Balance your Qi for An Immune and Nervous System Boost

When we share knowledge freely, we empower each other to rise together. After all, what good is enlightenment without community to share in it and experience together? To be in community and to root for the unfolding of each other's unique “story of you” is the definition of the human experience. 

With that said, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’ve felt anxious and have been fighting grief seeing the damage that COVID-19 has done thus far. 

As empaths (and I do believe that most of us estheticians are empathic by nature), we have the superpower capability to physically experience and deeply sense through the thoughts and feelings of others. 

If you are an empath, you also likely have an easier time giving than receiving. It fills you up to give and makes you feel whole. 

Even an introvert can be pulled out of their shell for the love of how good it feels to give (speaking from experience here), and that’s my why for creating and sharing this truth:

Every bit of light casts a shadow.
Acknowledge & honor both to move forward intentionally. 

As empaths under stress, we may be more susceptible to take on energy of another whether that be a mood, way of thinking, or a physical manifestation of energy (which has been scientifically proven to be stored in our fascia, i.e, fibromyalgia, auto-immune, etc.). 

Fear and stress have been proven to weaken the immune system by psychologists in the field of “psychoneuroimmunology,” which is why it’s critical for all people, and especially those empathic by nature, to protect themselves energetically and physically during times of crisis. 

Currently, it seems like everyone (not only empaths) are having a challenging time putting one foot in front of the other with this mass chaos and hysteria running rampant across the globe. 

I watched Drew Barrymore’s most recent IGTV video where she shared her candid concerns and how they are showing up in her skin: puffiness under the eyes from lack of sleep and pale complexion due to anxiety.

She shared how she puts one foot in front of the other by getting up and simply putting color on her cheeks. That intention of wanting to make the day better, all starts  with a small action, which energizes more action during a time when going about your day with even the simplest tasks like getting dressed and fresh-faced can feel quizzical.

I decided to put Drew’s method to the test, and it ended up inspiring me to turn a stressed out social distance Sunday into a productive, beautiful and fulfilling day spent in self-care. And all I had to do to initiate the shift was apply some medium-tinted moisturizer and mascara. 

That simple action equated to massive motivation and inadvertently gave me the push I needed to take more action for my mental and physical health. 

In that same vein, below are my tried-and-true strategies for not just looking and feeling amazing energetically, but also boosting your immunity to trigger a cascading domino effect of balancing the nervous system, which leads to improving our mental mindset with higher vibrational thoughts. 

If you are up for the challenge, I invite you to try these for yourself and share what works for you with your clients, friends and family because we are all in this together. 

The same way a positive action causes a chain-like reaction of good to flow through us, so do our attitudes. They become contagious to those we surround ourselves with. If you’ve ever heard the saying “show me your friends, and I’ll show you who you are” you can see the correlation of how what we nurture grows and what we speak about, we bring about. 

1) Smudging & Spritzing, rituals have a way of turning simple moments into more special, sacred, moments. 

Cleanliness is next to godliness, so Estheticians must be be holy! 

Ancient Native American energy-clearing techniques like smudging include the burning of plant material to invoke positivity, set intentions, and clear a fresh slate of a sense into your space. 

Start by envisioning the last person’s energy, any lingering entities, or characteristics, situations, etc that you'd like to release & let go of, leaving the room as you move the burning smudge bundle in sweeping motions, starting from the far corners out, through your door. 

{ Sage and palo santo have historically been the choice used for clearing space energetically up until recently when shamanistic practices started trending on #selfcaresunday throwing these plants into high demand and making it no longer sustainable, especially being that to fully benefit from the palo santo, Bursera Graveolens, tree it must be given the time to die naturally, and provide it a four to ten year resting period on the forest floor. Because of this trend, the Palo Santo tree is currently endangered and is on a watch-list. }

With that in mind, we recommend choosing an earth-conscious option for smudging your space like burning cedar, mugwort, rosemary, dried flowers or fruits to err on the side of caution when it comes to buying up a sacred tree simply because it’s trending. 

If the smoke in your space is not yours or your client’s thing, try an aura mist with added benefits of glowing skin. 

For energy balancing skin benefits, I keep the Herbal Hydrating Mist with lavender and chamomile nearby so that in any moment that I want to invoke the presence of peace, I can spritz the mist all over and around. 

If you follow this practice, make sure you get your face to “wash” yourself energetically and breathe deeply. 

As you spritz or smudge, you may choose to repeat an affirmation that feels appropriate while you let the aroma envelope your soul, charging you with serenity. To give you an idea of an affirmation or prayer to clear the space, you may say something like, “Into this plant water, I release all that no longer serves, all negativity, all limiting beliefs, all fears. I invite gentle loving energy, peace, ease, grace, abundance, joy into my space and life”. 

2) Breathe Through the Chaos to Induce Calm

Speaking of breath work, simply breathing in reciprocity with the Earth is enough to quiet mental chatter, the noise of the media, etc., and decrease cortisol (stress molecules) in the body, which can also lead to boosted immunity. 

A regular meditation or breath work practice gives us the permission slip to turn inward and dedicate time to work on our higher Selves. 

When we remember to start with our why, we connect our specific intention to the divine, truthful energy that radiates from our hearts. 
If your why had something to do with making people feel like their best selves, try going back to those intentions for fresh new ideas on how you can be of service.  When we give, we get. 

The shaman that I was fortunate enough to learn from in the sacred valley of Peru, Andres, and who was also my plant medicine guide, is someone whom I explored the one universal consciousness with (which I understand can be dubbed as too “weird box” so I won’t get into that too much here however profound the experience) and learned from on how to use imaginative visualization in order to connect ourselves to the Earth when we breath. 

Start by inhaling to a count of 1…2…3, and as you receive life-giving oxygen provided by the Earth (which allows nutrients to be pumped through our blood) and then exhaling in reciprocity by giving back carbon dioxide, one of the most important gases for Earth’s plant life, mentally picture the process of giving and receiving. Mentally visualizing how we work in tandem with the Earth can be grounding as is walking barefoot on the Earth. 

Another powerful breath-work exercise to release, is speaking the incantation of “ AUM”.

AUM symbolizes the prana or life breath which runs through one's body and is known as the eternal sound of the universe or universal consciousness. We can awaken our higher consciousness (our higher selves is the Seer behind the Seen — consciousness without ego) and infuse every atom of our being with high-vibrational waves by chanting AUM. 

 AUM (or OM'ing as some yogi's say) can also place you in a meditational state which gives you deep relaxation and a multitude of positive benefits.

To sound the first two syllables, open the mouth wide as if you want to take in the

fullness of the universe: A=ahhhh U=uuuu (pursing lips together helps stretch out

the next two syllables), and then place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth to sound the last two  syllables, M=mmmm and -ng, which symbolize the close of the creation cycle.

Or, the simple method of practice for the beginner is to break down the three tone

frequencies to the singular:

A=ahhhh U=uuuu M=mmmmm chanting each separately. When combined these

three sounds create a slightly different sound due to the transitional uuuuuu. That

is; ahhh…ohhh..mmmmm. Or Oooooommmmmmmmm.

3) Hydrate and Find a Meditative Practice Through Herbal Tea 

Herbal tea has long been known to benefit our well-being through hydration and herbal nourishment, and you can take the benefits of herbal tea a step further by cultivating a  gratitude practice that gives thanks for each of the plants as they work symbiotically with our body’s immune system. 

Get started cultivating your practice with the Herbal Skin Solutions Amazonian Rejuvenation Tea Blend, which features a blend of Hibiscus, Lavender , Chamomile, Skullcap, and Yerba Mate that work in harmony to rejuvenate your body and mind while the proceeds go to benefit the rainforest and indigenous people dwelling there. 

You can also raise the vibration of your practice up a notch by adding a meditative stone to your tea.  The lovingly made Crystal wrapped loose leaf tea strainer features calming stones which work in the emotional, spiritual, and physical planes to promote calm, balance, and peace. Each unique crystal is hand-picked and wire-wrapped by your Herbal Skin Solutions family, and you can get a crystal wrapped strainer free with the purchase of two bags of Rejuvenation Tea! Proceeds support the Amazon Front Lines Foundation's effort to provide clean water, homes, and rights to the indigenous people & land affected by the mass of fires that occurred in the Amazon Rainforest this past year.

 

4) Practice Body Scanning Visualization

Body scanning visualization (a practice that can be done anywhere at any time, however, most impactful with eyes closed and imagination on), is a form of self reiki, with your choice of an affirmation or mantra to balance your qi and immunity. 

Start at the feet (for me, it helps to physically touch, and briskly rub, each area through the scan) and acknowledge that body part. Thank them for being so good to you for all these years, transporting you anywhere you want to go at any given time. 

Pay homage to how different your life would be without them. Tell your feet how much you love them and maybe (if you can get past how silly this may feel at first) create a mantra while you create warmth there by rubbing your hands creating friction and hovering them over or holding the area. 

Our thoughts are deeply ingrained. A mantra could be something as simple as “ I am safe, I am protected, I am healthy.” Move up the body until every area has been acknowledged and notice what arises for you. 

Sitting in stillness has a way of breeding clarity. 

However, if you’re not one for sitting still, I invite you to try a buti yoga technique where all you have to do is enthusiastically shake (picture krump dancing), wiggle, and move each and every part of your body to help facilitate the movement of energy so that the fascia does not store emotions (like traumas, fears, and stress), which can manifest into physical ailments.

5) Laughter -- it’s the best medicine! 

Laughing is simply therapeutic. Whether it’s to diffuse depression, negativity, or overly serious and critical moods, laughter is the healthiest form of self-medication. 

And if you’re social distancing and don’t happen to have any company or adult-level humor, I’m pretty sure the entire globe could use a good Netflix & Chill sesh binging on Ellen, Tiffany Haddish, Nick Swardson, Jim Gaffigan and Kevin Harts’ specials!

Does watching the news breed anxious energy in your body? Challenge yourself to plank or lift weights anytime you tune in to keep the energy moving.

6 ) Utilize Facial Reflex Points to Boost Your Immune System and Prevent Disease

Many of our emotions can be directly tied to an impact on the gut, so if you’ve been feeling upset in the tummy due to shot and frazzled nerves, this tutorial from Jackie Van Ruler is a must-watch: Facial Reflex Points to Boost Your Immune System and Prevent Disease. 

{ Pro tip: Pair facial reflexology with ingredients that strengthen the immune system versus chemical products that can weaken it. Neroli Repair Oil is packed with antibacterial, antimicrobial properties, and if your hands are as raw as mine were after traveling, the repair oil is a surefire way to rescue and replenish moisture levels!}

7 ) Strengthen Your Immunity With Nutrients 

Strengthening your immune system starts at the cellular level, which is why it’s critical to choose nutrient-dense foods, especially fruits and vegetables, to infuse your body with the vitamins and minerals. 

And if you’re aiming for an immunity boost plus glowing skin, the more alkaline and full of water the better (think dark leafy greens). 

Starting the day feeling like my best self begins with fresh celery juice. Using a cold press juicer (Aicok is my go-to) compresses the nutrient rich hydration source and with an added teaspoon of high-dose of Liposomal C to the blend (comparable to that in a Myers nutrient therapy IV Cocktail, straight to the bloodstream) your immune system will thank you.

The infusion of vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate, manganese, calcium, riboflavin, magnesium, and vitamin B6 also contains a high percentage of water and electrolytes that can help prevent dehydration, boost cardiovascular health, and decrease inflammation in the body (and yes, stress causes inflammation, so drink up buttercup!). 

And don’t forget Vitamin Sunshine (with spf, hats, and sunnies, of course)! 

Just like house plants, we need enough water and sunshine to look and feel our best, and Vitamin D deficiency is one of the top causes for depression, so lather on the Zinc if you’re a little ghostly, and get out for a walk in nature! Internal Zinc is another great immune support supplement. 

8) Mindset is Everything, Always 

Glass half full or half empty, you get the picture. 

It’s normal for us to feel like we have an off day occasionally or a string of off days. If you’re experiencing being in a funk, what helps me most is to literally wash it off. 

While washing your hair, picture the day running off you, influencing energies you wish to let go of detaching themselves and your mind being purified. 

Remember, every cell of our bodies is living and responds to the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and actions we take. 

And with that sentiment, all of this comes full circle -- when we empower one person, including ourselves, we empower a community. 

If this blog inspires just one person to turn inward, pass the information along, and facilitate a shift toward higher vibrating thought patterns, feelings of peace, and a healthier home for your soul, my time spent here will be fulfilled outside of personal affirmation.

When we speak or write something we put more power behind it which is incredibly therapeutic for me, and I invite our community to do the same by having open dialog and sharing in the comments what personally works best for you and why so others can learn from your experience. After all, we are all living the human experience and aren’t as separate as the constraints of our mind may lead us to believe.

Lastly, in times like these, I want to end on the final reminder that fear has two meanings: fear everything and run or face everything and rise! The choice is yours.