Hey, self-quarantine, nice to know ya.
Now that you have so much time on our hands, might as well do something productive for ourselves Between baking, FaceTime sessions, re-watching The Office (generally surviving) it’s time for us to stop, unwind and do things for ourselves. I, for one, am venturing into beauty meditation. Yes, beauty meditation. It’s a thing. There have been countless articles about glowing skin just from being intentional about it. Could I truly meditate myself into a better complexion? Now was the time to truly put this to the test.
Full disclosure, I’ve rarely meditated before. Outside of the wellness retreats (for stories, of course) and hyper-millennial press events that serve overwhelming positivity straight up with a shot of kombucha, I’ve never been one to really disconnect. In a fast-paced NYC world, meditation seemed relatively futile.
SEE ALSO: How to manage coronavirus-related stress and anxiety
That all changed last week when news of COVID-19 reached fever pitch in the U.S. It was re-branded as a pandemic with hundreds of confirmed cases across the country appeared overnight. ‘“Social distancing” became the buzzphrase that birthed a million memes. Seemingly rational people began stockpiling. For me, the paranoia set in.
That’s when I realized skin meditation was necessary for not only my routine, but life. I discovered a couple of brilliant YouTube videos to lead me along my journey. The combination of breath work and many of the videos’ melodic voiceover became self-care, and whether or not I was completely delusional, I felt my immune system strengthening with each exhale.
Meditating for something specific — like a clear visage — for 15 or so minutes a day, seemed doable when I began last Monday. Placebo or otherwise, I felt like I saw results within several days: old acne was healing faster than ever, milia self-corrected, and the overall texture of my skin altered. But mostly, my mind started to calm down.
As more cities shut down and the mandate remains to limit regular activities to confines of your home, we’ve been forced to fill what feels like a never-ending abyss of time. Couple that with the cabin fever-induced hypochondria, boredom, financial stress, or even just pure loneliness, and you have yourself a breeding ground for anxiety. So what do you do? I’d suggest practicing skin-meditation, it truly changed my life. Here’s how I’m surviving this week.
Head on over to YouTube, and hypnotize yourself out of your funk with the most-effective meditation practices. Here’s what I used, below.
For great skin
Ah, where it all began. After trying several guided meditations, I stumbled on this bad boy. It’s bridges the gap between meditation and hypnosis, which almost makes it easier to buy into. The voiceover gives you a free few minutes at the end of the video to consider your intentions and let go of any remaining stress. I felt an immediate flood of serotonin post-session — something I can only relate to accomplishing a workout.
For a healthy body
If you’re browsing meditation videos and wondering how on earth anyone can commit to a six-hour meditation — never fear, many are intended to focus your subconscious on healing and promoting health overnight. This clip (which has racked up a remarkable 10 million views), relaxes you for sleep while it reiterates the power of the mind when it comes to fixing the body — awakening the mind, surviving the next day– to transform any medicine you’re already consuming into the ultimate weapon to fight what does not serve you.
For lessened anxiety
So you’ve entered a state of panic and are in need of a quick fix: stop, and put this on. It’s a five minute meditation coupled with an instrumental that takes you through breathing exercises to take you out of your head and into your body. It incorporates a repetition component, so you’re forced to fully engage with the meditation — give it a try, we can guarantee you’ll feel instantly at ease.
For financial relief
With a wave of lay offs across the country, the Coronavirus is having an immeasurable impact on the lives of working Americans. If you’re feeling nervous about potentially losing your job, have already been let go or are confronting dwindling work prospects amid the madness, this meditation will train you to attract prosperity. It’s also 8 hours, so pop it on before you sleep and feel free to knock on out.
For a better mood
It may be that what you need most in trying times is just little morale boost. This endorphin meditation invites you to dedicate a quick 10 minutes daily to pivot you toward positivity, let go of what’s concerning you and surrender to what you can’t control — we guarantee you’ll feel better for it.
Photo by Marco Trinidad from Pexels
