Review: Lancome Advanced Genefique Serum

So I have been searching for a new foundation for a while. I've tried a litany of brands and formulas which we will chat about one day soon.  In my quest I got a recommendation from my friend at the Chanel counter and she said - try Lancome.  So I did.  While I was getting help with matching to the correct color, the beauty advisor gave me a sample of the Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate Serum.  She told me that she used it for 5 days and it totally got rid of the texture she had on her skin (which of course was flawless and makes you go "really?  YOU had texture?!?") 

Well guess what?  It worked on my texture as well!  And it was an immediate improvement.

This serum claims to renew your youthful appearance in 7 days by improving radiance and smoothness.  Not only that but it also says it addresses all of the following:  elasticity, resiliency, texture, clarity, skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles, radiance, sagginess and firmness. I have definitely noticed an improvement in most of these areas.  My skin just feels good again.

It is applied after you wash (and tone if you like) your skin.  The packaging is really well done.  Not only is it very pretty and stylish - like enough to leave out on your vanity as decor - but it is super functional.  It comes in a black to white ombre effect glass container with a dropper. 

When you unscrew the top the button for the dropper's plunger releases.  You depress that button and the perfect amount of product is drawn into the dropper.  Dispense this onto clean hands and rub them together to apply to your face and décolleté (avoiding the eye area).  It glides over your skin nicely and sinks in well.  It dries pretty quickly and you can follow up with the rest of your regime.  And when you close the bottle the button on the plunger sinks back down and gives a ridiculously satisfying click when it is closed properly.  

It didn't take long to decide I needed more than the sample I had been given.  I happened to find a discovery set at Sephora which includes a 1 oz. bottle of the serum, a 0.27 oz. sample of the Genifique eye cream and a travel size (AKA sample size) all together for $78.  For perspective, the 1 oz. bottle is also priced at $78 - so it was a good deal.  (And of course I have since ordered the eye cream because I am really loving that too!)

I don't know if this serum works on all 10 signs of aging, but I do know that my skin feels so much different, my texture is minimal to completely gone and my esthetician of four years noticed a difference after just a week of usage. So I'm sold.  Oh and it's patented until 2029 so you might not want to wait around for a dupe.

Genifique Info

Sephora link to discovery set (not sponsored)

Holistic and Intuitive Interior Design

I feel as though I could have written this myself - up to and including the reference to being a Libra! And I definitely do have an affinity for harmony in my life and my space. Although I didn't pen these words myself, mindbodygreen author Emeli Ericsson has produced a great article with some great tips on how to enhance your space and bring in more harmony to help you feel relaxed in your home.  Try out these tips and tricks and see if you notice an increased sense of "belonging" in your space.

8 Interior Design Tips To Feel More At Home In Any Space

Meditation

Meditation is an integral part of achieving and maintaining wellness - especially as our lives become more and more hectic. Modern science is continually proving benefits of meditation that ancient wisdom has always known.  So how can you incorporate meditation in your own life?

Before you start trying to meditate, it is important to realize is that there really is no right or wrong way to meditate.  And - this is the big one - you are NOT trying to get rid of all thought.  We have over 60,000 thoughts a day.  You would be fighting a difficult battle to try and eliminate them! 

So there are no rules and you aren't trying not to think.....so now what?

The most basic way to begin a meditation practice is to simply sit comfortably, close your eyes and focus on your breath.  Notice how full your lungs become as you breathe deeply.  Try to expel your breath fully to make room for fresh oxygen as you take your next inhale.  As you focus on the breath you can even repeat silently "I am breathing in, I am breathing out". 

If you start thinking of something else, just gently reconnect to your breath.  Be kind to yourself.  Remember there is no right or wrong way to do this and you are not going to stop thinking as you meditate so there is no need to get frustrated with this practice.  Just breath.

It's that simple.  You don't need fancy cushions or incenses or chanting.  You don't need to wear orange robes or move to an ashram or monastery.  You can be in the middle of Times Square and close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and there you have it - you've meditated and as a result have changed your physiology and your mindset.    Benefits of Massage

In Ayurveda pranayama - breathwork - is one of the four pillars of health.  Many of us focus on the first two pillars -nutrition and movement - but often overlook or minimize the importance of breath and rest.  So give meditation a try and see how it feels.

And if you don't want to begin your meditation journey alone, join the Chopra Center's 21 Day Meditation Challenge that begins on November 5th.  You can engage with a community of like-minded individuals to learn and practice meditation.      Chopra Center's 21 Day Meditation Challenge

Pink Salt to help combat aging

http://www.wesh.com/news/31065257/detail.html

Massage Available

Beginning May 21st, Prana Holistic is excited to offer massage services!!!

We will offer 30, 60 and 90 minute, Ayurveda-inspired massage at a lovely studio in historic Sanford or we can come to you!

Night and Weekend appointments booking now.

Please call 407.476.8480 to book your massage today!

Spring Greening

I have pretty much mastered the way to make my own bath and body products - which I share with you through Prana Holistic.  So now I have decided to expand to the homefront.  So I have scoured my library of resource books and Pinterest and have been collecting ideas to make my own cleaning products for the home. So far I have found a great powdered laundry detergent, I'm working on the liquid version and I'm on the fence about my dishwasher detergent at this point.  So not bad so far all in all.

Here is the recipe for the powdered version:

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap

You shred the bar soap with a cheese shredder (or a similar attachment on your food processor) then mix it with the other two ingredients.  And Voila! 

Store in an airtight container.  Use 2 Tbsp. per load of laundry.

I am working on the recipe using my organic bar soap so I know exactly what is in my detergent as far as fragrance and chemicals. I do not think it will be much different.

I will also update on the liquid version once I find enough containers to hold the finished product.

As for the dishwasher.....well, I'm still looking......more to come. 

Massage Therapy

The time is drawing near that I will be able to offer Massage Therapy with a concentration on Ayurvedic wellness!!  Stay tuned for more.....

Mala giveaway by Jewels of Saraswati

http://jewelsofsaraswati.blogspot.com/2012/01/get-fired-up-mala-bracelet-giveaway.html?showComment=1327957182996#c5281971294496719286

Thankful - ever thankful

Usually as another year comes to a close I am so filled with hope for the new year that I don't really reflect upon the closing year - well at least not in a positive manner.  I generally think "good riddance - that was a painful year".  Then I saw that one of my favorite yogi (@kathrynbudig) jumped out of a plane for her first solo skydive as a thank you gift to 2011.  That got me thinking.....

At first I was pretty convinced that it would be much easier to write my intentions for 2012 than it would be to find much to be thankful to 2011 for....NOT SO!!!

I found so many big - huge - things that happened this year that made me so filled with joy and hope and inspiration.  I took joy from friends having excellent years - getting new jobs, having babies, buying their first home (some doing more than one of these in 2011).  Then I realized that there were as many small things to be thankful to 2011 for - including being able to sit outside in the warm sunshine while I wrote down my thoughts!!

I hope this is an exercise that you will consider.  It was a very uplifting experience.  Gratitude is so precious and as 2011 ticks away, I am profoundly grateful for so many people, experiences and opportunities to learn.  I defined this year, when all was said and done, as the year that I moved more fully into who I am.  I am calling it metamorphosis.  So to each of you - many thanks for 2011 and continued blessings for 2012.

Namaste,

Julie

This is not the way forward

On the anniversary of women be "given" the right to vote - Christine O'Donnell sets the women's movement back 40 years.

Dear Ms. O'Donnell:

In my opinion, if you publically speak out against masturbation and your support of abstinence for teens you have opened the door for debate on these views.  I find it reprehensible that this woman is claiming that someone asking her about topics - that she herself brought into the public arena and has recently written about in her new book - is creepy.  I find it creepy that you, Ms. O'Donnell went on an MTV show and discussed masturbation.  Really creepy actually.  Like incredibly creepy.  How dare you get upset when someone asks you about your position - especially when you are out trying to get publicity for yourself - I mean your "book".  Let me just tell you something...you can NOT throw around words like "sexual harrassment" so casually.  Many women face true harrassment in their work and lives.  You suggesting that this interviewer was bordering on harrassment is naive, slanderous and childish.  YOU spoke about these topics.  YOU bring them up in your book (supposedly - but of course I won't be reading and supporting your "literary" effort).  YOU are out in public doing interviews.  YOU can not dictate how the public treats you.  Piers Morgan was asking you to define your current positions on these topics.  That's his JOB. And any interviewer worth his or her salt will hone in on the topics the interviewee is trying to wiggle out of.  Which for you, seem many. This woman has no place in business or politics.  She has set the women's movement back 40 years and made it even harder for women who face true harrassment to be heard and believed.  I am offended and appalled by this woman.  Please don't support her in any way.

O'Donnell: Morgan's questions were 'creepy': http://on.today.com/oJwfqL via @todayshow

Health Benefits of Yoga

An article by Deepak Chopra, MD on the health benefits of yoga.

http://www.thevisualmd.com/expert_panel/deepak_chopra_md/weekly_health_tip_yoga%E2%80%99s_health_benefits

Special-needs students use meditation to control behavior - Philly.com

Practicing meditation is a great stress-reliever and has been shown to have physiological benefits as well. It's no wonder that applying these techniques have also provided relief to the growing number of children with ADHD and ASD.

Special-needs students use meditation to control behavior - Philly.com

Yoga Journal - Yoga Ayurveda - Yoga for Your Dosha

Yoga is one of the four pillars of health and wellness in a balanced Ayurvedic lifestyle. And although many people have tried yoga, most are unfamiliar with the holistic approach to wellbeing that Ayurveda can bring to their life. So although the practice of yoga is a fantastic body/mind/spirit exercise, you should factor in your particular dosha to help you determine the best form/style of yoga for you. All yoga is not created equal when it comes to supporting your particular dosha. Although "hot" yoga (Bikram) is currently very trendy, if you are predominately Pitta, this form of yoga would actually be detrimental to you as it increases the fire in your system and puts you even more out of balance. Some of the symptoms you may find after attending a hot yoga session are skin erruptions, heartburn and even anger - all signs that Pitta is too high. However, Kapha people would do well to ignite their core in this manner so it would be an excellent option for them. So use your dosha as a guide and select the yoga style that is most supportive to keeping you in balance. And remember that by incorporating Ayurveda into your "off-the-mat" practice you can increase your vitality even more.

Yoga Journal - Yoga Ayurveda - Yoga for Your Dosha

TEDxAustin Robyn O'Brien 2011

The video of Robyn O'Brien's TED presentation is an eye-opening account of how our food supply, and the subsidies that support it, have created an American crisis, not just a health crisis, but an economic one as well. Using her industry analyst skills, Robyn investigated food allergies and why they are climbing as such astronomical rates. Some of her research is presented in the video below. It is an engaging, and frightening, presentation.

Did you know that if a person moves to the US their chance of getting cancer goes up 4-fold?!? And that organic farmers not only do not get subsidies from the government, they have to pay additional fees to go through the certification process? No wonder organic food is more expensive. But is it? The rise in healthcare costs associated with environmental disease costs 16% of our GDP. And if 9 out of 10 cases of breast cancer are environmentally-linked as opposed to genetically - doesn't that mean we should be funneling resources to improve the quality of the environment and food supply? As Ayurveda teaches, it is not about treating the SYMPTOM, true health is achieved by determining the root of symptomatic discomfort and restoring the body to balance. It seems that by addressing the food supply issues in Robyn O'Brien's talk we would finally be focusing on the root of the healthcare issue in our country.

Natural Beauty | Ayurvedic Beauty Rituals

Ayurveda believes that looking good is a reflection of health. It makes sense really. Glowing skin, strong nails and luxurious hair are all outward signs of internal health. But so too taking care of our outward health can improve our internal health. Topical applications of essential oils and herbal poultices can provide a tremendous boost to our internal functioning. In that vane, here is an article from Yoga Journal regarding some of the natural beauty rituals of Ayurveda. Try out some of their suggestions and let me know how you feel.

Natural Beauty Ayurvedic Beauty Rituals

Shopping Cart

I am working diligently on creating a shopping cart so that reorders will be easier for my clients.  I'm not exactly a programming whiz, but I'm getting the hang of it and should be able to unveil it prior to the Lake Mary Farmer's Market this coming Saturday.  So stay tuned!!

Yoga halves irregular-heartbeat episodes: study | Reuters

Yoga halves irregular-heartbeat episodes: study Reuters

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is Sanskrit for “Science of Life” and is a holistic system of breath, movement, meditation and nutrition.  Based on a 5000 year old tradition of healing, Ayurveda seeks to help each individual live in balance with their own unique constitution.  When a person becomes unbalanced from their natural set-point, symptoms and disease present themselves as an indication to re-align their lifestyle to be in harmony with their true nature.

 The main tenet of Ayurveda is in that the human body is composed of the exact same elements as the Universe and each unique individual has varying amounts of these elements within.  This unique combination of elements makes up our constitution (or dosha).  There are five elements:  Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Space.  Space or Ether is probable one many of us are unfamiliar with. Space is the openness within which matter can exist or the emptiness in which the other elements can exist.  It can be thought of as vibration and is represented by sound.

According to Ayurveda, we are all born with all five of these elements in different strengths and combinations. This natural and unique setpoint is called our constitution or dosha.  When we are predominated by Fire and Water, we are said to be the dosha of Pitta.  Air and Space is called Vata and Earth and Water predominated people are Kapha.  Since we all have each of the five elements, most of us are combination of the three main doshas:  Pitta/Kapha, Vata/Pitta, Kapha/Vata.  True wellbeing, with the absence of disease, is achieved when we maintain balance of the elements according to our unique doshas.  Symptoms of unbalance manifest themselves in different ways based on the dosha that is out of balance.

In a more simplistic manner – have you noticed that when certain people get upset they have intestinal distress when others break out in hives or others start sweating profusely?  We all have different ways that we manifest unbalance.  Some people scream and yell.  Others get very quiet. Some cry, some laugh.  Many times we attribute such things to “human nature” and that is partially correct.  It is more accurate to say that we behave in such a way based on our dosha.

Throughout this blog, we will talk about doshas and how to determine our own and what we can do to identify what throws us out of balance and what can help us remain in balance.  It is not a “one size fits all” approach.  It is about getting to know ourselves and using the techniques that will balance us – not everyone, just us.  Not the fad of the day, or the low-fat/carb/taste diet of the moment.  It is about getting to know how our bodies are made and allowing them to live in balance according to our unique needs.  We will talk about taste and movement and mediation and smell and sleep and sound.  It is a holistic approach because health is not achieved in a vacuum.  And we will explore how purpose can impact the outcome.

With that…

Namaste,

Julie

Farmer's Market Success!

Well Saturday marked my first adventure at the Sanford Farmer's Market and it was so much fun!!  I've spent the past 2 months at the flea market but the demographic is not quite right for an organic/natural bath and body product line.  But the experience was valuable in helping me prepare for the farmer's market.  It is an incredible little market with such amazing products!  I've already made friends and found many new clients - and that was on the first day!  I can't wait to be considered a regular fixture there!! 

The farmer's market is located in the courtyard area off of First Street in downtown Sanford.  http://www.sanfordfl.gov/events/farmers_market.html

If you are interested in the products I produce, you can check out my website at http://www.pranaholistic.com/.  The shopping cart will be functioning soon, but in the meantime, you can email me at info@pranaholistic.com if you see something you like.

Real Food

Prana is abundant in “real” foods, especially foods that are cooked fresh and consumed right away.  Not only does that tomato you just picked in the garden have more taste than the ones you buy at the grocery store that have been picked prior to being ripe to endure a long-distance journey to your local supermarket, they also have more Prana.  More Prana means that your body will be able to process the food more proficiently and benefit even more from the nutrients the tomato possesses. Although we have all been told “you are what you eat”, in Ayurveda it is actually “you are what you digest”.  Bottom line, we digest food with more Prana much more efficiently.

So you live in the middle of New York City and can’t grow your own tomatoes?  OK – I’ve been there.  But with a little creativity, I was able to manage to get my hands on really fresh vegetables all year long.   Here are some options….

Use indoor growing mediums such as hydroponics to grow small vegetables and herbs at home

I loved walking into my living room to pick fresh lettuces for my salad!  And the full-spectrum lighting that is used to grow plants indoors is a great mood enhancer if, like me, you suffer Seasonal Affective Disorder from the long, dark winters.

Take advantage of community gardens to grow your own food

In my neighborhood there were multiple gardens to choose from. These are great urban oases that are doing a tremendous job in bringing agriculture into the inner city.  Google “community gardens” in your city for a local listing of options.

Work with a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group or co-op and get in-season fresh vegetables each week

Buy shares in a working farm which entitle you to a certain amount of produce each week.  Some co-ops and CSA’s have a work requirement as part of their membership, such as so many hours working in the co-op.  In New York, another option is to try Urban Organics for fresh organic produce delivered fresh from the farm to your door each week.

Shop at the local farmer’s market

Of course New York’s Union Square is a fantastic market, but local communities have many of their own markets to choose from.

For a list of local farmer’s markets and CSA’s, check out:  http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/

Real food is one of the easiest ways to increase Prana. We all eat.  So if you start making food choices that increase your Prana you can make a profound impact on your wellbeing.

 Start incorporating real food into your meals and see what affect it has on you.

With Purpose and Prana,

Julie