My wish for you.

We all have our own life story. Our story is filled with relationships and events that help shape who we are and what we believe to be true about the world.

Depending on our perspective and willingness to grow, our experiences can become fodder for negativity and feelings of victimization, or they can fuel a life of empowerment and continued self-development. Depending on the story we tell ourselves about what happened/happens is what makes the difference.

Take a moment to look at the life story you create for yourself on an ongoing basis. If you generally feel peaceful about the past and trust in your ability to handle whatever comes your way, then you're framing circumstances in a manner that serves you well. On the other hand, if you retain a lot of guilt or resentment and often feel weighed down by life, you may want to start looking in a new or deeper way at past and present events.

No matter who the characters are in your story or what they have done, you are the only one who can give their actions the meaning they will have for you. You are the only one who can define what role you will play in your own life. By taking responsibility for your story, you are able to learn and grow, forgive and find compassion, and most importantly, move into a brighter future.

From now on, you can choose a life story that supports you. Let it be proof of your own resilience and creativity. Be kind with the roles you give yourself and generous with how many chances you get to learn what you need to know. When you remember that you are the author of your own story, you are free to create a masterpiece.

Green Tea for Glowing, Smooth Skin - 3 DIY Recipes to Try

I've been looking for more ways to incorporate green tea into my daily life. Not only are teas like matcha and green sencha nourishing antioxidant sources, they are also amazing additions to any skin care routine.

I tend to have dry, sometimes red and irritated skin that’s reactive to the sun as well as synthetic ingredients. I’m a gardening and hiking nut and a general outdoor enthusiast, so you can imagine just how important it is to try to keep my skin in balance. Green tea has been a wonderful way to calm down my skin and offer it some much-needed relief.

From facial steams, soothing body butters to cooling sprays, the addition of green tea is so refreshing after hours spent in the garden, or a long day of work. When used in a skincare routine, it can help with minor skin irritations and redness as well as rejuvenate and protect the skin.

Some people even report toning and brightening effects due to the caffeine content found in green teas. These qualities are especially true of matcha tea! I have found that my skin has a glow when I use my matcha green tea body butter regularly. And let’s not forget that matcha, as well as other green teas, contain catechins, a polyphenol that is known for its antioxidant power and which is known to help reduce build-up on the skin.

How to Use Green Tea for Skin Care: There are many ways you can incorporate green teas into your skin care routine. I often begin by making a strong infusion either in water, carrier oil like jojoba, olive oil or witch hazel. I ove how versatile infusions can be and they are always lovely to have on hand.

Another simple option is to brew a strong blend of green tea with your favorite calming herbs and harness the power of steam. Sometimes I’ll even pour myself a little glass of tea while I prepare my recipe.

Here are 3 simple skin care recipes that each incorporate green tea for a refreshing and rejuvenating routine. These

If you need a gentle reminder....

What tiny happy things do you love?

If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, it may be time to start shaking up your daily routine to help your body + mind feel energized again. We’re not talking about a massive commitment to overhaul your entire life. As you’ll discover after trying one or two of these ideas, it’s often the little changes that make the biggest difference. Tiny modifications here and there can greatly improve your quality of life!

Small changes = big impact over time.

Pick up a new hobby
Whether it’s learning a new language, attending an art class, lecture or volunteering at a local charity, finding a new hobby is a great way to take some time for yourself. It helps keep your brain sharp + gets you out of your comfort zone. It’s also a great way to meet new people. Trying new things also brings a renewed sense of well-being and confidence. We’re never too old to learn something new!

Take a morning walk
Breathing in some fresh morning air is sure to help brush away the mental cobwebs and begin the day in a good mood. Walking in the morning can actually help you sleep better at night too, as natural daylight helps set the melatonin (sleep hormone) response for the evening. You can actually improve your sleep by taking a morning walk! Walking is also an incredibly underrated form of exercise that can strengthen your heart and lungs, reduce the risk of stroke, improve blood pressure, ease joint pain, and much more.

Make time to read every day
Not only is taking time to read an act of self-care, but it can actually help improve long-term neurological function. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fiction junkie, love to read memoirs, or just want to disappear in a good old-fashioned romance novel, your body and mind will thank you for it.

Use sunscreen
Regardless of whether it’s a sunny day or not, using sunscreen daily is imperative for both short + long-term health. Preventing sun damage and great, natural sunscreen options available these days you can easily find the one that best fits

A gentle reminder for your day

Try These Two Edible, Organic Skincare Recipes
“The world is a mere spontaneous creation of Brahman. It is created out of Bliss, by Bliss and for Bliss. It is created from the waves of Beauty and Bliss.” ~ Ram Shanker Misra, On Sri Aurobindo

The same beauty that makes a flower so elegant, that makes a sunrise so refreshing, a sunset so magical, the whole of the natural world so inspiring, is in you. It is a beauty that arises from a force, an intelligence, a state of being often called pure consciousness. Beauty is pure consciousness expressed through your physiology which is reflected in your physical being.

Just as pure consciousness projects into the manifest world as light, when you are healthy and balanced, beauty radiates through you as a luminescence. The same intelligence in nature that creates beauty can help the beauty in you shine bright.

The right ingredients, drawn from their source - the pure essence of nature versus synthesized in a laboratory - potently deliver the self-correcting, self-regulating, anti-aging, healing wisdom of that life force that emanates from pure consciousness.From nature’s harvest then, you can make my own “beauty” products from the very food you eat.

Below are a few edible beauty recipes from Dr. Manisha Kshirsagar, the the author of Enchanting Beauty: Ancient Secrets to Inner, Outer & Lasting Beauty and an Ayurvedic Doctor practicing in Aptos, California.

Rose Cleanser
For Normal to Dry Skin
This Rose Cleanser thoroughly cleans the face, neck and eye area while nourishing normal skin. Rose is a natural astringent so there is no need to follow with a toner. Rose is also anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and uplifting in its aroma.

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup organic oatmeal (buy gluten free if you're sensitive!)
2 teaspoons rose water
1 teaspoon ghee or almond or sunflower oil

Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture gets smooth and creamy. Put it in a glass c

A Gentle Reminder for Today:

-You do not have to do more.
-You do not have to be more.
-You are enough just as you are.

Your friendly reminder to pause + take a minute for yourself today.