The inspirational Allan Lokos had it right when he said, “Compassion is not complete if it does not include oneself.” And while we can discuss compassion until we are blue in the face, the fact of the matter is: you can’t truly experience compassion for another person until you’ve really experienced compassion for yourself. Because, although our intentions may be good, if we keep giving and giving and giving without taking anytime to give to ourselves, well, then our giving is inauthentic and eventually we are going to feel totally depleted. A self-love practice is not selfish, it’s necessary. It helps us to heal our internal wounds, allowing us to release all that is draining our energy so that we can refill our cups before we head back out into the “real world,” which is beautiful and fun and exciting and, often times, exhausting. It's through self-love that we have so much more to give to others.
So if you consider spa treatments to only be luxuries, I would have to beg to differ. Taking care of yourself and allowing your body (and mind) to take a break is the ultimate practice of self-love. And you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to show your self a little tender, loving care. In fact, with a little innovation and a few affordable (and body and earth-friendly) products you can bring the spa right into your home.
This post is a glimpse into my personal “spa day,” a little piece of my self-care practice. My “spa day” is a day where I let myself chill and relax, and focus on feeling good, both on the outside and on the inside. I like to try and treat myself to a self-love spa day once a week, but because life is life, sometimes they happen every two or three weeks. Mind you, I am no esthetician, but I know what works for me!
What I Recommend:
- Organic Coconut Oil
- Malie Plumeria Shampoo & Conditioner
- Malie Plumeria Body Polish
- Malie Plumeria Beauty Oil (Optional, but recommended if you need extra hydration)
- Your Favorite Essential Oils (Mine are doTERRA Peppermint and Lavender, but find what works for you!)
- Good tunes (Lately I’ve been diggin’ Spotify’s Mellow Beats, Afternoon Acoustic, and my always favorite Trevor Hall Radio)
- Candles, incense, sage or palo santo
- Your favorite wine or tea (Like I even needed to mention it!)
- Any other tools or trinkets that bring you into a state of peace and serenity (crystals, figurines, art, a good book, blank paper and a pen, etc.)
Side Note: Your skin is your largest organ, so please be mindful as to what products you chose to use on your body as they can quickly absorb into your bloodstream. It’s also important to be aware of what’s in your self-care products because once you wash them off and send ‘em down the drain, they will eventually end up in our oceans. And hopefully you are well aware of the terrible issues with microbeads (if not a simple Google Search will inform you).
With that being said, this is one of the reasons I love to use Malie Organics. Malie (pronounced mah-lee-ay) means calm, serene tranquility (and isn’t that what you want from your self-love spa day?). They are an all-natural, luxury spa and beauty line based out of Hawaii. Malie uses only organic, indigenous and sustainably-grown ingredients that are approved for use in cosmetics by the Natural Products Association. In fact, they’ve created a sustainable approach to providing the purest natural ingredients, honoring the land through organic farming and harvesting, and ensuring that the fertile volcanic soil is not depleted and that the flowers and fruits grown for ingredients are in a constant state of renewal. ALL of their ingredients in ALL of their products are safe and non-toxic without any petroleum, mineral spirits, sulfates or parabens. And through their advanced hydrosol distillation process, you can really experience the aromatherapeutic benefits of each botanical in every product. Let me just say, their Plumeria Aroma Collection makes you feel as if you’re floating in a sea of frangipani. It will immediately teleport you to a tropical paradise!
OK so here’s what I do:
Disconnect. Most important thing! NO phone, NO television, NO computer… Well only for the good tunes but try to avoid social media, work, and mindless entertainment. Forget about the laundry, the chores, the things you have to get done, they will still be there for you after your spa day, I promise! And you will probably have much more energy to get it all done.
Release. Light some candles. Burn some incense. Sage the shit out of yourself and your surroundings. Meditate, practice yoga, bust out a foam roller, go for a swim or surf in the ocean, journal, draw, paint…. Allow yourself to release any negative talk or energies. Let go of limiting beliefs. Give up old ways of being. Move on from whatever happened yesterday or last week or last month. LET GO of what was and use this time to set an intention to be completely present. Allow yourself to really enjoy your self-love spa day. Oh, and if you’re going in the ocean, try and wet your hair with fresh water first so it doesn’t absorb the dehydrating salt water… This is something I’m trying to be better about!
Coconut Oil Hair Treatment. Brush your hair first to untangle and to remove and dry, dead skin on your scalp. Begin to massage the coconut oil (I like to add some peppermint and lavender to help soothe my dry scalp) into your hair from the roots to the ends. And let me tell you, I saturate my scalp and hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes or longer. You could use this time to meditate, journal, draw, read, or go for a stroll on the beach.
Exfoliate with Malie Body Polish. Yay for no microbeads! Naturally remove dead skin, hydrate, and nourish your body with this sugar scrub that’s filled with goodness like: jojoba oil, castor oil, coconut oil, plumeria, rose petals, vitamin E, and grapefruit seed extract. Did I mention how amazing these products smell? Trust me, your skin will thank you! Take it outside to create a connection with nature or stay in the privacy of your own home.
Shower & Shave. Hop in the shower, or go outside with the hose. Rinse off the Body Polish and notice how silky, smooth your skin feels. Wash out the coconut oil with Malie’s Plumeria Shampoo and Conditioner. Did I mention how amazing they smell? Plumeria is known as an effective hair and skin conditioner and moisturizer and the smell helps to relieve stress and anxieties while creating a feeling of peace and serenity. Plumeria oil is also considered to have strong antioxidant properties, which eliminates free radicals in the body that damage cells and slow cell growth. If you need to shave, do it after using the Body Polish for an extra close shave. A little coconut oil can be used as shaving cream as well!
Hydrate Some More. Apply a leave-in conditioner or serum to hair, lotion or body oil on skin. I recommend the Malie Beauty Oil which can be used on both the hair and the skin. Add some peppermint or lavender oil to soothe achy muscles and to help boost the relaxation factor.
Sit back and Relax. Enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea. Cheers yourself for practicing SELF LOVE! Give yourself time to just be, to not have to be doing anything, or if it makes you happy, immerse yourself into something that brings you joy and nourishes your soul (no work!). Notice how awesome you feel and allow this feeling of peace, serenity and rejuvenation to trickle over into the next day and into any interactions you have with others.
I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts! How do you incorporate a self-love practice into your life? I wanna know! Leave a comment below.
Sat Nam, salties.
xo