By Jenny Little
W
e live in a world that is very complex. Our society is now so globally interconnected that our connection with the people around us has to be maintained with conscious effort. This hyper-awareness has afforded us all the knowledge and resources to reach our highest potential. However, often this always-buzzing awareness of what else is out there and where / who we are not has the opposite and converse effect on our growth process, drowning out our inner sense of courageous confidence and unwavering empowerment that can be found when we wander our own paths in peace.
How can we better preserve that self-worth and inner peace in a society that is constantly sending us messages that strip us of it? As someone whose profession is focused on wellness, it is my belief that a mix of meditation, yoga, and inward reflection is the answer to begin strengthening and deepening human connection with ourselves and with those around us.
Meditation:
Empower your morning with a fifteen-minute meditation practice (or a little bit more, on days when the kids wake you up extra early). For an easy starting point, take five minutes of deep breathing before getting out of bed in the morning. Place your hand on your belly, and with your eyes closed, feel the natural rise and fall of your stomach, and notice the space that inhaling and exhaling creates.
At work (Hiatus Spa), I use the first five minutes of each treatment session focusing my clients solely on their breath. This allows them to let go of what they have been holding in and onto all day. We cannot expect any energy or thought to flow freely within us when not even the breath can.
Yoga:
Tuning out the noise is a vital part of evolving your spirit, and that combination of figuring out what works best for you is different for everyone. One practice I always suggest is yoga. It is the gateway drug to true body confidence. Confidence comes from tuning into your body and tuning out all of the external noise. For people who have spent years disconnected from themselves and fixated on external messages, connecting breath and movement is such a powerful and magical ritual.
Reflection Inward:
We receive endless messages and signals throughout our daily lives that can affect our self–confidence and sense of empowerment. Mirrors, for example, have trained us to listen to all our feedback from the outside. One of the most powerful things I have done for my internal confidence was to not look in a full–length mirror for about six months. Instead, I spent the time asking myself how I felt in an outfit or how my body felt in the morning, trying to look from the inside out. To this day, I always end a treatment session at work asking my clients how their skin feels, but I never offer them a mirror. The internal sense of self and beauty is far more empowering than any outside impression a mirror or others give us.
Jenny Little
Contributor
Jenny Little is the lead esthetician at Hiatus Spa at the Pearl in San Antonio, Texas. She approaches skincare as a whole body experience. Little’s work as an esthetician draws from many modalities including yoga, reiki, crystal magic and aromatherapy. She lives in San Antonio with her spirited daughter, and her favorite past times include enjoying sunny days outside, riding bikes and reading a fantastic book while sipping the perfect glass of iced tea. Connect with Jenny Little on Instagram @delightjenny and book an appointment with her at HiatusSpa.com.