Well-Being Advocate , Aromatherapist and self proclaimed Beauty Minister!
I blog about wellness, beauty, healing and well-being. I am living a transformed life!
I’m here to help and to share!
It has been quite some time since my last update. I have made so many personal changes, I need to write a book, and I am!
Meanwhile, I am in the process of renovating this blog. After 12 years, I am finally ready to go bigger! More sharing, more ideas, more offers and more connecting.
I thank you for continuing with me and I appreciate the support you have shown So Beautiful Ministries International over the years.
The current uncertain times in our world are meant to bring out the best in us. So, let’s have at it!
Blessings,
Mme. Shaun
For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13
“Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.”
Psalms 112:4 NIV
Being yourself can be an outright irritation to some people! There you are minding your own business, at your job or in your yard and someone saw you and caught an attitude!
Then the complaints come:
“She was humming a song in the lunchroom and it upset me”.
“I saw him planting in his yard and I think he is growing poisonous plants that might hurt the squirrels”!
Instead of feeling angry or picked on, rejoice!
What?
No, really. Give a belly laugh and smile from the inside out. You are shining. The world has become so caught up in reality shows and social media that promotes through negative propaganda, it appears to have turned proper perspective upside down.
What your “haters” are really saying is, they like how you are generally a happy person and wish that they could keep their spirits high like you do! Your complaining neighbors think you are lucky to have a green thumb because your garden is one of the loveliest in the neighborhood!
Yet the negative energy behind the complaints has a plan. If you take offense, and stop your humming or get angry and stop your gardening, well, your joy will weaken. You will become susceptible to the onslaught of fear and oppression that you have avoided. Then, you will end up like so many down and depressed folks who do not realize that they have been lured into the darkness that seeks to overtake the Light.
So many of us wish we had more or lived better or made other choices for our lives. Yet I am finding that life builds on itself by our awareness of the life we are living!
By taking an account of what we have experienced or done thus far and reviewing periodically, we will discover a pattern. Just as the spider spins her web, we too are creating within the matrix of the world in which we currently reside.
By this review, we see where we may be repeating steps-is this for our good or have we failed to assess the reoccurrence? Why? I have been surprised at times to find I did not remember until reviewing,” Girl, you have been Here before!
This day, make an assessment of where you are now. Not to judge but to see. Write down what you notice about it, how you feel about what you see.
Then take a moment to commune with your Higher Self.
Have you ever had a morning where you woke up feeling pretty good, no aches or pains, took a shower, had a cup of coffee and then remembered it was MONDAY!
Essential Oils to the rescue!
I have become quite proficient in my apothecary skills. That is because I test everything on myself(and family members) before I share it with you. Today was an excellent test. I am sure you will give me an A for my latest curation(I think that’s a real word).
So, I find myself in a blue funk, as I mentioned earlier but I had to work today. With people. Yes, smiling and communicating with words would be required so I had to figure something out. Or call in sick.
Nah, I like to save my sick time for real emergencies(like long weekend trips or something)!
Working with essential oils is always interesting because these plant chemicals have brains! It is in their nature to help and to heal. This is what The Creator intended.
I have named this blend:
The Blue Monday Special
6 drops Pettigrain-Calming, Stress Reducer, energizing
4 drops Roman Chamomile-Anti-anxiety, soothes feelings of anger, anti depressant
3 drops Ylang Ylang- Anti depressant, balances emotions, good for hypertension-also said to be an aphrodisiac, hmmm?
This diffuser blend had immediate effects. I forgot I was feeling “blue” in less than 5 minutes.
Ylang Ylang is powerful so if you are not familiar with its effects, run your diffuser no more than 20 minutes with this blend. I did 2 treatments for 20 minutes early morning and later this afternoon because I liked how it made me feel!
Ylang Ylang can be heady for sensitive types, although the blend itself is mild. It was sooo lovely and yummy feeling!
*Side note*
Interestingly enough, 2 of the 3 essential oils in this blend have linalool. This is called blending by chemical constituents. You will achieve the most effects from that particular chemical property. Linalool is known for its sedative effects.
It is a plant chemical(phytochemical) found in cannabis.
What a great day to start anew!
What day is it? Any day that you can open your eyes, breathe and manage to make a cup of coffee or tea successfully!
After that step you should have everything in hand! Just kidding, of course there is more to your day than that. However, I have found if I awake early enough that I have time to take my warm cup to the beach for a walk, I have an even better week!
Starting your work week with a morning of quiet meditation or writing in your journal and staring out at the ocean or the sky or the trees or skyline with sun on your skin is good medicine.
Most people are not able to take this time every morning as we are all so busy. However, making a plan for your week like this is like setting your sails for a good journey. The quiet, the sun, it will do you good.
Can’t get out of the house?
1st-Find a window with the sun peeking in.
2nd- Place a few drops of Grapefruit or Wild Orange essential oils in your hands, cup over your nose and mouth and inhale deeply. Exhale through your mouth. Do this 3 times and then…
3rd- Sit there and think about how you would like your day, your week to go and seal it with thanksgiving and gratitude.
Physiologically, you have communicated to your body and brain that all is well.
This is a great start for any day, don’t you think?
Let me know how it goes!
Some of us have gorgeous skin because of genetics and some have beautiful skin naturally, as in Natural beauty products!
I am so in love with African Black Soap! I carry a couple of brands but my favorite is imported in a huge block from a village apothecary in West Africa. Shea Butter, herbs, berries, clay, all the fabulous ingredients that have been used for beauty over thousands of years.
I always experience products for myself prior to sharing with you because I want to honestly rave about it. Otherwise, if its no good, it goes straight to the trash! African Black Soaps are known for their moisturizer but also for their anti-aging properties. I have to say I am really excited about the brightening effect.
I live in the sun -I love beaches! Sun worshiping can be detrimental to your health and your glow. The African Black Soap ingredients have properties that brighten dark or sun damaged skin. It even helps to fade and diminish eczema and psoriasis!
Hemp Seed Oil
High in essential fatty acids, Omega 6 and omega 3, hemp oil is my new “Holy Grail” item -you must have this oil in your body care regimen. It can be used to increase immunity, counteract aging skin and improve cardiovascular health. It has been proven to slow down the aging process and fight psoriasis because of the linoleic acid present in Hemp oil
Often referred as CBD oil, Hemp oil can be made from the seeds of any plant in the cannabis family, but is primarily derived from hemp. According to Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential, the oil has also been used to effectively treat arthritis inflammation, neurodermatitis and PMS, among other conditions.
Not to worry, Hemp oil only contain trace amounts of THC, making them useless for anyone looking to get high.
Beauty and wellness is the main objective at So Beautiful Ministries International. Spiritual practice such as prayer, meditation, mindfulness, all these are components to living a happier and healthier life.
Healing is a component of spiritual practice or as I call it “Beauty from the inside out”! Last year, I incorporated Aromatherapy into my beauty practice and I am impressed with the positive impact of essential oils on my clients emotional and physical health. Emotional health has a direct influence on beauty. When you are anxious,stressed or depressed-it shows on your face! Anxiety and depression also affect your health, such as high blood pressure, headaches and a host of other maladies. Prayer and meditation enhances mental function and supports physical health.
This year, I decided to go deeper into Beauty from the Inside Out and it has been awesome! I have completed training in Reiki and by combining it with Aromatherapy, it has increased the healing benefits from stress reduction to increased happiness!
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It can be administered by palm healing or non-touch methods. It is described as “life force energy” that flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. My personal practice has helped me to understand this energy as the same flow of the Holy Spirit that I experience through personal meditation and prayer.
The word Reiki is a combination of two Japanese words – Rei which means-God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power and Ki which is life force energy. This is the energy that flows through all living things. Reiki is defined as “spiritually guided life force energy.” A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that relieves stress and helps the body return to homeostasis thus promoting physical healing.
So Beautiful Ministries International is all about Beauty from the inside out!
The idea of Beauty from the inside out is not a new concept. Its all about looking inward and finding the inner voice or awareness. Truthfully, developing your inner life is the key to creating your best life!
Meditation, prayer and gratitude are the building blocks for health And beauty. These practices help alleviate stress which is one of the major risk factors for disease. Stress also ages your body as your nervous system activates the fight or flight response which initiates the release of stress hormones like cortisol-the Fat Producer-among other things!
Studies have proven that meditation can also help sustain focus and improve performance.
However, the benefits of spiritual practice appear to be more than just the result of enhanced focus and concentration. Ken Pargement of Bowling Green State University instructed one group of people who suffer migraines to meditate 20 minutes each day repeating a spiritual affirmation, such as “God is good. God is peace. God is love.” The other group used a nonspiritual mantra: “Grass is green. Sand is soft.” The spiritual meditators had fewer headaches and more tolerance of pain than those who had focused on the neutral phrases(Huffington Post blog March 2012).
Now, for Beauty inside and out-
Early in my career as a beauty specialist, it became obvious that cosmetic ingredients can only go so far into the dermis for beautification and cosmetic surgery has its limitations as well. Later, I began working for an Aveda Salon, which trained their skin care specialists on the use of pure essential oils, by adding them to skin care products to customize treatments for clients. Viola! The results were amazing.
You see, essential oils have the highest frequency of any natural substance known to man, creating an environment in which disease, bacteria, virus and fungus cannot live.
Essential oils can help us to raise our body’s frequency=Health!
Fast forward to 2017, I’ve completed Aromatherapy training and earned my certificate as an Aromatherapist. I am so excited to share all that I have learned and still learning with you.
My mission is, as always, to help you Discover Beauty from the Inside Out!
High to low them ups and downs,
Like my world, from smiles to frowns.
Happiness is a place that seems in reach,
One for oneself, we look to find it each.
But is this a mission or are we all blinded to see?
That’s it’s within ourselves, but we scorn to agree?
The simplest things in life, are hard to be grateful for,
Which is why happiness is dug deep into our core .
Open your eyes and see its within,
And once you see it, life will take you for a spin 🙂
Author: Anymonous
I found this cute poem to be sweet but wise also. Enjoy the day!
