This is an edited excerpt from the book Truth in Beauty by Mukti, available at www.muktiorganics.com. Truth in Beauty is a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide designed to help readers navigate the clean beauty movement and achieve a healthier lifestyle.
BEAUTY UPGRADES
AN UPGRADE IS THE PROCESS OF MAKING SMALL CHANGES TO YOUR LIFESTYLE TO TRANSFORM YOUR BODY TO OPTIMALLY PERFORMING DAILY ACTIVITIES.
Starting a daily or seasonal detoxification routine may seem daunting, but a few small tweaks here and there to your diet, skincare routine, and lifestyle can brighten your complexion, assist with elimination, circulation, and overall health. The goal with any beauty upgrade is to increase your energy and lower inflammation. Some of these techniques can be incorporated simultaneously. Experiment to create your personal upgrade program or daily routine. For example, I like to begin my meditation with breathing or listening to binaural beats while sun gazing or, oil swilling and grounding at the same time. The best thing is that most of these upgradeswon’t cost a cent, just a few minutes of your time to indulge yourself with loving practices.
KAPAL BHATI PRANAYAMA BREATHING
It is purported that when practicing pranayama, 80% of the toxins in your body are released through the outgoing breath. Regular practice of Kapal Bhati pranayama detoxifies all the systems in our body. The term Kapal Bhati translates to ‘shining forehead’, and is also known as the skull shining breathing technique. It is said with regular practice your forehead literally begins to glow from the inside out.
This technique is best practiced in the morning, prior to meditation, or any time when you’re feeling overwhelmed. It’s advised to avoid this practice if you have back or heart problems, or suffer from hypertension. Also avoid during and shortly after pregnancy and during menstruation.
- Sit comfortably in a prayer (kneeling) position with your spine erect. (I like to use a pillow between my buttocks and legs). Place your hands on your knees, palms open to the sky and take a deep breath in.
- As you exhale, pull your navel in back towards the spine as far
as you comfortably can. You may want to keep your right hand on the stomach to feel the abdominal muscles contract. The exhalation is fast and forceful, so just throw it out. With practise, you will start to feel a natural rhythm. - As you relax the navel and abdomen, the inhalation breath will automatically flow into your lungs and occur naturally. Focus your awareness on the out breath.
- Take 30 breaths to complete one round. On the final exhale, hold your breath for as long as you can. Relax with your eyes closed and observe the sensations in your body. Repeat this process three times in total.
BENEFITS OF KAPAL BHATI PRANAYAMA BREATHING
- Effective in reducing weight by increasing the metabolic rate
- Clears the subtle energy channels
- Stimulates abdominal organs and can tighten the belly
- Improves blood circulation and adds radiance to the complexion
- Improves digestive tract functioning, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients
- Energises the nervous system
- Rejuvenates brain cells
- Calms and uplifts the mind
BODY BRUSHING
Body brushing is a simple, routine that will improve the overall condition and tone of your skin. It’s best to incorporate this habit consistently several times a week. Brushing your body when your skin is dry has lots of benefits, it helps improve circulation, stimulates your lymphatic system to release toxins, improves waste elimination, reduces puffiness and cellulite, improves muscle tone, sloughs of dull, dead skin cells, and encourages skin cell renewal, leaving your skin ready to receive moisture after bathing.
It’s most effective first thing in the morning before you take a shower. I also keep a dry body brush in the sauna and use it before I start to sweat. Always brush in gentle, circular motions towards the heart and use a dry natural-bristle brush. Begin using light pressure, then as you continue to brush regularly you can increase the pressure in relation to the fitness and tone of your skin.
Start at the soles of your feet and, using upward sweeping motions, work your way up your legs, then arms. Pay attention to your underarms and the inside of your thigh, up near your groin, where the lymph nodes are located. These areas can become sluggish and congested, so focus on stimulation to help rid your body of unwanted waste. Around the stomach area, brush in a clockwise direction. Once you’ve reached the top of your body, brush across the shoulders then down the back. Repeat downward strokes on the torso, then the arms, legs, and feet.
When you’ve finished brushing, have a shower, alternating between hot and cold.
This will stimulate your blood circulation and invigorate the skin, bringing more blood to the surface. After getting out of the shower, gently pat dry and rub cold-pressed oil all over your body, let it absorb for a few minutes prior to dressing. In Ayurvedic practices, sesame oil is considered the king of oils. Although it has a strong odour, it is considered a deeply penetrating, warming, anti-inflammatory oil with antioxidant properties that aid metabolism and circulation.
EPSOM SALTS BATHS
The combined effect of Epsom salts and warm water will help to draw toxins out of your skin, accelerate cleansing and detoxification and replenish magnesium (which most of us are deficient in). It can also help relieve joint and muscle pain, and assist with skin conditions like eczema and acne. Take a detoxifying bath two to three times per week for 15-20 minutes. Try out these various combinations:
- 1 cup of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar + 1 cup of Epsom salts
- 1 cup of aluminium-free sodium bicarbonate
- 1cupofEpsomsalts+1cupofsalt+1cupofsesameoil
- 1 cup of Epsom salt + 1 large knob of freshly sliced or grated ginger root First, add the ginger to a cup of boiled water and let it steep for 10 minutes, then add to the bath.
SWILLING/OIL PULLING
Every morning on an empty stomach, for a period of one month (or when detoxing), take 1 tablespoon of certified organic sesame or coconut oil and swill around the mouth — like a mouthwash — for up to 10 minutes. When you’re done, spit out and brush your teeth as normal. Oil pulling can assist with drawing out and removing harmful toxins from the body, including heavy metals.
TONGUE SCRAPING
Tongue scraping is another traditional Ayurvedic technique. It’s used to rid the body of toxins and bacteria that coat the tongue. Your tongue is used as an indicator
of health. In traditional medicine, any coating is indicative of disharmony in the body. Your tongue should be a lovely pink colour without any coloured, furry pelts. Removing the debris and bacteria helps prevent toxins from being reabsorbed back into your body. It can also assist with bad breath (halitosis) and will improve your sense of taste. It’s great to incorporate right after you’ve had an oil pull. Tongue scrapers can be purchased online or from a health food supplier, or you can also use a large tablespoon.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
There are different spectrums of LED light that have proven to be beneficial to the skin. Just like plants, our skin can absorb light and convert it to energy. LED lights emit UV-free, beneficial rays that energise the cells and stimulate the body’s natural process to regenerate cells and build protein. Composed of different wavelengths or colours of light, when applied directly to the skin, LED penetrates to increase collagen and elastin production, speed healing, reduce inflammation, increase circulation and destroy bacteria associated with acne. There are many home devices of various strengths, but best results are from a medical-grade or professional LED, like the Lutronic Healite II, that will dramatically speed up wound healing and improve the intracellular skin matrix as it penetrates to a far greater depth.
Red light can recharge your mitochondria, stimulate DNA and RNA synthesis, activate the lymphatic system, and increase blood flow, assisting the removal of toxins and repairing damaged tissue. It does this by donating photons to your mitochondria via molecules known as cytochromes which allows them to convert to energy. It also triggers collagen synthesis, meaning fewer wrinkles and younger looking skin.
SUN GAZING
Early morning or late afternoon sun gazing is great way to get your daily dose
of vitamin D. We absorb nutrients via the sun, which are transferable through the cones of our eyeballs. Benefits can include better sleep, reduced cravings for food, energising the pineal gland and even improved eyesight. Incorporate this technique gradually by doing 10 seconds on the first day and then add 10 seconds at a time. This practice is best when the sun is not too intense – just after sunrise or just before sunset.
REBOUNDING
Our bodies require physical activity to thrive and survive. Amplified by our sedentary, desk-bound lifestyles, if we don’t move, we’re more adverse to modern epidemic health-related diseases. Rebounding is low impact, so is suitable for almost everyone, and has enormous overall benefits. It’s likened to treating your body to a regular tune up. Not only does it help burn fat and get your heart and lungs pumping, but it also wards off bone degeneration and assists your immune system to flush out toxins, waste, and bacteria. If you don’t own a rebounder, then you can gently vibrate your body by softening you knees and jiggling up and down on the spot. You can also make a noise while doing this. When you use sound vibration and movement, it stimulates your body and blood supply and moves more energy on a cellular level. Dogs naturally reset and shake off energy in the same way.
OZONE THERAPY
You can live without food for weeks and water for days, but if you’re deprived of oxygen for a few minutes (unless you’re Wim Hof), you’ll die. Your normal blood
cells require oxygen and release carbon dioxide as a by-product. With constant bombardment of pollutants and the quality of the air greatly diminished, especially
in cities, your body must work much harder to supply clean oxygen and counteract the effect of free radicals that eventuate in unhealthy cells.
Ozone is a highly charged particle that’s not produced from air, but from passing oxygen through tubes with a high voltage. It then produces a type of non-toxic oxygen (O3) that kills bacteria and detoxifies the body. Ozone therapy has been well tried-and-tested since the 1800s, with various biochemists researching and demonstrating its health benefits in the years following. It was discovered that disease and degeneration could be treated through re-establishing and improving oxygenation to the cells, tissues, and the organs. In the process of ozone therapy, cells that are weak or have enzyme coatings are targeted and eliminated via the circulatory system and the organs, leaving the healthy cells unaffected and restoring homeostasis. It can improve overall immune function and increase blood circulation, among other health benefits.
SAUNAS
Sitting in an infrared sauna for half an hour or more is effective in improving blood oxygenation and removing toxins via your skin. The sweat eliminates water-soluble toxins and heavy metals like cadmium, lead, aluminium, and mercury, as well as pesticide residues. The oil glands bind with the toxins and excrete oil-soluble waste from beneath the surface of the skin. Sweating improves your lymphatic and cardiovascular circulation as well.
The aim of a sauna is relaxation. You’re not sitting in a hot box as a form of torture or to get your energy zapped, so make sure that the heat is tolerable and comfortable. It’s important to hydrate prior, during, and post-sauna to avoid dehydration and increase elimination. You can extend the overall benefits and increased oxygenation of the blood by inducing deep, regular breathing. Showering afterwards is a must to remove the toxins and prevent them from being reabsorbed. Incorporating physical exercise in conjunction with saunas will also assist with the process of elimination.
COFFEE ENEMAS
Although a more controversial topic, and seen as anecdotal than scientifically validated, many people have tried coffee enema therapy and have had beneficial outcomes. When caffeine is absorbed as an enema, it bypasses the systemic circulation and digestive tract and speeds up the process of elimination by going straight to the liver. By stimulating the liver to produce excess bile, it rids the body of excess accumulated toxins from your bloodstream, tissues, and organs.
The alkaloids in the coffee increase the production of glutathione S-transferase, an enzyme that the liver requires, in producing the bile that’s eliminated via the small intestine. The glutathione S-transferase binds with the toxins and flushes them out when an enema has been performed. It assists with keeping the digestive tract clean, maintaining healthy peristalsis and removes a buildup of systemic toxins like parasites and candida.
REMOVING AMALGAMS
Amalgam fillings contain at least 50% mercury. When you chew, grind, or brush your teeth, small filings and vapours are released into your body. It’s well worth having your teeth checked by an orthodontist or dentist and getting them professionally removed.
ADD A HUMIDIFIER
An easy way to replenish lost moisture from your skin is to use a humidifier in your bedroom at night. When you wake up in the morning, your face will look and feel supple and fresh, and your hands and lips won’t feel dehydrated. Aim for about 30-50% humidity in your bedroom. It’s also a good idea not to sit too close to fireplaces and heaters in winter months, as the heat leeches your skin of moisture, leaving it dry, parched, and dehydrated.
LIVING PLANTS
Indoor plants are another way to add moisture and oxygen to your home or office environment. Living plants are microcosms that benefit us in more ways than we can imagine. They can soothe our soul, clean the air, and create ambience – and there’s plenty of evidence that they improve our health. Most of us are indoors a large percentage of the time and if you live in a city, incorporating some greenery and living plants in your life will help improve your mood; after all, we were designed to bond and connect with nature.
BENEFITS
- Filter air – plants clean, purify, and oxygenate the air. If you are in a stale, closed office or room, the addition of a few plants can make a world of difference.
- Screens – plants and planters are a great way to augment foot traffic flow in a home, office, or restaurant, as well as creating a natural privacy screen.
- Ambience – improving aesthetics and living spaces can create a more cheerful and pleasant environment to be in. A dull corner or a big blank wall can be broken up with a palm or rubber plant in a beautiful pot or basket; they’re the ideal filler for any space.
Not only are plants beautiful, but they’re also the lungs of the earth and provide a low-cost way to reduce indoor air pollution.
GROUNDING
Grounding, also referred to as ‘earthing’, is exactly that: reconnecting with the earth. Whenever possible, take off your shoes and spend time barefoot. Our feet act as conduits, conducting and allowing the natural electrical charge of the earth to flow through us. Grounding can help reduce inflammation and improve the quality of your sleep, it’s free and simple, so aim to do it as often as possible. Add into your morning routine while you’re dosing yourself with your daily vitamin D from sun gazing.
MEDITATION
A daily meditation practice fuels creativity and allows for breathing and thinking space when we go about our daily activities. One of the greatest benefits is to improve emotional intelligence and awareness. It allows you time to respond rather than react; a moment to check in with yourself when some external interference causes agitation. There are many scientific studies that validate the importance of introspection and connection with the self. People devoted to long-term meditation depict a larger hippocampus, the region of the brain that regulates emotion, thoughts, and influences mindfulness. Meditation works by slowing down the electrical impulses in the brain, allowing greater clarity. Find a quiet time in your day that works for you to incorporate this life-changing practice. There are numerous teachers and apps available, so find one that suits you and just do it! The more you practise, the more peaceful and calm you become, which in turn, radiates out into the universe. Whilst different techniques work better for some people, the most common practices are using a mantra (Vedic or Transcendental Meditation) or the breath, bringing your focus back to an anchor point when your mind starts to wander.
BINAURAL BEATS
Binaural beats therapy is a form of soundwave in which your left and right ears hear two slightly different frequencies but perceive the tone as one. For example, if the left ear registers a tone at 300Hz and the right at 310Hz, the difference between
two frequencies is 10Hz. This is known as the binaural beat. As your brain creates the frequency, it alters your brain waves and creates calmness. Different hertz can assist your brain to move into a lower, calmer frequency and can be used to enhance meditation, mood, sleep, and study.
