How facials and massage are good for your brain.

Downtime is essential for brain health.

“Brains are like sponges. They can only soak up so much information before they reach saturation and then they have to dry out again.” -Dr B. from the Cleveland Clinic

When you get a facial or a massage, doesn’t your brain kind of just wander a little?

Letting your mind relax and wander is important for your mood and concentration. It helps relieve chronic stress.

What would be better way to let your brain relax than to come and get a massage or facial?

Watching tv, scrolling social media or playing games does not count as down time according to Cleveland Clinic.

We are processing too much already.

All of these activities require the brain to work.

Everyday habits that drain our energy 7/10

How Over-stressing affects your Skin

Life can be really stressful.

Getting a really relaxing massage or facial can help reduce overall stress on the body.

We may not be aware of how stress can affect every system of the body, especially the:

  • Integumentary system which refers to the body's outer covering, including the skin, hair, nails, and glands.

  • Digestive system which is responsible for breaking down food into nutrients for the body to use for energy, growth, and repair.

  • Nervous System which controls and coordinates all bodily functions.

  • Cardiovascular system which transports oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and other essential substances throughout the body while removing waste products.

  • The musculoskeletal system which is the body's framework that provides support, stability, and movement.

The muscles and the skin specifically show our stress.

You can feel it in your muscles and you can look in the mirror and see it on your skin.

When the body is stressed, muscles tense up as a way of guarding from physical and emotional stress.

This includes our facial muscles. I think people forget they have muscles in their face. Until we get a facial!

Facials and massage are actually a healthy way of dealing with stress.

It reduces cortisol levels, increases circulation, increases lymphatic flow and help parasympathetic nervous system response.

This is our rest and relax part of the nervous system that helps us digest and breathe better.

The endorphins released during massage and facials can help sooth our emotions and increase your immune system response.

Massage and facials are one way of reducing stress.

Going for a walk outside and listening to the birds is scientifically proven to help with stress.

Creating art, doing a yoga class and spending time with friends that make you laugh which reduces stress.

I would love to be part of your stress reduction plan.

Book now

Everyday habits that drain your energy 6/10

6/10 Everyday habits that drain your energy: Holding on to the past

Yeah, how about that?

Meditation and Yoga 101. Don’t stay in the past or out in the future. Stay in the present. It’s real hard.

But also, this is what I struggle with in my own practice.

The past also shapes who we are. We learn from it.

Isn’t that the ultimate goal to be able to reflect on the past and learn to react to situations in a different way.

But I also understand you cannot hang on to too much of the hurt from the past. It only makes us stuck and not able to move forward.

I think about this a lot. Can we learn from opportunities to reflect upon the “before?”

Being able to make choices based on something we have discovered from something we lived through in the past.

As always,

live in Beauty.

Come see me for your treatment of choice. Whether it is for a facial, energy work or massage.

Everyday habits that drain your energy 5/10

5. Taking things personally

What are some examples of taking things personally:

  • When someone cuts you off in traffic.

  • Being laid off.

  • When someone is cranky.

It is usually that mirror. Where someone is projecting or I am projecting onto another.

Not taking things personally is really when something happens and it doesn’t have anything to do with you.

No one else’s actions really have anything to do with us at all.

This is a hard one.

It is really hard to not take things personally.

Is taking things personally all ego?

I am sitting here thinking that it is our ego getting in the way.

I think it probably is.

And what is the ego?

It can help protect us at times.

But when we think enlightenment, it is to not have an ego.

Being an energetically sensitive person, its even harder. For example when you feel people’s energy shift.

It is a continuous practice of working with that ego.

"Don't waste yourself in rejection, not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everyday Habits that Drain our Energy 4/10

4. Gossiping

To not gossip is tricky.

What is the definition of gossiping?

“casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.”

I feel like gossip is when you are sharing information with ill intent.

I think there is a difference between gossiping and processing.

I think we all need to talk to people and process things that happen to us.

Gossip is more conspiratorial.

There is something in the tone, trying to get other people involved.

When is it necessary to share something that upset you and you need to process?

When you are directly involved it is not gossip.

As a therapist, I take confidentiality very seriously.

I do uphold the conversations I have with my clients as being confidential.

Having people trust me is really important so I would never share personal information.

Everyday Habits that Drain our Energy 3/10

3. Constantly checking social media

I recently got off Facebook.

I feel my brain is healthier.

I hid the facebook app because two weeks ago I was at home on a monday and I kept picking up my phone, and picking it up and picking it up.

And JUST WASTING TIME.

I clearly don’t have enough self control to ignore the notifications.

When I hid the app I stopped getting them.

I lived without this for most of my life.

I am old enough to have lived a lot of my life without facebook.

I love posting my nature photos on instagram.

But I no longer want to be part of the social media culture.

Since Facebook decided not to fact check or not do anything about hate speech.

I do not want to be part of that.

PS I feel like it makes me a much better esthetician because I can be fully present.

Everyday Habits that Drain our Energy 2/10:

2 of 10 Comparing ourselves to others

Its really hard not to do, right?

It is human nature.

We do it when we don’t feel like we have value.

During covid times, the shut down made me stop wanting to keep up with everyone in Boulder.

So I don’t have the newest greatest pair of boots. So what.

When I stop and reflect what is really important to me, it is always my relationships with people, being able to be in the natural world, and my animals.

And of course having shelter, clean food and water. That is kind of crucial.

And of course, having my health.

But the things that aren’t crucial is having 50 pairs of black shoes.

Everyday Habits that Drain our Energy 1/10

1 of 10 Complaining all the time.

Complaining can be a habit.

We can get in the habit on focusing on the negative of things.

In relation to the skin, we can get in the negative habit of focusing on the things we do not like about our skin.

Instead of focusing on the things we do like about out skin. Or instead of focusing on beauty in general.

A few things I do to pull myself out of the negativity loop is:

  • Enjoy a good cup of coffee.

  • Go for a walk.

  • I remind myself that there is beauty in the world.

  • Listen to good music that makes you feel something.

  • I have, lately, been treating myself to fresh flowers once per week.

When summer is in full bloom, how is your skin?

Been outside a lot? Me too.

Let's talk about how to take care of your skin.

The Colorado sun can be intense. Its 96 degrees as I write this.

If you feel like your skin is being affected by this summer weather we are having, it is not your imagination.

Jumping in the pool is a great way to cool off, but the chlorine can dehydrate your skin.

And applying multiple of layers of sunscreen is important but it can lead to blackheads and blemishes.

And of course there is the issue of getting sunburns and more pigmentation.

Getting a facial can help alleviate blackheads, blemishes and dehydration.

And daily topical vitamin C is your best defense against pigmentation.

Book with me to keep your skin radiant this summer.

As always,

Live In Beauty.

Sasha Milhous

PS Stay hydrated. Get regular facials and wear SPF 30 or higher.

"The way I see it. If you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain."

- Dolly Parton