Inside Out Facial Reflexology & Yoga

11/11/2021

When I practice (rare because I’d rather learn than do) Diện Chẩn Facial Reflexology, I look to nature to provide. I have “a thing” about using local ingredients for massage. Wild Fennel and Olive Oil (Funcho Selvagem e Azeite ) are abundant here and is my new favorite oil for hair and skin. Easy to gather, easy to make and a nice gift to send someone home with. Fennel has amazing benefits for hair and skin.

23/09/2021

Ustrasana (Camel Pose) - one of my favorite poses especially after a run. I like the stretch gives along the front of my body, remember not to crunch the neck.

An excellent prepatory pose is Virasana (Hero Pose). If you are practicing Ustrasana for the first time instead of putting the front of your feet flat on the floor it is acceptable to flex them, making it easier to touch the heels.

29/01/2021

The full moon was not visible last night through the fog but nature’s silhouettes and sounds were.

23/01/2021

“There are two mistakes along the way to mastery; not starting it and not going all the way.” - unknown

Finally I made it to Portugal, landing in Lisbon on Nov 26, nearly two months ago! I did not do what I should have/could have to manage the stress of moving in the middle of a pandemic with two dogs to another country. Factor in that we (me and the dogs) really hadn’t settled since our return to the USA in November of 2019.

Frustrated by my inertia to continue my yoga practice during the month prior to leaving the USA caused me to pay a heavy price, a severe case of shingles in late December on my face and in my eye, triggered of course by stress. I neglected to take the measures I knew would keep my body, mind and spirit in balance. Weeks of pain and recovery followed, all of which was preventable.

Unable to come up with an acceptable answer for myself, frustrated until a Tedtalk appeared on my feed with Master Sheng Heng Yi, the Master of the Shaolin Temple in Germany-there was my answer. I had on several occasions followed his Qigong videos. This resonates deeply with me and now I share it with you.

“Five Hindrances to Self Mastery”.

Meet Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi in his serene talk about self-discovery. Learn why rainfall is an essential part of each flowering. And every small step – pa...

08/10/2020

Dry Brushing and Self Massage

We live in SUCH stressful times, kids at home, no kids, alone, covid, working/not working, the condition of the world, and lockdown. There is no time like now to take a few minutes each day for Self Massage and Dry Body Brushing, it’s free, full of physical, emotional and mental benefits and it intimately involves only you.

Dry Brushing

Dry brushing and self massage are a quick and easy way to be good to you and your body, believe me, your body, mind and spirit will appreciate it. Including this in your morning routine will add a few minutes of time but a day full of benefits.

I don’t have dry skin but dry brushing feels soooo good. Dry brushing is wonderful for sloughing off dead skin but more importantly, improves lymphatic drainage and circulation. Not promoting any products but while in China visiting my son and daughter in law I fell in love with a brush she had from The Body Shop. I like the natural look, softness of the bristles and the price, $12, aptly named, The Round Body Brush.

Self Massage

After showering pat your body dry leaving some dampness. Take your favorite oil, I like Coconut, and perform a self massage, starting with massaging your hands, work up the forearm, upper arm, shoulder across the chest, don’t forget to massage the base of your neck/collarbone and breasts, to the other side and down. Take a little bit more oil (a lot is never necessary) massage the belly in circles (excellent for the colon) move around to the buttock, down the thigh, calf, heel, foot and repeat on the other leg.

Remember to stroke upwards towards the heart to improve circulation.

About the Belly

Cats, and many animals, will only expose their bellies to those they trust. It is a very vulnerable part of our bodies and no wonder, a lot happens in the belly area. Question, how often do you touch your belly? Through belly massage we can directly connect with energy, digestive, emotional and sexual sources within our body. All ancient medicines hold the belly as an energy source. Traditional Chinese Medicine & Vietnamese Medicine believe that the belly, just below the navel, is where Jing is turned into Chi, this area is called the Elixir of Life field. Ayurveda holds that the belly is home to the Second Energy Source the Sacral Chakra – emotions, desire and sexuality. It is important that we include the belly in any self massage and a good way to stay tuned to yourself and your energy.

Oil

I use Coconut Oil which is best for my Pitta Dosha. Sesame Oil is excellent for Vata & Kapha Dosha. I don’t buy anything fancy, a simple organic oil is perfect.

After washing my hands I then perform a 12 Step Vietnamese Face Massage, for my face I use the same Coconut Oil and you should use whichever serum, lotion, oil you prefer.

There you have it, a few extra minutes after your shower improves digestion, physical appearance, energy, circulation and lymphatic drainage. If you can’t schedule this each time you shower try at least once per week, after all, no one will be as good to as you.

26/09/2020

Meditation Video intentionally has no image. Yoga Nidra is the “Yoga of Sleep” bringing the body to that stage of relaxation that occurs just before sleep. This 20 minute practice is specifically focused on relaxation, anxiety and stress.

I was intrigued when I first began to learn about the restorative and healing powers of Yoga Nidra, ‘the yoga of sleep”. Further down the rabbit hole I discovered a wealth of scientific evidence affirming it’s direct impact upon anxiety, stress, PTSD and trauma.

How you might ask? Because the body is amazing. During Yoga Nidra the body is resting while the mind enters an alpha state, allowing for communication between the sub conscious and conscious. This “downtime” allows the brain to have crucial healing “uptime”. Remember the expression, “stuck in a rut”? This brain uptime allows for the creation of new neural pathways, literally, getting you unstuck!

03/09/2020

Sheetali (Sitali) Pranayama - Cooling Breath - excellent for cooling down the body, balancing Yin & Yang, Fire & Earth Elements, Digestion,Anxiety, Hot Flashes, and after a Yoga practice. Often used as an “Emergency Breath” if you are feeling agitated, overheated or angry.

For faster impact utilize the Privithi Mudra, (thumb folded and slightly on top of the folded ring finger - other fingers extended) The thumb corresponds to the fire element and the ring finger to the earth element. Through Sheetali Pranayama balance is being brought to these two elements.

13/08/2020

Simple, effective treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

23/07/2020

Certifications in Dien Chan Hanoi Vietnam

23/07/2020

23/07/2020

These are difficult times, many are still on lockdown, many are not working, and though the physical world may establish unwanted boundaries we can still be free in our minds and our thoughts.

From the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a Sanskrit saying, “Kana eva manuṣyanam karaṇam bandha mokṣayoḥ.” As the mind, so the person; bo***ge or liberation are in your own mind.” If you feel bound, you are bound. If you feel liberated, you are liberated. Things outside neither bind nor liberate you; only your attitude toward them does that.

19/07/2020

Ugh- now in the time of Covid masks are a must and not always pleasant, I noticed last week during my morning walk that a layer of slime had accumulated under my mask. Time for a scrub. Because I travel so much a rule of mine is to not accumulate a lot of face products. Two items I ALWAYS carry that are super important to me are coffee and coconut oil. Hence, my morning coffee was upcycled into a super easy, inexpensive, facial scrub. Enjoy!

Morning Joe Facial Scrub

Ingredients: Used Finely Ground Coffee | Oil

Mix the used, finely ground, coffee grinds with a little oil of your choice, I use Coconut Oil.

Make a loose paste, apply to dampened skin, gently rub and rinse. SIMPLE!

A few other options and uses:

Make the paste a little thicker for use as a mask, leave on for 15 minutes – 1 hour.
For aromatherapy add a tiny drop of essential oil to the mix
You can also simply mix the grounds with water for a scrub.
Add only honey to the grounds for a gentle exfoliating lip scrub.
Use only the grounds as a body scrub.