Have You Ever Noticed How You Touch Your Body?
As women, we're taught to clean our bodies very rigorously, often with harsh abrasives, labeled up as 'exfoliators', and touted as a solution treatment to acne. Aging is met with isolated actives such as fruit or dairy-based actives which are designed to loosen the top layer of the skin. We are told not to worry about the by-products which result, such as peeling, red skin. We curl our straight hair, relax our kinky hair, braid, brush and tug on our scalp, then wonder why we have hair loss.
Pay close attention to how you touch yourself when you're engaged in any bathing or grooming ritual. Be mindful of your approach to your own temple, and ask yourself these questions:
How does what I'm doing feel?
What am I thinking about?
What words do I use to describe my body?
Would I touch someone else like this?
This is not to say that a vigorous scrub-down is not beneficial to the body, because it can be, if done properly. It can increase circulation and help rid the body of toxins by stimulating the lymphatic system. But this is more about your own conceptualization of your body and how you interact with yourself on the physical plane.
Part of the self-actualization of women is developing a strong sense of self-love. We often are not taught self-love. We're taught to be critical, unloving, unforgiving, suspicious, and distrustful, not only toward ourselves, but to others. In fact, our treatment of others is often a good indication of how we treat ourselves.
Here are some simple practices you can apply to your daily beauty rituals to improve your approach to your body.
When you're washing your face, body, or hair, take some time to examine the products you are putting on yourself. Look at the ingredients, and do some basic research to determine if these ingredients are beneficial, or harmful to your skin.
Slow down when you are scrubbing or washing your skin or hair. Examine how what you're doing makes you feel.
Speak some words of self-love to each body part as you wash it in the shower or bath. It might seem silly, but try it on a regular basis, and you'll start to notice how much more positive you begin to feel about your body. You may even find yourself loving your body and seeing it as beautiful, if you don't already. An example would be to say, 'I love you cheeks'. Or as you scrub your legs, say, 'You are beautiful", "Thank you for standing and walking and running, and for all of the hard work you do". As you brush your hair, don't focus on your grey, or on curls that won't stay in place, or are difficult to comb through, just say, " You are beautiful and I am so grateful for you".
You can also do this with your exercise regimen. Pay close attention to how you feel during your yoga, or running, or strength routines. This will help to prevent injury or unneeded soreness.