Tip

Breathe!
The tense environment we are experiencing at this time is making us feel out of balance and putting us in a state of chronic stress.  Chronic stress is the number one factor that breaks down our immune system and causes illness.  It also has an impact on our skin.  It manifests on the skin as dark circles around the eyes, breakouts, dryness, lack of circulation, hypersensitivity, premature aging, and more.  A habit that adds to these conditions is holding our breath when we are under stress.  Our body tenses up and the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange are cut off.

Proper breathing and this oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange is what reduces the chronic stress cycle and help us to look and feel healthier.  Our breathing is too shallow and too quick which doesn't allow sufficient exchange.  Animals that breathe slowly live the longest.  The elephant is a good example.

So find a quiet place.  You can either lie down or sit up keeping your spine straight and concentrate on breathing SLOWLY  AND DEEPLY.  As you breathe, your chest and abdomen should be moving outward.  Usually our breath is shallow and only our chest rises and falls.  As you inhale, feel your chest and abdomen filling up like a balloon.  As you exhale, that balloon empties and falls back.  The abdomen area moves out more than the chest.  It is important to concentrate on this SLOWLY AND DEEPLY.

Ultimately, our minds become more relaxed and so do our bodies.  This exercise acts as a natural tranquilizer and becomes more effective the more you do it.  Start out slow to get used to the oxygen intake and work up to ten minutes a day, twice a day.  When practiced regularly, this can help to rebalance all systems of the body including the skin. So take a deep breath and consider the healing that is possible and the life force that is contained in the air that we breathe.  This life force keeps our immune system stronger and helps our faces look younger and healthier.

Skin Care Plus is here to help empower you to look and feel your best with our facials, Psych-K, cranio sacral therapy, massage, reflexology, waxing, and more.  If you need help with deep breathing, please call Joan.  When you make an appointment for a facial or any other service, the deep breathing lesson can be part of your treatment.