Rituals of Radiance: How Self-Care Becomes a Sacred Act

After working in the beauty industry for 14 years, I’ve witnessed a profound shift. What was once viewed as a luxury reserved for special occasions has now become an essential part of wellness. Regular facials are as important as regular doctor checkups.

While professional estheticians cannot diagnose medical conditions, we do study skin diseases and disorders extensively in school. This creates an opportunity to notice irregularities, such as changes in moles, and encourage clients to seek medical attention when needed.

Self-care becomes a sacred act the moment you choose to look in the mirror with eyes of love at the reflection staring back. It begins with appreciating what you are giving your attention to. Esoteric, I know—but hear me out.

You’ve probably heard the yogic saying, “Where focus goes, energy flows.” The quality of your energy matters because your ritual matters—and you matter. As humans, we radiate when we are in a state of joy. Being in your natural state of joy requires taking care of yourself. The world naturally tends toward entropy, but your self-care ritual acts like compounding interest in you. It strengthens your capacity to give to others without depletion. Giving without expectation is a great gift—a blessed state that even supports telomere growth.

The definition of “sacred” is something connected to a higher power, something greater than the self. When practicing self-care, express gratitude for what you’ve been given—a beautiful face and body. Your body is the vessel that carries you through the storm—or becomes the storm. Treat your reflection as the blessing it is, in all your glory.

Your skin, the largest organ of the body, functions as both a nutrient absorber and a system for waste removal. It protects your vital organs, regulates temperature, and responds to light through melanogenesis (tanning). Because your skin gives so much, it deserves respect. Speak sweetly to it—not just in words, but in thought.

Thought is not an airy thing. It lives in the fourth layer, weaving through the endocrine system, flowing through hyaluronic rivers, shaping bone. Our perception of a thought becomes the emotion, and that emotion becomes the body. Sweet thoughts carve beauty deeper than skin—they shape how we inhabit ourselves.

A beauty ritual is not vanity. It is devotion. It is prayer in motion. It is the soft, persistent language of love spoken to your own reflection.

Citations

Lorenzi C, Leggeri A, Cammarota I, Carosi P, Mazzetti V, Arcuri C. Hyaluronic Acid in Bone Regeneration: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Dent J (Basel). 2024 Aug 19;12(8):263. doi: 10.3390/dj12080263. PMID: 39195107; PMCID: PMC11353189.

Zhao C, Zhang Z, Hu X, Zhang L, Liu Y, Wang Y, Guo Y, Zhang T, Li W, Li B. Hyaluronic Acid Correlates With Bone Metastasis and Predicts Poor Prognosis in Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Jan 26;12:785192. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.785192. PMID: 35154001; PMCID: PMC8826575.

Edwards R, Ibison MC, Jessel-Kenyon J, Taylor RB. Measurements of human bioluminescence. Acupunct Electrother Res. 1990;15(2):85-94. doi: 10.3727/036012990816358243. PMID: 1978506.

Giridharan S. Yoga and Telomeres: A Path to Cellular Longevity? Cureus. 2024 Nov 27;16(11):e74552. doi: 10.7759/cureus.74552. PMID: 39735156; PMCID: PMC11676400.

Tired of Feeling Disconnected?

We live in a world that keeps us plugged in but feeling empty. Yoga is the bridge back. At YOGAwCHRIS, we use breathwork, gentle strength, and awareness to help you recharge from the inside out.

Located at the naval is our Golden Gate, the fire of our existence. Join me in this core-strengthening yoga sequence, 13 minutes - wear something you can move in!

RECHARGING FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

Breathwork
Our breath is both voluntary and involuntary. We often move through life unaware of this fundamental rhythm, allowing the environment to breathe us. But what happens when we consciously work with the breath? Why is it important to reclaim this sacred rhythm?

Gentle Strength

What if I told you that yoga can energize you just as much as a cup of coffee? The stimulation we seek from external sources is often just a conditioned chemical reaction. But vitality isn’t found in caffeine—it’s found in presence.

When we step into the quantum field of awareness—hovering just above the experience—pain dissolves. In this space, we can consciously rewrite our programming. Observing without attachment, and with loving awareness, we begin to see how suffering is created through habitual patterns. This is the essence of being “in the world but not of it.” In the spaciousness of emptiness, we become the authors of new action.

Awareness

With embodied awareness, there comes a time when we realize that the strength we’ve defined is no longer necessary. True strength is found in surrender. In this state, we experience the direct perception of emptiness—not as a void, but as a calm presence. Anger, fear, and all mental afflictions fall away. What remains is your essential nature—pure, steady, and whole.

Today in Your Practice…

As you move through your various postures today, I invite you to:

• Observe your awareness of the inhale, exhale, and the space in between.

• Notice how karmic seeds are ripening to form this exact moment—both the sensations you feel and the subject of your feeling.

Yoga Isn’t Just for the Flexible

Think you’re “too tight” or “too stressed” for yoga? That’s exactly why you need it. Yoga isn’t about twisting into shapes—it’s about untangling your mind and reconnecting with your body. I’ll guide you through simple flows designed for real bodies and busy lives.

For example, the ego often insists on straight legs in a forward fold. But forcing straight legs can strain the lower back and stress the vertebral connections over time. Instead, we practice humility—or Nati in Sanskrit, meaning “no me.” It’s not about perfection; it’s about honoring your body and letting go of ego-driven movement.

Too Stressed to Even Meditate?

You’re not alone. Modern life keeps us in constant fight-or-flight mode, making even sitting still feel impossible. But what if you could find stillness without forcing it? At YOGAwCHRIS, we teach yoga that meets you where you are—no pretzel poses, just real relief for real stress.

In this episode, we start from the ground up, focusing on the hips, neck, and shoulders. Your going to want a block for this beginner-friendly sequence.

BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP

Root.

The earth is our sensory connection to develop an energetic connection that, over time, cultivates the way you walk, stand, and even sit. When we are consciously rooted in posture, our mind can expand properly. Note the Fibonacci sequence, a pattern that gradually unfolds, consistently, and in alignment. Each sequence builds upon the previous one, curating your unique expression on the mat. Your connection with truth channels to the rest of your life.

Rise.

Once we are rooted, we can rise through our outermost expression - lengthening the inner winds of the body and allowing for homeostasis within. And it feels good. Now we want to be mindful of the body as a whole when expanding. The whole body is engaged and alive in equanimity.

Observe.

Now we drop into the science and seat of the observer. Observe how your body responds to certain postures. Are you focusing on your outbreath, then on your inbreath? Are you aware of all parts of your body in equanimity? Is your breath balanced on the in and out? Is it appropriate to connect to Ujjayi (Ocean Breath)?

Ujjayi breath engages essential core muscles and can neutralize the frustrating emotions that accompany certain postures.

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