In her latest book, "Yogalosophy for Inner Strength," Mandy Ingber, yoga teacher to Jennifer Aniston, looks at how the practice of yoga, along with meditation, self-care, nutrition, and even music, can help everyone maintain optimum wellness and find resilience even during the most stressful and trying times.
Here Mandy shares the advice of her friends who are experts on how complementary methods can be used to improve well-being and lead to a healthier and happier you not only through challenging periods but through all stages of life.
Alexis Smart's DIY flower remedy
This is my friend Alexis's simple broad-spectrum flower remedy recipe for when you feel down:
Ingredients:
- Rescue Remedy
- Sweet Chestnut
- Honeysuckle
- Star of Bethlehem
- Bach signature blend, also called the five-flower formula
Method:
- Put 4 drops of each essence into a 1-ounce dosage bottle of spring water and shake gently.
- From this bottle, take 4 drops under the tongue 4 times a day.
- The effects are cumulative and best results will be felt at about the third week.
- You may also add drops to a glass of water and sip throughout the day.
Essential oils treatment by Persephenie Lea
My longtime friend Persephenie Lea is a Los Angeles-based artist, certified aromatherapist, and perfumer specializing in natural botanical perfumery. Here she shares how to inhale essential oils to improve well-being.
- In a meditative position, place one drop of essential oil in the palm of your hands and inhale.
- Feel the oil work through your lungs and throughout your body.
- Relax, breathe deeply, and inhale again as needed.
- For invigoration, use basil or peppermint. For a calm uplift, try bergamot or Melissa oil. For a meditative state, use frankincense.
The healing powers of gems and crystals By Ele Keats
I have found crystal healing to be incredibly powerful through the years -- a literal touchstone, particularly during times of grief and loss. Jewelry designer and crystal connoisseur Ele Keats incorporates the magical, healing powers of crystals to create conscious jewelry for her jewelry store as well as in her own spiritual practice. She believes that crystals are here to help us and can be used to move forward towards healing the heart, self-love, and the new, and to think of them as "rock medicine just as one would take an herb or a plant. The rocks are able to provide healing, comfort, and transformation."
Some crystals and their healing powers to try include:
To take action: amethyst, fire opal
New beginnings: garnet
Cheerfulness: amber, fire opal
Creativity: labradorite, tourmaline, garnet, amber
Heart soother: pink tourmaline
Heart-healing meditation: sprouting quartz
Solving difficulty: garnet, smoky quartz, tiger eye
Joy: aventurine, fire opal, garnet, labradorite
Fertility: moonstone
Clarity: aquamarine, turquoise
Friendship: emerald, lapis
Achieve goals: labradorite
Love: emerald, moonstone, tourmaline
Self-love: rose quartz
Positivity: malachite, imperial topaz
Protection: agate, smoky quartz, serpentine
Confidence: citrine, fluorite, garnet, imperial topaz
Clear thinking: agate, citrine