Winter Beauty Rituals: Morning, Afternoon, Evening

According to Ayurveda nature in autumn and winter is ruled by cold, wind, flux and dryness. Changing climate patterns affect every one of us, and we reflect current states of natural world deep inside us, at a cell level. If your type of dosha is Vata (in other words, air, wind and space dominate in your constitution), your transition and immersion into winter will feel especially sharp. Vata losing its balance may cause dehydration, dryness of skin, lowered flexibility of muscles and joints, dryness and fragility of hair, “lazy” blood circulation. Your Vata dosha urgently needs to restore its balance, so here are some tips…

Morning: Lena

– the first thing I do in the morning is drink water with a slice of ginger and a pinch of turmeric. These spices bring warmth, facilitate metabolism (firing up agni), besides these nature given antiseptics help resist viruses and colds.

– go on with doing Surya Namaskar several times. Asanas sequenced with breathing for sun salutation make you cheerful and clean your energy channels.

– then I do Tibetan exercises. They help to maintain muscles, joints and ligaments elastic. This routine really warms me up, filling with energy and power.

– afterwards do several extra exercises: lying down I stretch up limbs and shake them as fast as I can, then I massage arms and legs couple of times (as if I’m putting on long stockings and long gloves). That helps to improve blood circulation and to fight vessels’ minor obstructions. In the end I straighten up my spine, stretch my arms and legs, then massage my belly with the clockwise circular motions.

 – time for a short meditation, say 15 minutes. I sit still, watch my breath and try not to think about anything. It soothes me, balances breathing, helps to recuperate after exercising. I pray and praise universe.

– I take hot shower and massage the body with our Citrus salt scrub. Massage with salt and oils stimulates blood circulation, tonifies skin and enriches it with nutrients. After shower I hydrate skin, using our Rose floral water and apply “It’s all about rehydrated skin” Jojoba & Palmarose oil.

– while it’s cold my main breakfast staple are porridges and gruels with added flax seed, species, honey and ghee. This stuff warms, nourishes, oils body from inside. To treat myself a bit I enjoy my coffee with cardamom and ginger. 

Morning: Nastya

Just before winter I start to feel like a fish captured in a frozen lake untill spring: stiff limbs, unhealthily pale complexion, very dry skin and so on. That’s why my preferred morning beauty ritual is a visit to gym and sauna. I run or ski for about twenty minutes, then go basking. Morning heat charges me real good, I don’t feel sleepy or too relaxed, I ride my wave and do it in style. After sauna I always apply our “Hemp and Flax” detox mask, rinse it away and then immediately – while skin is clean, warm and wet – use our “IT’S ALL ABOUT REHYDRATED SKIN» Walnut and Lavender body oil. Sauna-treated skin «eats» all of it pretty fast. I massage the body with our “Warming” salt scrub. I try to make it to the gym at least 3 mornings a week. After such start one feels determined to spend rest of the day in a proper way: swap coffee for something healthier, learn fresh knowledge or start playing a new table game with the fam.

Afternoon : Lena

If time allows I take my thermos flask and try to pick a route to work through a park, or along a river, so that there is nature, smaller plants, trees or unobstructed horizon. If I can slow down and just sit for five minutes, to breathe air, to contemplate water or trees or both, and top it all with our “Harmony and Beauty” tea… it makes everything look simpler and easier. During the day I try to eat warm soups, have less raw vegetables, and more braised or steamed ones. To alleviate the cooling effect of vegetables and fruits (if you are mostly Vata, you already feel cold in autumn and winter), bake, poach or even boil them more often.

Afternoon: Nastya

My little midday beauty ritual, especially suitable for the slushy seasons like late autumns and early springs is picking a very bright outwear. A coat or raincoat which makes you want to go outside whatever the weather is. Colours of my mood are turquoise, yellow, red. Besides, bright colours recharge not just you, but also people passing by and the landscape in general. As for the black and pastel hues, they can wait till summer.

Evening: Lena

Inner peace calls for a cosy home. Since it gets dark in winter rather early, I switch on various lamps and lights, and put on warm pajamas and soft socks.

For dinner candles get lit, because flame is a living energy and because it helps to make things feel beautiful and cosy.

During the cold season I take a hot long bath at least once a week. It calms nerves, cleans pores, hydrates skin and relaxes. After bathing I massage the body with our “It’s all about freshness” body candle. http://botanicgarden.eu/shop/bath-body-natural-candle-its-all-about-freshness/

Colds also re-awaken the desire of listening to classical music, so a visit to philharmonic hall is a winter beauty ritual of its own kind.

Evening: Nastya

Once a week I by all means go for a session of facial massage. This ritual is new but it stuck with me really fast and became a genuine neccesity, just like a weekly visit to sauna for wellness and meetings with friends. In combination with our organic nourishment and hydration products massage is a miracle maker. It’s a great way to firm up facial contours, relieve stress, restore skin’s healthy colour, as well as to simply improve one’s moods and raise self-confidence.

I like that in our massage program developed in cooperation with the esthetician and massage therapist Julia Shiryaeva, you don’t have to use those products which are usually ‘prescribed’ by a massagist. You can hand pick everything needed from us – depending on your skin type and constitution and bring it along to Julia. She will make you feel heavenly. Try to open your eyes while being massaged, and you’ll see how fabulously Julia’s hands are moving. It will feel very close to a Hula dance from Hawaii – longing for love and unity with forces of nature – with your happy face in the spotlight. http://botanicgarden.eu/shop/massage-gift-card-facial-massage-oils/

Finally, one shared ritual from both of us – for every hour of the day:

Always remember the little joys of living, the here and now, the fact that path, road and every step are more important than goals and destinations. Heart is your compass helping to stay on track. If you do everything with your heart put into it, then the road will take you  where needed. It’s very important to live your life in real time when everything has its meaning – everything we think, do, see, feel “at the moment”. And if daily hustle is trying to take you away from yourself, then friends, family, good books and music will help to restore your bearings to living for real. We will share our favourite sources of power and inspiration in the next article. Have a great day 🙂