We are in to week #2 of wellness camp. The thought for my group today was–While we are in a comprehensive program, some days it can seem like there is lot to do and think about. But there is no pressure or guilt in wellness camp. Instead, when those times crop up that feel a little overwhelming, break the day into thirds: Morning, noon and evening. In the morning the first thing to do is 1) feel grateful for the opportunity to take the time and give back to the body that has served you so well 2) hydrate, go right to the water cooler or tea pot 3) have something fresh for breakfast, have it alone. 4) get some exercise. That’s it, if you can check those boxes, you’re perfect! Great! It’s a wonderful day. Then at noon time, have something fresh, avoid fried foods, white or dry carbs and eat simply in a calm environment and that’s it–you’re perfect again. 3) On to the third part of the day–evening. Take your probiotic and cleanse tablets, etc., eat light and finish your meal as early as possible. No sugar and put the little kid in you to bed early. That’s it, and before you know it, you are in a rhythm. The day is easier when you stay in the moment and concern yourself with just “that” part of the day. Rather than feel the daunting task of all that you “should” be doing, relax and be with that “third” of the day. Then have a little party on the inside when you’ve had a good third.

Another session of Wellness Boot Camp is coming up. In this session of camp we will have an additional focus: managing lines and wrinkles in the face. I am excited about it–I have always wanted to do this in boot camp but, for many reasons could not. For one thing, it is cost prohibitive, very expensive to put a whole group on a quality regime of cosmetics. But after years of thinking and trying different things, doing the research on specific brands and products, I have found a way to make this work. I am so excited! Once you feel really great in your body, you want to look perky and fresh as well. It’s going to be great. So as I was getting things together to get this session kicked off, my column was due and had to be submitted. I was thinking about the eyes and face and wrote this for my wellness campers:

The Eye’s Have It

Aging is relative—a sliding scale that affects us each individually and personally. Gravity may coax parts of us towards Argentina, but some of us still feel as perky and vigorous as we did in our youth. With so many ways to improve our appearance or “cheat the system,” it’s getting harder to guess the age of a stranger. But if you really want to know, look into their eyes. Not just “in to” but all around, above and underneath. The eyes are the most telling feature of our age, on the body. They speak volumes about how well we’ve lived, how good we feel and how old we really are. They’re called  “windows to the soul” for a reason.

The fatty pads on the upper eyelids are prone to the afore mentioned “southward movement” and when they start to drop, the face is altered noticeably. The natural sparkle or gleam of the eyes fades as the body tries to keep up with the daily demands of renewal. The whites of the eye, or sclera, are mostly connective tissue and dependant on healthy neurological and cardiovascular systems to keep them clear and bright white like those of a child.

The skin around your eyes is only about 20 micrometers thick and more sensitive than the thicker skin in other areas of your body like the feet and hands. Thinner skin is less resistant to irritants that penetrate the epidermis and affect the underlying skin causing redness or puffiness. Blood vessels showing through, or slow blood flow can cause the appearance of dark under eye circles. The buildup of lymph translates into “puffy” eyes. This is why getting a night of too much sleep allows you to awaken looking like you’ve had a wild night of partying.

Lines and wrinkles also appear more readily in thin delicate skin, and can be caused from the emotion you feel on the inside. The upper eyelids lower with extended periods of anger and sadness. Crows feet, furrows in the brow, droopiness, and lifeless eyes are enhanced by various types of excess emotion.  Add it all up and yes; there can be a lifetime of stories in your eyes.

The good new is–your face has a muscular structure under the skin. Lift your eyebrows, wiggle your ears, blow a kiss and you will feel it. The more toned these muscles are, the less prone to sagging your face and eye area will be and the more likely you will remain your distinctive recognizable self. The thin muscles around the eyes run in a circle. They are delicate and should be treated gently. Never rub your eyes or pull the skin around them. When touching the under eye area, always work from the outside corner toward the nose. This supports the direction of the muscle and won’t cause unnecessary sagging. Use your ring finger, as it is your weakest finger and therefore will be more gentle when applying or removing make up. To apply under eye cream, put a small drop on the pad of your ring finger. Touch your ring fingers together and apply under eyes, working toward the nose from the temple, patting as you go. Then smooth it into the skin gently in the same direction. During this application, lift your eyelids without furrowing the forehead to add a toning exercise to the treatment.

Avoid “tired lifeless” eyes by fueling your body with foods high in nutrients and water content. Eat a variety of produce, as fresh from the harvest as possible. Bring the “life force” or “energy” from a fresh picked peach, tomato or grape into your body and not only will you feel it in your energy level, but you will see it in your eyes. And remember to get in bed on time and get your “beauty rest.” Good health means eyes that sparkle.

I’ll see you in two weeks.

Love & health,

Loa

I love Tuesdays. It’s the day I teach my mind & body sculpting class at the Community Center. The class is filled with lovely delightful women. Most of my classes are, because in order to embrace the mind-sculpting aspect of the class, it takes an open heart and a willing spirit and that pretty much dictates that I’ll have wonderful groups in my classes. I love the warm energy and joy they bring with them. It brightens up the room.  Today was special because I could see improvement. Nothing makes me happier than to see a body change, get better, stronger, leaner…it is such a delight to my soul. So thanks for today, my beautiful people of Tuesday, you are true to your name. You are truly beautiful AND getting better!

There are times in life when the universe rallies. The skies open up and gifts start appearing, things are offered, things work out and the next thing you know, one of your dreams has manifested right in front of you. I will never forget how wonderful this time spent making my exercise DVD has been. I am in the edit bay and just a bit ago saw all the segments, opening salutation, balance, core, stretch, etc. all put together in one big piece. This doesn’t mean it’s done, but now it is one big thing instead of lots of bits and pieces. I made a few mistakes, losing my count, talking too fast and I swear I said “nice” like a million times. Hey, I was exercising in silence, with the music only in one of my ears and it was a little nerve wracking. But Blaine Stewart, my editor is a genius and he has cleaned up a lot of that. I did about 10 hours of non stop exercise that day and I was a bit frazzled at times. But the location was gorgeous and with some brilliant camera work, it is a pretty video. I have been here in this studio for about 14 hours a day for three days now. It has been fun and I am still amazed at the goodness that comes when you stay focussed. I am so grateful. It’s almost 10:00pm, don’t know how much longer I’ll be here tonight. It’s been great.

It’s snowing outside. I’m in Murray Utah editing my exercise DVD. I haven’t had a chance to “get my blog on” as I have been in the throws of getting my exercise DVD prepped, shot, and edited. It is going well, I am happy to say. David Skousen directed it and really did some beautiful lighting. Blaine Stewart was also on camera, is editing as well, also a genius. I have wonderful friends who came to help, working for way less than they normally would–getting it done for an old friend, I am so lucky. We shot it at the Noni Mansion in Lindon. It is a castle on a hill, breathtaking and we laid a “temporary” hard wood floor to create the look of an extraordinary yoga studio. It was amazing. So I stepped away from the edit bay for a moment to share my happy news that it is really coming to life! I can’t wait for you to see it.