Back to Basics Beauty Bomb

Maybe you can relate - when life comes at me too fast, I can get overwhelmed. 

When I get overwhelmed, my anxiety makes my thought train go into overdrive.
 
When my thoughts go into overdrive, it's like they all bombard me at once; every single sliver of potential worry suddenly looms large, demanding my immediate and full attention, appearing much more menacing and inflated with importance than they actually are.

I get thrust into the future, which, as we know, doesn't actually exist, so it's a very unsettling and confusing place to try and set up shop, which is what it feels like I'm being asked to do in those moments. Figure out the solution to all potential problems; that way, no matter what happens, we're covered. 

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I have found, over the years, that one of the very best ways of dealing with that kind of mental ambush is to physically ground myself in the present moment. 

Sometimes I take a breath and say things out loud for myself to hear: "That (thing I'm worrying about) isn't actually happening RIGHT NOW. Right now, I am sitting in a blue chair looking around my living room, listening to my dog snore. I have a glass of water near me and I can see the sun shining through the window. All is well."

Sometimes - a lot of the time - I take the grounding practice one step further and initiate a Back to Basics Beauty Bomb session.

This practice is literally about bringing your focus to your physical self through the lens of care and gratitude.

​Applying this kind of concentrated attention re-roots us right into the present moment, allowing us a clear path back to the kinds of actions we can choose right here, right now, in order to help our bodies become and remain strong vessels, able to withstand any and all of the challenges life decides to throw our way.  

If time is limited, I'll pick and choose just a few of the items off this list, just for a boost in the right direction. 

But if I have the time available, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll start my Back to Basics Beauty Bomb session at the very beginning, in the shower, and leisurely include every last one of these steps, because time and experience have shown me how much stronger my power pose is when I feel like I am shining my brightest on all levels.

Keep In Mind

Initiating your own Back to Basics Beauty Bomb is not about following my exact routine step-by-step - as I just said, even I don't do that. :) 

This list, my list, is more of a general guideline for you to transpose over your own self-care routine.

Maybe you like to oil pull, so that could get added onto your list; or perhaps you are religious about getting professional manicures and pedicures, so you wouldn't need to bother with that item found on my list. 

Like EVERYTHING in life, this should be fully customized for YOU.

​One size does not fit all when it comes to what our bodies need, and an important part of the self-care revolution is learning how to fine tune your listening skills when it comes to communicating with your body. It will *always* let you know.

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Back to Basics Beauty Bomb
​In the Shower Portion:

• Close the bathroom door, keep the circulation fan off - I want as much steam as possible. Why? To open up the body's mucous membranes, breaking up any congestion and allowing me to breathe deeply and easily. 
• Activate an oil diffuser on the counter - I'm a doTerra fan, and I particularly like Purify, Tea Tree, or Breathe for shower time.
• Dry Brush my skin right before stepping into the shower. This is exactly what it sounds like - using a dry brush to brush the skin in patterns that begin at the hands and feet and move towards the heart. Why? Not only does it feel good and help my skin stay soft, it also stimulates the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. 
• Shampoo hair - this gets "ooh la la" billing in my book. Why? Because it's not something I do every day, or even every other day; with my type of hair in the particular climate where I live, I've found it best to only shampoo about once a week to every 10 days. 
• Deep condition hair - I have a regular, every-shower conditioner, and then I have a couple of "special" hair masques - during Beauty Bomb showers, I'm alllll about those hair masques. I tend to my hair first (why?) so all the goopy hair care goodness has time to work its magic.
• Wash face - when I wash my face each night (and for non-shower Beauty Bombs,) I do it by bending over my sink, cupping water into my hands from the tap, and then splashing my face, repeatedly. When I wash my face in a Beauty Bomb shower, I take advantage of the unique angle of the rinse by lathering up not only my face but also under my jaw, behind my ears, all the way around my neck, and my décolletage. 
• Exfoliate my face - it gets its own, gentler exfoliant, different than the one I use on my body
• Wash body - Same as every other shower, except that I pay extra attention to my tootsies, especially my heels, and especially during sandal season.
• Exfoliate/sugar scrub body, extra attention to places like the sides of my body (hips to armpits,) my bum, the backs of my thighs, and my shins.
• Shave the bits and bobs and parts and pieces I like to keep smooth. 
• Water off, leave-in conditioner applied to wet hair, hair wrapped up in micro-fiber twisty towel and left alone for as long as I have patience to give; blow-dry hair at that point
• Pat face and body dry with clean bath towel
• Proceed with all the "Out of the Shower" steps below

Out of Shower / No Shower Portion:

• Wash my face (if not already done in the shower)
• Apply a face mask. Sometimes I use the kind you pull out of a package and wear on your face like an actual mask, sometimes I apply a concoction of goop on my skin - equal parts bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar is a fave. 
• Run through any given combination of my daily skin care regiment, depending on where my skin is at that day/week/time of month (toner, serum, collagen, moisturizer, spf)
• Apply hydrating lotion alllllllll over my body - if I shower first, I aim to do this within the first 2-3 minutes of leaving the water stream. Why? That way, my skin has the highest availability for soaking up the moisturizing properties of the lotion. 
• Trim, clean, file my fingernails and toenails; apply cuticle oil and clear protective base coat of polish.
• Wrap feet in keratin-infused socks; wear slippers over them and go about my business for the 20-30 minutes or so until I take them off and put on super soft socks or slippers
• Pluck stray eyebrows 
• Clean ears
• Clean my everyday jewelry
• Brush and floss my teeth; rinse with mouthwash; scrape tongue
• Wash and soak my night guard
• Sugar scrub my lips, slather on my favorite lip moisturizer (Burt's Bees, in case you were wondering)
• Apply essential oil behind my ears, on my wrists and (whispers) in my cleavage​
• Put on fresh, clean, comfortable clothes I feel fabulous in

The Key Piece

As I'm doing any/every one of these things, I am practicing mindfulness.
I am thanking each body part for anything and everything it does for me..I am appreciating the unique way my body was put together, the strength it shows, the adventures it takes me on...I am repeating affirmations as I make eye contact with myself in the mirror:

• I am beautiful in this moment, as is. 
• I am worthy of my own love and affection. 
• I am here on purpose.

I am reinforcing to my subconscious mind that I deserve love, I deserve care, and I deserve time to myself and for myself. 
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The more often I reinforce these things, the easier it becomes to believe them.

The more I believe them, the easier it is to prioritize the actions that align with them.

The more I prioritize those kinds of actions, the better I feel.
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And the better I feel, the more likely I am to perpetuate behaviors that accentuate those good feelings. 

Big Finish

No matter the length, I like to cap off these sessions with some sort of closing moment that extends the lovefest beyond my physical body, offering a bit of the positive energetic momentum to other areas of my life. 

These closing actions are things like getting some fresh flowers into my home, listening to a guided meditation while laying down for 10 minutes with my feet elevated over my heart, playing a favorite inspiring song or two, texting a faraway friend or relative to tell them I love them, studying my Vision Board for a few moments, or creating a nutrient-dense, delicious meal, a quick stretch session, or a few big, deep, cleansing breaths.
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Whatever you choose, let it feel like the cherry on top.

And there you have it, my darling - your Soul Fitness Back to Basics Beauty Bomb! Use it as often as necessary - you have permission to care for yourself, always and in all ways.

lots of love, 

Coach Alex