Do you have perfect skin? No worries, neither do I! But you can get pretty darn close with the amazing Tahitian Gold Face Bar. I, as well as many of my clients and customers, are extremely happy, and hooked, on the this facial bar due to the results we have seen after using it.

It’s amazing how good you can feel about yourself when your skin looks great. Now, it’s not all about the outer appearance, but taking care of your outer being is part of a well-rounded self care routine too. Deep down we all know how important it is to put real, pure, healthy, natural nutrients INTO our bodies - the same goes for what we put ONTO our bodies as well.

That’s one of the main reasons why I got into this business and founded VedaSun.

There was not a lot of great natural skin care products out there at the time I was diagnosed with an auto-immune issue. After I did a lot of research, I realized that what I put onto my body was just as important as what I put into it and I checked how many items I used daily that could have harmful chemicals in it - I was astounded with what I found out! From my toothpaste, to my deodorant, skin care and makeup, to household cleaning products, I was using over 18 products daily. That means I could have been exposing my body to over 72 possibly harmful chemicals every day! This blew my mind.

So my search for healthy ingredients and skin care continued, and I found the Tahitian Gold Face Bar. This facial bar is made with the highest quality ingredients including Dead Sea Mineral Mud, Aloe Vera Juice, Organic Avocado Pulp Powder, Wild Honey, Balneo Peat (all extrememly beneficial to the skin) and lots more. It makes your skin feel so soft and smooth, and it helps soothe all skin types including acne and rosacea. Plus, this bar lasts for months (extremely economical!). WARNING: ONCE YOU TRY THIS BAR AND SMELL ITS HEAVENLY SCENT, YOU WILL BE HOOKED TOO!

Grab a Tahitian Gold Face Bar (or two) for the special price of $20 each. You save $5 off each bar now through midnight EST, Thursday, February 25th. You will also receive the special February essential oil blend I created - LOVE - with each order!

To redeem this special you must type the word - gold- in the discount code box in the shopping cart, then hit ‘update cart’ to see your savings.

Start using products that are better for you. It really is simple - start by replacing one product at a time - and before you know it, you will be using products you love that are better for you, your family and the environment. It’s never too late to start and you can start at this very moment.

Grab some gold now!

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale,

Gina

Ever try to work on a project, but that dull, achy sinus pressure headache just doesn’t want to let you focus?

Here’s a blend I’m diffusing to get a little relief so I can start focusing on my project:

• Geranium Bourbon (Pelargoneum graveolens)      4 drops
  
• Lemon Basil (Ocimum basilicum “citriodorum”)   4 drops
  
• Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus smithii)                                    2 drops

Be sure to follow the instructions that came with you diffuser and never leave it unattended!

If you need a diffuser or essential oils, I have no problem recommending this company to you (and using my affiliate link).

Nasaline has also been a savior for me!!! I recommend it for sinus issues, headaches, colds, flu, allergies and snoring. It really has given me great relief. You may have heard of the neti pot, which is a similar tool and recommended by Ayurveda practitioners. The homeopathic doctor I go to recommended Nasaline because he felt it is a little more effective, but whichever you choose, use it and you will feel the relief. Cleansing your nasal passages helps to get rid of allergens that we breathe in daily and helps to keep your nasal passages moist.

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale,

Gina

**Important Note: Before using any essential oils, check with your medical practitioner if you have any health concerns or conditions or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Image from photobucket

So many people say they don’t have time (me included) for this or that

Lately I’ve decided to take notice of what I’m doing on a daily basis to see where all my time goes. I have to say I was pretty amazed to realize that much of my time was spent doing what I call ‘wasteful stuff’ that wasn’t in alignment with the direction and focus I want my life to take. I thought it was stuff that would move me forward in my life, but it wasn’t.

(*Just a note - when I say, life, I’m referring to my whole life. This includes my personal and business life as one. I infuse my life experiences into my business and this is why the two are intertwined).

Time to do something about it.

First thing to do: Choose what you are not willing to give up.

What I’m not willing to give up: My workouts, time with Al, walking Roxy, eating healthy, time to BE, seeing family and friends, reading, learning new things, my business…..

What are you not willing to give up?

Second thing to do: Choose to infuse each day with that which you love.

It all comes down to a choice. You can choose to do that which ignites you, or you can choose not to.

For instance, let’s say you have a project to do that you are so excited about. You can choose a certain day to start that project, or you can choose to do other things such as check your email inbox, check facebook updates or watch a tv show. Out of those 4 things I just mentioned above, which would really ignite your inner spark? All you need to do is think of each one and be aware of the feelings that come up. We all truly know deep down what would really align us with where we want our life to go. It’s not always the easy choice. It’s definitely harder, let alone more time consuming, to start and research a project. But you know in the long run, you can feel it with your whole being, that starting that project would enhance your life so much more than the other 3 activities I mentioned above.

Do you feel what I’m saying?

So getting back to this time thing and choosing what to infuse your day with when you wake up and have the whole day in front of you to choose to do whatever it is that you want.

Here’s what I choose:

I decide I want to start that project, but I also want to walk Roxy and workout. Time to start thinking creatively. I know the project will take up most of the hours of my working day. What could I do to incorporate the other two things I want to get done that day (walking my dog and working out)?

Combine!

Instead of doing a separate workout, (which of course I will have time for on other days, but for this example day, I don’t), I combine my workout with walking my dog. (I hope you do realize, you don’t always have to go to the gym to get a good workout). So not only is Roxy happy because she got to go for a nice walk and sniff stuff when she wanted to, but I got a workout in simultaneously, and a great one at that!

This is just one way you can combine two things you love to do in a way that serves you. As I combine more stuff, I’ll let you know how it goes and what creative ideas come to mind.

Until then, what do you think about this whole combining concept? Is this something you do already? If yes, then share if you’d like! We all have innate wisdom and sharing is another way to give so if you’re up to it, start typing below - I’m not the only one who could be typing and sharing!

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale,
Gina

Does the thought of Valentine’s Day excite you or does it give you another big holiday headache?

Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is a day where lovers express their love for each other. They send ‘valentine’ greetings in the form of cards, flowers and lots and lots of chocolate. These greetings are further exemplified through the traditional symbols of Valentine’s Day that include hearts, Cupid and his arrow and lots of ‘Be My Valentine’ love notes.

Is Love only supposed to be so outwardly expressed this one day of the year?

“Love, love, love”…isn’t that a Beatles song? Yes and I believe it is called, ‘All We Need is Love.’ It is true - we do need love, but we need the non-clinging kind – the kind that allows each one of us to be who we are, without anyone trying to change or manipulate us into something that we are not. Easy? No - especially with all the conditioning and expectations that we were brought up with about how Love should be shown to us.

How can we break these conditioned patterns?

Sit with yourself a bit and find out if you have any clinging or expectations when it comes to love. See what emotions get stirred up, if any, when you ask yourself the following questions:

What if your partner does not get you anything on Valentine’s Day? Would you be upset? What are you expecting to receive on this day? What if you only received a card? What if your partner expressed to you that he or she wanted to leave the relationship? Would you do everything in your power to convince him or her not to leave? Or would you let him or her go in peace, wishing only the best for each of you?

Once we become aware of any clinging or expectations we may have about love, then with that same awareness, we can release it and let it go, replacing ‘self-centered love’ with ‘true love’. Only then can we truly enjoy the material forms of this world, including those traditional Valentine’s Day gifts we may receive, because we will not be attached to it or mistake it for ‘true love’. We can now enjoy all gifts, because we know that true love only comes from within.

Imagine that we prepared a Valentine’s Day for our special someone with no expectations whatsoever. What if we prepared something to give from our hearts, without expecting to get anything in return? What if we created something new and different to experience on this Valentine’s Day – something that catapults you and your lover into the NOW? Let’s give it a try!

Now on to the fun part!

Let’s step out of the box and add a little of nature’s bounty to the mix – namely essential oils and the art of Aromatherapy!

The power of scent is amazing. Animals use it in the wild to attract a mate, women and men wear their favorite perfume or cologne to enhance their physical attraction and we even use scent to entice a home buyer, (think warm cinnamon buns just pulled out of the oven) who is walking through our home, to attract a sale.

Can you think of a scent that takes you back to your childhood? Maybe something your mom or grandmother used to cook or bake or the fresh scent of an orange as you peel the skin away to reveal the succulent fruit. When you inhale a scent, it brings you into the moment. Even if you are thinking about a past event, you relive it in the moment that is the Now. That is how powerful our sense of smell is.

Imagine creating a personalized scent for the one you love that can bring you into the moment together, as One.

This Valentine’s Day, use your senses as a pathway to presence!

Using your sense of smell and touch are the perfect vehicles for experiencing a truly sensual, Valentine’s evening - one of true Love – the Love that allows one to be who they are, every moment of every day.

So let’s dive in to make this Valentine’s Day fun and unique by creating your own special Valentine’s Love Potion blend for you and your partner to inspire a magical evening - whether it be full of romance, or just much needed quiet time for the two of you. Ok, I know there are a few things you would have to consider first such as planning for a babysitter if you have young children, turning your phone off (and putting your cell phone on vibrate or off if you can) and creating your essential oil Love Potion blend before Valentine’s Day, but if planned out, it could be a day you will treasure for a long time.

Below is a list of essential oils to choose from and how to create your scentual potion. With a little planning, you can ignite the spark in your partner and have a blissful, romantic evening!

Essential Oils: (*note -  Jasmine and Vanilla are CO2 Extracts)

Lavender (Lavandula officinalis) ~ reduces stress and promotes relaxation

Rose  (Rosa damascena) ~ inspires love and romance

Ylang ylang  (Cananga Odorata) ~ aphrodisiac

*Jasmine  (Jasmin sambac) ~ exotic - invites in romance

Geranium rose  (Pelargonium graveolens roseum) ~ balances the emotions

*Vanilla  (Vanilla planifolia) ~ aphrodisiac; men seem to love this scent

Lemon  (Citrus limonium) ~ light and uplifting

Clary Sage  (Salvia sclarea) ~ promotes deep relaxation and reduces stress and tension

Patchouli  (Pogostemon cablin) ~ deep and earthy - grounding

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) ~ warms the heart

Love Potion Recipe ~

Create a unique Valentine’s Love Potion essential oil blend for you and your partner. Once created, you can use this blend in the ways described below. You just never know, your partner may become love-struck as if hit by Cupid’s arrow or just thrilled that you took the time to create this sacred space for the two of you.

Choose 2-4 essential oils from the above list. Start by listing your chosen essential oils on a piece of paper. Then write down the number of drops of each one that you will use. Have your drops add up to approximately 30 in total. Now that you have created your formula, make your blend by adding the essential oils to a 5 or 10 ml glass bottle that has an orifice reducer (allows drops to come out one at a time) or to a glass bottle that has a dropper. You should be able to find these at your local health food store or Whole Foods.

Below are some sample blends. You can also choose one essential oil to use such as Lavender or Geranium rose by itself to keep it simple. Or if you do not have the time to create your own, you can choose a blend already made that is for sale at a health food store such as Whole Foods or contact an Aromatherapy Consultant who can make a customized blend for you.

Rose Bliss:

Rose – 5 drops

Geranium Rose- 7 drops

Lemon – 15 drops

Sweet-N-Sensuous:

Lavender – 14 drops

Vanilla – 6 drops

Jasmine – 3 drops

Lover’s Lust:

Lavender ~ 20 drops

Geranium rose ~ 9 drops

Ylang ylang ~ 1 drop

Hearts On Fire:

Vanilla ~ 8 drops

Cinnamon ~ 3 drops

Patchouli ~ 2 drops

Sweet orange ~ 17 drops

Once you have your blend made, here are some ways to use your magical Love Potion:

Diffuser ~ to scent your environment with romance, follow the directions that came with your diffuser. Be sure to start diffusing your blend at least 15 minutes before your ‘special date’ begins.

Scented Card ~ adds a personal touch to your Valentine’s message - put a drop or two of your blend, (add the drops the day before or early on the day that you are giving the card) to the Valentine’s Day card you are giving your partner.

Romantic Massage ~ Two gifts in one! (Plus you are using both your sense of smell and touch!) Give the gift of your homemade body oil and then use it to give a loving massage to your partner. Add 9-12 drops of your Love Potion blend to a 1 ounce bottle and then fill it up with a base oil such as sweet almond oil or jojoba (bases can be found at health food stores).

Sensuous Bath ~ Have a tub for two? Scent your bath with your erotic Love Potion blend (add 5-7 drops to your bath water and swish around) and light some candles for a truly cupid-inspired evening. Why not use your body oil blend and massage each other as well for true heart-warming bliss!

Blissful Bedding Mist ~ Buy an empty 1 ounce bottle with a sprayer top. Add 9-12 drops of your Valentine’s Love Potion blend to the bottle. Then fill the rest of the bottle with distilled, filtered or spring water. Shake well and mist lightly on pillows and sheets to induce sweet dreams after your romantic Valentine’s rendezvous.

Really be in the moment when you spend this time with your special someone. Inhale the scents (your sense of smell) and really feel his or her skin (your sense of touch) as you massage each other. Stay present and in the moment by focusing on these senses and your time together will be that much more powerful and unifying.

Be creative! It’s fun to change things up a bit. Plus the thought you put into this shows your partner how special she or he is to you. If you have extra time, why not cook a romantic dinner as well. Whatever you have time for, even if it is just adding a drop of essential oil to your lover’s Valentine’s card, go for it. Make it unique and different by adding your special touches. Turn the lights down low, light some candles and be open to the experience - you never know where it may lead!

Of course you do not have to wait for Valentine’s Day or some other holiday to do this. You can use these ideas anytime. Aromatherapy gives us these special gifts inspired by nature that you can use daily to make your days and nights special, no matter what time of the year.

What do you think? Have you ever created your own magical Aromatherapy potion to share with your special someone? What unique ways have you showed your love for someone…..without expecting anything in return?

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale!

Gina

**Important Note: Before using any essential oils, check with your medical practitioner if you have any health concerns or conditions or if you are pregnant or nursing.

I received this little inspiration today from the Simple Truths e-newsletter I get.

If you need a little inspiration, check it out - gave me chills! (The song in itself inspires!)

Check it out!

But I’m back on track and can’t wait to drink my super juice later :).

By the beets, there was a sign hanging up that said to boil them, remove the skin, and then slice them and serve with some goat cheese. Since I’m not eating cheese (which I do miss at times I have to admit) because of my cholesterol experiment, I decide to make the beets and eat them with the kale - that’s a pic of my dinner above, and I have to say it was scrumptious! And of coarse in that pic my dinner is sitting on a charging coaster which you can’t see but I use before I drink or eat practically anything when I’m home - anything to raise the vibe!

Here’s the best kale recipe I’ve made so far. My mom found this recipe in some magazine (and not sure if I ever mentioned it, but my mom is addicted to collecting recipes! At my salon, and many other places I’m sure, I hear her ripping those recipes out…..I just laugh when I hear this and then bust on her later…..but lucky me, I get to copy some of the really good ones and here’s an excellent kale recipe below).

Not sure where this recipe originated or else I’d give credit to that person. If  you are that person, leave a comment so I can give you credit ;).

Kale with Pickled Shallots

Serves 4-6 (side dish)

Gently pickling the shallots mellows them and also adds hints of sweetness and acidity. Tossing them with some earthy, quick-cooked kale makes for a pleasing contrast in flavors.

• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced shallots (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 lb kale (2 bunches), stems and center ribs discarded

Bring vinegar, oil, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir in shallots and remove from heat.

Bring water to a simmer in a large pot, then add kale, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, uncovered, stirring, until kale is wilted and crisp-tender and liquid has evaporated, 5-8 minutes. Toss with shallot mixture, then season with salt and pepper.

What ya think? Are you going to give this recipe a shot? Have any other amazing kale recipes to share?

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale,

Gina

Fixation on Time

I’m not sure if it’s the profession I’ve been in for the past 18 years or my past conditioning that has me so ‘fixated on time’, but one of my intentions for this year is to not be so darned focused on the clock.

It’s a hard habit to break, being that I work by appointment - either in 15, 30, 45, 90 or 120-minute increments. Plus I want to be ‘on time’ for work since I have clients expecting me to start their appointment on time. Then there’s the ‘time to eat’ that hopefully will happen somewhere between client appointments.

I find myself having to set the ‘time’ on my alarm on the days I work so I get up early enough to be ‘on time’. Then I have to figure out what ‘time’ I have to get in the shower so that I’m ready to leave the house to be on ‘time’ for work. And make sure I have enough ‘time’ to walk my dog before I get in the shower too.

Phew…..see what I mean, lots of this ‘time’ stuff happening even before the wee morning hours are over.

Time is an Illusion

I realize that time is an illusion - that it doesn’t really exist - we make it exist.

No matter what time it is, stuff always happens in the present moment - in the Now. Even when you think about the past, you’re thinking about it in the Now. If you think about a future event, when that event occurs, it occurs in the Now. This is dealing more with ‘psychological’ time.

Of course we need time to function in this world - to set up the practical aspects of our life such as appointments, to know when to meet our friend for lunch, to be on time for a particular event we are interested in seeing, etc. Without it, life could be quite chaotic in a sense. I could just picture people running around, just missing each other or never getting what they need because the store closed at a particular time. This is dealing more with ‘clock’ time, which seems to be more of an issue for me.

So why does time make me so miserable at times?

Actually, time doesn’t make me miserable - I make myself miserable! It’s my relationship to the clock that I have to adjust. And it all comes down to what do I have to do to make my energy flow better when it comes to managing time.

I’m working on this and figuring out the best way to do it that feels like a fit for me. I did start one thing today that seemed to help.

I got a decent sized poster board and on a piece of paper I wrote my top 3-4 things I wanted to get done today and then taped it to the poster board.

I was able to cross off two of those things, and I’m just about to cross off a third. So it seemed to work. I’m going to try this for a while and see how it goes.

Another thing I always do is take time for myself daily - without that, I’d really have a problem!  And of course I use the power of Aromatherapy to help me stay focused. But I’d love to hear other techniques!

So what do you think about time?

What’s your relationship with it? Do you have any great time management strategies?

Please share, I need all the help I can get!

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale,

Gina

So wanted to pass it along to you as well. Here it is:

“Here’s Faith’s explanation of Mercy Corps’ role, and how to donate through them”:
http://www.mercycorps.org/fundraising/faithdanforth

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale,

Gina