woman divine blog
Botox is a controversial topic. And a bit of a touchy one for sure. There are strong views in both camps. I try to give more of a heart to heart or a woman to woman approach to the subject. Hope you enjoy listening!
I would love to know what are your thoughts on botox. Have you done it? Are you thinking of doing it? Please share if you feel comfortable to do so:)
Magdalena xo
New clients often come to me when they feel completely frustrated and confused about their skin. They tell me that wherever they go seeking support they receive different and conflicting advice and every new attempt to seek help, simply adds to their skin care confusion.
We can probably agree that we live in a society/culture which strongly promotes seeking expert services/advice for literally everything.
There are obviously numerous benefits to having easy access to an array of specialists. However it is never desirable to hand over our decision making to someone else and to abandon the gift and importance of inner knowing, intuition and self knowledge.
If you don’t have a clear vision/desire of what you want your own health and beauty to express like, you’ll potentially end up chasing that of someone else. You will most likely feel dissatisfied with yourself, frustrated and often confused in the areas of health and beauty, not knowing what to do, what to use and so on.
The beauty of holding a clear vision for oneself and a willingness to step into the 'I’m master of my life’ position is that it comes with a sense of power, confidence and adventure as it opens us up to new possibilities.
If I may, I’d like to make a suggestion that we start with an acknowledgement that life is a miracle and you were born in the body that’s perfect for you. It’s a body worth getting to know, and never to silence. You are the one who has the power to know it in the most intimate way and consequently to live in a harmonious way with it.
So as much as seeking a guide or an expert is necessary at times, the most important thing that you can do for yourself right now is to become your own medicine woman, to be the boss of you:) And how do you do that?
If you are not doing it yet, you may want to explore how to be more present with your body and yourself. Julie prepared a short video to help inspire you. It’s a snippet of an intuitive breath and self-massage sequence that she does to help ground herself and be more present. We hope that Julie sparks your interest and you will start your own daily sessions of ‘being with self’. Let your breath and hands guide you!
When your body sends you signals through changes in the wellbeing of your skin (acne, redness, new wrinkles, sallowness…), acknowledge that you see and hear it loud and clear. Don’t judge it, don’t be frustrated with it, don’t be scared, don’t panic and don’t dismiss it! No good decision is ever made when we are in such a state of mind.
How will you go about addressing what you see? Well, I’d say, first ‘be with self’ for a bit and sit with it. If you follow your intuition, it will look different for each individual.
Let’s say it is acne that your skin is expressing. One person may decide to immediately seek professional advice and they may be guided to a specific therapist. Another person may realize that their diet is an issue and they will commit to change. Yet another may become clear that emotional stress is flaring the acne and they need to meditate or contemplate regularly to help their mind and skin heal.
This is why following advertising, doing what your friends do, or always searching for a new product to solve your problem doesn’t work.
The truth is that you are the key to your healing, not a product or a procedure. When you’re guided by your heart and your inner knowing and not the ‘outside noise’ you will always find that which will support you and build you and help you heal. Right products, right people and right information will simply show up on your path to help, when you are the boss of you!
Love and light,
Magdalena & Julie
The last few months have lent themselves beautifully to contemplation and re-evaluation of life, and values which we live by.
Holism and allopathy have been preoccupying my thinking because I feel that they are at the base of many skin/health discussions. It seems like a timely topic to address if even for the sole purpose of consciously reclaiming one or the other for ourselves.
One thing is for sure; allopathy or holism is driving your choices regarding skin care, health care and your perception of life.
We use the term ‘holistic’ or ‘wholistic’ attached to skin care a lot but I can’t help but notice that many are still not completely clear on what exactly is the meaning behind the word ‘holism’. And allopathy may seem like the word which belongs only with western medicine but it actually applies to skin care as well.
So, aware or not, you are either holistic or allopathic in your approach and choosing one or the other consciously will definitely be more productive..
Allopathic medicine or allopathy, refers to science-based, modern medicine, such as the use of medications or surgery to treat or suppress symptoms or the ill effects of disease.
Allopathic medicine is distinct in how it views health, the human body and the world.
In my simple words allopathy likes to dissect and put things apart and then look and analyze the components as separate from each other.
A good example would be my very last visit to a family doctor a few years back.
I went hoping to get my blood work done on the recommendation of my Ayurvedic doctor.
When I tried to explain the multiple symptoms which I was experiencing at that time, the doctor stopped me and said ‘one problem per visit please’. I responded ‘but what if all the symptoms are related?’. The doctor responded ‘as I said we will look at one problem per visit’.
Holism, holistic skin care, holistic health, holistic life are all about embracing the whole and humbly observing the intertwining interactions of all that exists.
One of my teachers says something very important. He says that you can get to know body parts or its systems by dissection but you will never know or understand life in its entirety by this process.
And here holism or a holistic approach offers us a very different way of understanding disease and skin health and ultimately life itself.
The dictionary tells us that ‘holism’ is a theory that the universe and especially living nature is correctly seen in terms of interacting wholes (as of living organisms) that are more than the mere sum of elementary particles.
So let’s look at skin care and the allopathic and the holistic approach.
How does allopathy translate to skin care?
Let’s take an acne client as an example. The allopathic approach focuses on reducing oil production, speeding up skin cell turnover, fighting bacterial infection or reducing inflammation. This is often done with the application of aggressive, suppressive and strong acting products.
If topical treatment by an aesthetician will not bring the desired results then you have the option of seeing your medical doctor to get oral medication which suppresses your symptoms. If this is all that you are looking for than it may be to your satisfaction.
How does holism translate to skin care?
Continuing with our example of an acne client, a holistic skin care professional will take time to investigate what is causing the symptom, in this case acne.
This includes focusing on the underlying imbalances of digestion, hormones, stress and emotions which can also be causing painful or irregular menses, acid reflux, gluten intolerance, allergies or polycystic ovaries… After careful analysis a topical plant based treatment along with a specific face massage technique will be prescribed to support the skin function but most importantly dietary, lifestyle habit adjustments will be recommended to bring about healing. It is very important to note that In the holistic approach, you are an active participant in your healing process.
Your holistic skin care professional of today is often educated in an array of natural medicine modalities including nutrition, plant medicine, Ayurveda, TCM, massage therapy… If they deem your skin health problem beyond their scope of practice or needing broader support, they may refer you to a natural medicine doctor.
I hope that this basic comparison will help you decide consciously which makes more sense to you.
So is it allopathy or holism?
Magdalena xo
Rudie Jay is the beautiful vibrant human behind THE PURSUIT Your Guide To Happy, Healthy Living PODCAST.
Rudie invited me to be a guest on her podcast. Since this was my very first podcast experience, I was a little nervous, but Rudie is a natural and makes her guest feel right at home😀We chatted, skin care, products, local business, and my skin-therapy journey.
Much gratitude to Rudie Jay for helping me spread the word about holistic skin care❤️
I hope that you will enjoy listening,
Magdalena xo
It is surprising to me how many people still believe that BEAUTY is a vanity issue and a frivolous pursuit. And then I think, but of course, they understand BEAUTY completely different than I do, different than my holistically inclined fellow humans.
Ayurveda says that BEAUTY is the highest level of health (oh, how I love this!). The person who is glowing with vitality and radiance is beautiful. This has nothing to do with the surface coverups but rather is all about transformation through self-discipline, self-love and mindful living.
BEAUTY in holistic realm reflects the QUALITY of LIFE. It is about making conscious choices every day in regards to food we eat, the thoughts we entertain, the exercise and movement... and of course our skin care and self care practices. It is a commitment to oneself and to life itself.
When you go about beauty in the holistic way, you soon discover that it is liberating and that there is no need to chase after trends any more. The whole world can be running after the latest and the greatest and you are chill. Trends come and go and you are doing your own thing every day and your pursuit of BEAUTY has actually been transforming you and your life in the most wonderful and meaningful ways.
Thank you for reading,
Magdalena:)
Thank you KATERINA ROWLANDS & S/magazine for including Woman Divine on your list of the 'Must-Visit Natural Beauty Havens Across Canada'. We feel very flattered to be in a company of such amazing Canadian Green Beauty companies. Read the article: http://smagazineofficial.com/trending/7-must-visit-natural-beauty-havens-across-canada-041311609
Our emotions and our skin are closely related. Our skin is actually a highly sensitive responder to emotions and it often reminds us that mind and body are one😀
Think no further then the last time you felt very embarrassed and your face turned red, or when you felt fear and your skin become pale. And how about that happiness and internal bliss glow?
Clients often share that stress in their life causes flare ups of eczema, rosacea or acne... As much as skin disease can mean viruses, inflammation, bacteria, when we are experiencing a persistent skin condition, emotional component is usually part of the experience. Given close bond between our skin and the nervous system this should be of no surprise.
In short you can say that your skin ‘feels’ for you the very emotions which you choose not to express. It cries, it gets inflamed with anger and it remembers traumatic experiences which took place years back but were never addressed. In a long run, sweeping under the rug never really works ...not even in skincare.
So if you feel that your skin is giving you a hard time and you know that you have done everything you can to help it heal, including proper diet, exercise, good skin care regimen, then it maybe time to examine, how your emotions are contributing to the problem. ...
Magdalena xo
I am personally very intrigued by the psychology of wrinkles. From the physiological perspective there are numerous causes of facial wrinkles and there are also different types of wrinkles that you will find on your face. Some are very superficial some deep, some are very deep. It is the deep and very deep ones that I take special interest in.
As my own body and face are experiencing changes which come with living long enough to notice physical disintegration, crystallization and fixed patterns of tension, I am even more interested simply because I want to understand myself and life expressing through the body I occupy:)
Deep wrinkles are formed deep in the tissues. You see them on the surface and you may think it’s your skin but actually your skin is just expressing the state of tension present in the connective tissue and your muscles. You can apply all the creams in the world and you will not see a difference with this type of wrinkle (unless the cream contains peptides which have a similar effect on the muscle as botox does).
We know it is tension in deeper layers of facial tissues and we could approach it from the physical perspective. Right away face massage comes to mind as a great remedy. But the question to ask is why did the tension build up in these tissues in the first place? The answer will come from beyond the physical. It will also reveal why you may dislike what you see in the mirror. It really is not the wrinkle itself that you don’t like, it’s what it represents, it’s what message it holds within its tight fold that you’d rather not see, that you’d rather be not reminded of.
As mind and body are forever working together and what you feel on the emotional level always finds expression in your physical being. Furrowed brows, raised foreheads, tight lips with lines all around are actually thought patterns which have been playing in your mind over and over again. They represent sadness, frustration, anger, dissatisfaction….
If you are a happy joyful being, you may have ‘happy wrinkles’ around your eyes, the laugh lines may have formed… I bet if that’s you, you are not bothered by your lines at all.
So what to do when you are not happy with what you see? Recognizing the connection between thought, emotion and their expression in the physical body is essential. This way you acknowledge that you are actually the creator and not the victim. Spend time daily, touching your face lovingly and kindly and know that it maybe be holding a lot of your pains and worries. Messages it holds are here to help you, not to bring you down. Take moments to breath as you gently rest the palm of your hands on your face.
This will be a wonderful beginning to a fresh relationship with your face and yourself. If you feel inspired to explore more contact me.
Many blessings, Magdalena
