The more the world speeds up, the more essential it becomes that we slow ourselves down—in the name of sanity and stress relief, if nothing else.
Left unchecked, the signs of a life lived too fast, with no time for recuperation and renewal, begin to reveal themselves in the form of everything from forgetfulness to troublesome skin conditions.
Taking inspiration from the wisdom of Ayurvedic experts, Aveda’s new ritual requires just six minutes, but delivers a myriad of benefits. The two-step home ritual called the tulasāra™ radiant awakening ritual (in Sanskrit tulasāra™ means “moving toward balance”
) is composed of the ancient Ayurvedic technique known as dry brushing, followed by facial massage during which you’re forced to do something you may rarely have time to do: be in the moment. It’s easier than you think, and in the relaxation comes the transformation.
The first step of the treatment is to exfoliate your face for a minute with the tulasāra™ radiant facial dry brush. But before you whip out the oval-shaped brush, inhale a deep, cleansing breath and exhale until your diaphragm feels empty. Focus on how you feel and on letting your breaths lengthen. You’re ready now. On clean, dry skin, and using the brush in circular motions, work from your décolleté to forehead (always moving from the center outward). Then brush outward and downward in sweeping movements, from forehead back to the décolleté. Congratulations, you’ve just lifted and swept away dull surface cells.
Next, it’s time to awaken your microcirculation with facial massage. Warm four pumps of the tulasāra™ radiant oleation oil between your hands, then cup them over your nose to breathe in the aroma of certified organic jasmine, rose, and geranium. Now massage the oil into your skin using a back and forth motion, from décolleté to forehead.
Ready for the fun part? While the oil stays on your skin, nourishing it with powerful plant oils, you’ve got four minutes to enjoy a cup of tea or go about your usual routine. And while four minutes may not be enough time to compose your magnum opus, why not use the moment for a short meditation, which could give you the clarity you need to write it?
If you’re not a seasoned meditator, try this simple practice to help you feel grounded. Close your eyes gently and focus on deep diaphragmatic breaths so that as you inhale your abdomen expands, and as you exhale your abdomen contracts. Bring your awareness into the base of your spine. This is knows as the first, or root, chakra in Ayurveda. This is the center of your basic needs and helps you ground yourself in your body. As you focus on this area, visualize a spinning wheel of red energy.
Allow your mind to settle into your body, noticing the sensations that you feel and the sounds that you hear. Bring your awareness into your feet, then your ankles, legs, and hips. Now focus on your abdomen and back and into your shoulders, then down your arms to your hands. The root chakra helps you move away from the thoughts in your head—so that you listen to your body more. Silently repeat the word “grounding”
to yourself—whatever that means to you. Slowly open your eyes and cleanse off the oil and follow with your normal skin care regimen.
“A daily ritual of dry brushing followed by a facial massage with oil nourishes skin, melts away facial tension and awakens subtle energies for a radiant complexion,”
say Ayurvedic doctors Vinod and Kusum Upadhyay, who have been consultants to Aveda since 1978. Not surprisingly, doing so with the tulasāra™ radiant facial dry brush and radiant oleation oil, helped women see dramatic change in their skin. In sensory testing, 85% of women found that their complexion looked more radiant immediately and 94% reported that their skin felt smooth, refined and nourished immediately1.
Not inclined to meditate while your oleation oil does its magic? Do something that requires your focus and presence. For example, read a book, play an instrument, sew a popped-off button back onto a blouse, or soak in a bath. These activities ease tension and keep you off of devices, and help to soothe your soul.
