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anti-aging

How to Stay Radiant Throughout the Winter

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At Shakti School we emphasize the importance of educating yourself as much as you can. Knowledge is power. One of the key factors in the evolution towards a more enlightened woman is her wisdom. But, just as the women of Shakti School believe inner beauty to be essential to evolution, we want to radiate on the outside too!

Radiance is achieved through the state of your emotions, it's achieved through your lifestyle habits, what you are putting into your body (the state of your gut), and what you are putting on your body.

The glow of your skin can say a lot about your health.  Our skin is actually one of our best indicators of our overall well being.

We can look at the skin to point to certain imbalances that are happening internally. However, even after the imbalances have been addressed inside the body we can still be confronted with disruptions to the skin through our external environment.

This can become especially challenging during the harsh winter months when the weather is cold, dry, and rough. If we look to the wisdom of Ayurveda we know that it is best to let the seasons be our guide, and if we apply this to how we take care of our skin it becomes a little easier to know what to do.

In the fall and winter when skin is dry and rough, we want to treat it similarly as we would treat the food we eat: nourishing and wet. Cleansing, feeding, and restoring the skin using oils that will help protect, nourish, and deeply moisturize will be the most beneficial.

There are so many beautiful products we love (see list below), but beyond the use of expensive products there is so much you can do yourself to help maintain that healthy glow throughout the dry season.

Here are a few of our favorite skin care tricks that will give you that healthy glow when you’re needing a little extra boost.

Facial & Mouth Exercises

Facial massage has amazing benefits for the skin. It can help to improve sinus drainage, stimulate your lymphatic vessels, and it can also help to prevent wrinkles. We often carry a lot of muscle tension in our face without even realizing it. In addition, a recent study on facial massage showed that it can even help to reduce anxiety and negative mood status.

Did you know that they are approximately fifty muscles in your face?!

Just the same as any other muscle in your body, getting into a regular routine of exercising those muscles will help tone and firm the muscles and additionally will help to tighten any sagging skin.

Ben Greenfield, an expert in the biohacking world, recommends these exercises for the longevity and radiance of your skin. I’ve been incorporating them into my exercise regime and have noticed some amazing benefits:

Forehead and Eye Exercises:

These strengthen the muscles around your forehead and eyes to smooth wrinkles and produce a more awake look:

  1. Put your index fingers about a centimeter above your eyebrows, above the middle of your eyes, and apply gentle pressure. Close your eyes while trying to raise your eyebrows up against your fingers. Repeat 10 times.
  2. Make peace signs using your index and middle fingers and place your middle fingers where your eyebrows start above your nose and your pointer fingers at the end of your brows. Gently push your fingers up and down while flexing your facial muscles to move your brows up and down, simultaneously. Do 3 sets of 10.
  3. Close your eyes and with your eyelids relaxed, lift your brows with your index fingers. Keep your eyes closed while lifting, stretching and strengthening your eyelids, and hold for ten seconds. Repeat 10 times.

Mouth Exercises:

These will strengthen the muscles around your mouth and jaw and give you better control of facial movements.

  1. Smile big and press your fingers against your cheeks to hold it in place. Close your lips halfway and hold for ten seconds, then close lips fully and hold for ten seconds, using your fingers to resist each movement.
  2. Hold your mouth, teeth and lips tightly closed, then separate your teeth as much as you can while keeping lips closed. Slowly move your lower jaw forward as far as you can and hold for five seconds. Return jaw to the original position and repeat five times.
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Dry Brushing

Dry Brushing is a great way to facilitate the skin’s ability to naturally detox. It sweeps away dead skin cells, improves the appearance of the skin, and encourages lymphatic drainage. I’ve also found that it leaves me feeling more energized.

How to Dry-Brush — It's best to use on dry skin before you take a bath or shower. Start at your feet and work your way upwards. Brush in a circular motion always in the direction of your heart. This will help increase blood flow throughout the body. Try to brush for at least 3 minutes working your way up to 5 minutes. After showering make sure to lather yourself in some kind of amazing moisturizer or use your dry brush right before Abhyanga. (See our favorite products below)

Abhyanga

The practice of Abhyanga has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda. It's an lymphatic massage usually done with infused oils. It improves circulation, gives you softer and more toned skin, helps to strengthen bodily tissues, lubricates your internal organs, joints and bones, and has even shown to improve vision. It also leads to better sleep! For best results try it before a bath at the end of the day.

Choose your favorite oil (warm oil is ideal) and start by massaging your legs and working your way up to the neck and even your scalp if you would like. Massage every part of the body. Use long strokes for your limbs and short circular strokes for your joints and your abdomen. Spend a little extra time on your feet. There are so many nerve points in our feet that are associated with our entire body (including our face).  After you’ve finished do some easy breathing or meditate while the oil soaks in (about 5-10 minutes). Afterward, wash off the excess oil in a bath or hot shower.

Red & Infrared Light Therapy

Red and infrared light is an incredible tool for healing and for anti-aging. It helps to improve the circulation of oxygen-rich blood in the body, helps the body’s collagen to unwind, boosts collagen production, promotes faster healing, and has amazing pain relieving benefits. When you use red and Infrared light therapy it mimics  the heat you feel when you are exposed to the sun, so it’s also a great aid in melatonin production.

Sleep & Managing Stress

Getting proper sleep and managing your stress levels is going to do wonders for your skin. When we aren’t getting an adequate amount of sleep we jeopardize the body’s natural ability to repair itself.

Stay Away from Synthetics

It is truly simple. If you wouldn’t eat it, do not put it on your skin! Make sure to read your labels and look for words like: bpa free, paraben free, free from synthetics, toxins, or fillers, and free from artificial fragrances. It’s also good to get into a habit of checking your own products at home to make sure everything is up to date and not expired.

Create Your Beauty Regimen

Now that you’ve got some helpful practices to start incorporating into you skincare routine let’s get into how you can create the best beauty regime for that lasting life-giving glow.

Cleanse

We like to wash in the morning and the night, but depending on your skin type you may only need an evening Wash. Cleanse your face with warm & your favorite oil cleanser. Oil cleansers are amazing. They help to cleanse the skin without drying the skin out. This is especially good for the longevity of your skin. Cleansing will also help get rid of any sweat, bacteria, or environmental toxins that may have accumulated on your skin’s surface.

Hydrate

Use a misting toner to keep your skin cells plump and hydrated. This will help to protect against dehydration and will also contribute to skin regeneration, smoothness and elasticity.

Nourish/Moisturize 

Our favorite way to moisturize the skin is with oil. A high quality oil will actually help to prevent congestion, moderate inflammation levels, and will also protect the skin from environmental toxins.

Protection

Vitamin D is SO important. We love our sunshine, but it’s also important to protect the skin from overexposure. Using a zinc oxide daily sunscreen will be super helpful in delaying aging and promoting long term happy skin.

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Banyan Botanicals: (Shakti School insiders get 10% off their order with the promo code SHAKTI10)

  • Beauty Balm 
  • Radiant Skin Bundle  
  • Healthy Skin Tablets 
  • Daily Massage Oil

Paavani Ayurveda Skin Care: (Shakti School insiders get a discount with the promo code GHEESPOT)

  • The Mix and Match Ritual 
  • Tha Vata Skin Care Ritual
  • The Pitta Skin Care Ritual 
  • The Kapha Skin Care Ritual

RMS Beauty:

  • Living Illuminizer
  • Organic Make-up Signature Set
  • Magic Luminizer

Marie Veronique:

  • Replenishing Oil Cleanser 
  • Protective Day Oil
  • Vitamin C, E + Ferulic Acid Serum

Henné Organics:

  • Organic Lip Serum
  • Lip Mask Therapy
  • Lip Exfoliator
  • Organic Lipstick

Plus these two that we love:

  • Dr. Hauschka Facial Toner
  • Kopari Coconut Melt
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TheShaktiSchool

We are throwing two LIVE book launch parties in Vi We are throwing two LIVE book launch parties in Virginia. Author talk + community fall intention ritual + the sweet sounds of @djcopavida DANCE shakedown…Featuring @common__house @djcopavida @bluebirdandco @bluebirdbookstop 🥳shoot us a line if you are coming - it’s filling up ❤️🍁🩵🍁
What if… you could come celebrate my new book Gl What if… you could come celebrate my new book Glow-Worthy with me AND bring your bestie AND possibly win a spot for BOTH OF YOU in Ayurveda School Level 1!!?✨✨✨⁣
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(yes, if you have already signed up for our 2024 class you can still win this spot)…⁣
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In celebration of the official release of my new book, Glow-Worthy, we are inviting you to a special 2-hour FREE love-event: ⁣
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✨ A Morning of Glow ✨⁣
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It’s part workshop, part party 🎈And 100% for you. ⁣
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Yes, we are gonna’ confetti you all with a TON of abundance gifts in celebration of the birth of this little book baby 🎉🎉🎉⁣
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This online party is a straight-up Godmother Oprah giveaway.⁣
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Check out all this beautiful stuff we’re giving away for the people who come LIVE👇🏼👇🏼⁣
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✨2 FREE SPOTS TO LEVEL 1 AYURVEDA SCHOOL! ⁣
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Bring your bestie and stay for the whole event where the winners will be announced! We will also send you Glow-Worthy, Healthy Happy Sexy, the beautiful bound copy of our color-printed manual AND the textbook for class. (That’s 4 books!)⁣
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✨1 WINNER will get a free private coaching session with Katie, where we can dive into your life, career and meditative practice goals and dreams as well as how to approach perceived roadblocks and emotional obstacles. Katie currently does not see private clients, so this is a rare opportunity to connect with her on a one-on-one level. ⁣
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✨3 WINNERS will get a personalized love note and signed copy of Glow-Worthy sent to your door. ⁣
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✨3 WINNERS will get Katie’s Winter Skin and Sleep Kit ⁣
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✨EVERYONE! The recorded audio meditations from Glow-Worthy with Katie ⁣
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✨EVERYONE! Katie’s Fall Recipe FAVES E-book⁣
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Tag your bestie below and then get on our email list ASAP for the invite (linked in bio)! 💌💌💌
Hey beauties- 🍂🍁🍃join me for the time-tes Hey beauties- 🍂🍁🍃join me for the time-tested secrets to a fabulous fall. We will go into some of the basics of Ayurvedic fall routine- but you know me - we are going to take it deep! How can we use the portal of fall, where the veil begins to thin, to enter into a deeper relationship with SOUL loving and living? Register to attend! Links in bio 🍂🍃🍂🍁
We are stoked as all get out to have the AMAZING @ We are stoked as all get out to have the AMAZING @micah_rewilding teaching in our Level 2 classes in Ayurveda School! Micah will be joining us for a course on: REWILDING: How We Can Bring Our Ayurveda Back Outside. ⁣
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Micah is a true visionary leader and expert in mindfulness, rewilding, and nature connection. ⁣
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He is the Founding Director of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and the author of the book Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature, which found its way onto the International Space Station in 2022 and profoundly impacted US astronaut Colonel Mark T. Vande Hei's record-breaking mission. ⁣
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We cannot wait to have him teach our Level 2 students. Definitely check out our podcast conversation with Micah via the link in bio, and you can also find all the deets for Level 2 there 🌿🌿🌿
It’s getting to be that time of year in the Nort It’s getting to be that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere! 🍂🕯️☕️Come join us for a free Fall-inspired webinar on Ayurvedic practices for the cooler months (no matter what season you’re in, come and learn how you can work with Ayurveda when it’s cooler out!)⁣
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In this webinar you will learn:⁣
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🌬 What is Vata dosha and its connection to the Fall season⁣
🍠 Tips for balancing Vata through lifestyle practices, spices and food⁣
🌿 Herbal support for fighting the Fall blahs⁣
🔑 The absolute top-priority key to balancing Vata this Fall⁣
🍯 Learn about the Ayurvedic concept of Ojas - immunity, vitality and love! ⁣
🧘🏽‍♀️ How to build Ojas and the common ways we lose it during the busy fall season⁣
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Plus, you’ll also receive a downloadable booklet of delicious and healthy Vata-balancing recipes! ⁣
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Make transitioning into these cooler months so much smoother (and more aligned with Mama Nature) with Ayurveda - sign up via the link in bio to secure your spot!

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