to infections and inflammation. By cultivating a regular meditation routine, individuals may experience improvements in their immune response, leading to a decrease in skin inflammation and a boost in the skin's overall resilience.
Furthermore, meditation encourages mindful eating practices, which can positively impact skin health by promoting a balanced and nutritious diet. By consuming a diet rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients, individuals can support their skin's natural defences against environmental pollutants and UV damage, leading to a clearer, healthier complexion.
Read more on how skincare can help reduce stress here.
How to meditate for better skin?
So I’d like you to start by first noticing how you’re breathing right now. Is it short, sharp and shallow, or is it long, slow and deep? Or somewhere in between? And now take a breath. Notice where it comes from. Is it from your shoulders or from your belly? A lot of us tend to breathe from our shoulders when we take deep breaths but the most efficient way to get oxygen into our bodies is to breathe from our belly.
So let me show you. When you take a big, deep breath in, you want it coming in through your nose and into your belly so it expands and gets bigger. Then I would like you to exhale through your nose. When we inhale through our nose, our bodies know (no pun intended) how much oxygen our bodies need so that’s why it’s more beneficial to breathe through the nose.
Fun fact, when we breathe deeply through our noses, it drives more oxygen more efficiently into the lower areas of our lungs, which then sends messages to our brain to say that we can calm down more and get back to repairing and restoring the body compared to when we breathe through our mouths, this sends signals to the brain that we are still in flight or fight mode so need to be ready for that.
I’d like you to then try breathing in for four and out for seven for five minutes. Pop a timer on and let’s go. Close your eyes and relax through this exercise, you can even put an alarm on if you feel you might fall asleep!
Here are some other ways to try meditating:
- BreatheSync - Learn to adjust your breath to match the rhythm of your heartbeat with the BreatheSync app and feel more relaxed, focused and balanced.
- Headspace - meditation app
- YouTube - search for meditations
After you have meditated, I’d like you to try a brain-dumping exercise. Brain dumping is a really easy and cool way to get out everything that's going on in your head so that it can calm down. Don’t judge anything that comes out, just let it flow. You can choose to read over it or throw it away afterwards, it’s totally up to you.
Set aside 15 minutes at one point this week to do this exercise. It involves some breathing and writing. So relax, knowing you’re spending 15 minutes just on yourself. How lovely.
Are you new to Jenny Nordic Skincare?
Hi, I'm Jenny the founder and formulator of Jenny Nordic Skincare.
We are a natural, minimal skincare brand all about that grown-up glow. Your skin is not the same as it was in your 20s - or even 30s! The skin is forever changing and you're approaching a new season. It might be showing more wrinkles and spots. You’re looking for minimal, high-performance skincare that will make you feel (and look) like a treat.
With Jenny Nordic minimal, high-performance skincare, you can take a few moments to yourself every day and care for your skin just with a few steps. I promise you'll fall in love with your skin and feel radiant.
Check out our Travel Skincare Set - it's the easiest and most convenient way to try our products!
Love, Jenny
Founder of Jenny Nordic Skincare
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