I have been participating in yoga for about two years now, but meditation is a new practice for me. I am in the process of going through a new career path, which has caused me to have many sleepless nights and anxiety. I was in an unhealthy working environment for four years and that starts to take a toll on your mental heath and body so it was a change in the right direction, however that does not ease the anxiety of the “unknown.” 

Luckily, my husband and family are very supportive of my decision, but now it’s about taking the right steps to move forward towards my goals. One of the new journeys I am embarking on in 2020 is the practice of meditation.

I have read countless articles and books debating if I should waste my time with meditation or not. I read various celebrities such as, Beyonce, Oprah and Gwen Paltrow meditating everyday. Some celebrities even contribute their success to the art of meditation. If you read the secret, I used to associate meditation with manifesting but that’s not really the case. There are proven scientific studies that meditation improves stress, sleep, anxiety, attention spans, memory, blood pressure and other ailments. 

So, after hours of research (because I was a skeptic) I decided to give it a go. I have been meditating everyday for  about 5-10 minutes. 

Major Benefits of Meditation after 8 weeks: Based on a Harvard Study

Stress and medical issues related to stress triggers have improved– such as IBS and PTSD and Insomnia.

Anxiety – related general, social anxiety and OCD.

Better attention span

Increased memory

Lower blood pressure resulting in a decrease in heart disease

Overall better emotional health 

Need Scientific Proof?

This study took 2 FMRI’s of patients (MRI’s that show brain activity). One patient, who has been meditating for 8 weeks and the other with zero hours of  meditation. They took a brain scan and measured brain activity while performing everyday tasks. Researchers measured the amygdala of those patients.  The Amygdala is an almond-shape set of neurons located deep in the brain’s medial temporal lobe playing a key role in the processing of emotions. They noticed that the Amygdala was less activated in the patient who has been meditating. This means, the patient who was meditating showed  that this patient disengaged from negative thoughts, was less anxious and stressed.

Did I convince you yet? Now this is how I got started 

First I set up a meditation space for myself. I choose a place in my home where I felt the energy was light and calming away from clutter. I ordered yoga blocks, a blanket and yoga mat from Amazon. I have bad knees so this yoga mat was perfect. 

I also placed a blanket to sit on, so I felt fully supported.

I used a diffuser to breathe in lemon grass or lavender depending on the type of mediditation I was going for. Before bed, I will use lavender as a sleeping aid and I found this to help with my insomnia. 

I then researched Mantra’s and meditation techniques. You can also use apple music and type in meditation music while you focus on your breath. If you are a peloton member, they have amazing guided meditation videos.

My favorite mantra right now is the Peace mantra. I focus on my breath while listening to meditation music and tap each finger to my  thumb one at a time while saying peace in my mind. I do this every morning for 5 minutes.

Comment down below if you’d like me to share more beginner Mantra’s and 5 minute meditation routines. 

Disclosure – my dog likes to bring me his toys and socks while I practice lol.

I used to have horrible acne, scarring and hyper-pigmentation. I changed my eating habits (less dairy, less sweets and less pasta) and stuck to a strict skincare regimen. I finally feel confident enough to wear no make up and lighter foundations. My skin type is oily in the summer and dry in the winter. I do not have sensitive skin or any allergies, but I have friends who use these products who do have sensitive skin and these products have not caused them any sensitivity issues. If you have sensitive skin you should always test products on your hand first before using them on your face.

Cleanser

I tend to change my face cleanser often. Right now I am using the St. Ives green tea cleanser which is about $6-9 at any CVS or Walgreens (I don’t recommend for sensitive skin). Another great cleanser is the Olay 7 in one cleanser (all skin types). My number one favorite cleanser is the Chanel cleaning milk if you want to splurge. It is $45 from Bloomingdales or Saks. I have gone through countless bottles.

Micellar Water

I am using Micellar water over other toners right now. Why use Micellar Water? It cleanses your face and you do not need to rinse it off and it is extremely hydrating for the skin. It improves your complexion and helps prevents further breakouts. If you have extremely acne prone skin, I suggest rinsing it off with water, just incase it leaves a film on your face which in some cases may cause you to break out, although rare. The second step to my routine is taking a flat cotton pad and using the Neutrogena Micellar Water on my face. ($13)

Serum

I then use the Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum. I drop a dime size amount into my fingers and pat onto my face. This has probably single handedly improved my uneven skin tone. This serum also fights against the signs of aging. ($45) At Ulta they may have smaller bottles.

Lash Serum

While my face is drying from the serum, I apply my lash serum to the upper and lower lash line. I use Natural Lash which is purchased at any Amazing Lash Studio ($70-$75). A Similar serum that I have tried on amazon is Grande Cosmetic Lash Enhancing Serum. Helps thicken and grow your lashes using natural products. ($65).

Night Cream/Moisturizer

The Lancome Visionnaire beauty sleep perfector is by far my favorite night cream I have ever used. This cream blurs our any fine lines, minimizes my pours and makes my skin hydrated and dewy. Some night creams leave you greasy but this one absorbs right into your skin. I use a small pearl sized amount and apply the cream moving upwards on my face. I am always being asked what I use on my skin and out of anything in this routine, this product is a MUST. If you could only purchase one item, I would splurge for this one without a doubt.

Eye Cream

Lastly, we have made it to the end of our winter night time skincare routine. I apply an eye cream to the outer, and under eye area. I use the Visionnaire eye cream but there are many others that are less expensive and great. I also like this Olay eye cream for $12. Some people will swear by expensive eye creams, but personally I think it is more important for you to get an expensive face cream then eye cream. The Olay eye cream works just as good in opinion.

If your on a budget ..

If your on a budget, the most important product is to invest in a great night cream, such as the Lancome cream. My favorite drugstore brand cleanser and eye cream is the Olay 7 in one line, also N’7 makes great products as well. Remember – Consistency is key.