By Keira L Barr, MD
Resilient Health Institute
www.drkeirabarr.com
Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the saggiest and wrinkled of them all?
Did you just raise your hand?
Well, if you’ve made it this far, no doubt there are a few more sags and wrinkles than your younger years, but that’s something to celebrate. Those changes in your skin are evidence that you’ve lived!
Those lines from laughing your ass off at all the crazy things you’ve done with your family, your friends, and yourself. The furrow between your brow from worrying about your loved ones and what’s next. Boobs hanging lower from the gift of gravity and if you’ve had kids suckling on them and deflating them like flapjacks, you know what I’m talking about.
I feel you, because I am right there with you.
But here’s the thing.
Your skin tells your story. It tells the story of your past and your present, and is a canvas to reflect your future. As your largest and most visible organ your skin is a reflection of your overall state of health and well being.
What shows up on your skin gives clues to what’s happening beneath it. Consider this, rather than seeing those dark circles, dark spots, and thinning brows as your body sabotaging your mojo, what if you saw these findings as messages that your body needs your loving attention. The same kind of attention you dote on your kids, spouse, friends and loved ones is what your body is asking of you with these lumps, bumps and blemishes.
For example, those dark circles under your eyes that you are desperate to cover up are your skin and body’s way of telling you to tune in to what’s happening in your life. I’ll grant you that some of us have a genetic propensity towards dark circles and have had them since childhood, but for the vast majority of us their presence is an opportunity for self-reflection and upleveling your self-awareness.
Instead of trying to cover them up with Cover FX (awesome product by the way😉), consider asking yourself: “How much sleep am I getting? How sound is my sleep? What am I doing up until I go to bed at night…bingeing on NetFlix? Scrolling on Instagram or Facebook? Pouring an extra glass of wine or 2 or 3? Is my sleep disrupted by hot flashes? What toxins am I consuming? (I’m not just talking about food and chemical, I’m talking about your thoughts…our mind-body and skin are intimately connected).
Rather than trying to cover up the evidence your body is providing you, use it to your advantage. Get curious. Be inspired. You have the power to take charge of your health and your life and create the version of you that blows your own mind!
But the first step in the process is taking notice. It requires that you have a willingness to read into the story your skin has been telling about your past and is currently telling you now, so that you can make an intentional decision about whether you are happy with the story or you have a desire to edit it or completely rewrite it for the next chapter of your life.
We are in midlife, which means we have a heck of a lot more life to live and YOU get to decide how you want to live it.
If you love your story, let’s celebrate it and shout it from the rooftops as you strut into rooms feeling sexy, bold, courageous and confident in your skin!
If you’re not convinced your story is your best-seller or you’re ready to create a new one, let’s celebrate that too because you already have everything you need to jumpstart the process, you just need some guidance.
Think of it this way, healthy skin turns over cells every 28 days, naturally shedding layers and getting rid of dead and dysfunctional cells that are no longer serving the health, vitality and integrity of your skin barrier.
When your natural exfoliation cycle is off track and your skin retains cell layers, your complexion appears dull, sallow, prematurely aged and/or is associated with various disease processes including psoriasis and forms of ichthyosis. The collateral damage is that normal functioning of your skin is disrupted and associated with inflammation, congestion and hormone imbalance.
The same principle applies to your life. If you are holding onto thoughts, beliefs, habits, emotions, people, and obligations that are not serving your greater purpose and passion, then they are masking your glow, radiance, and compromising your health and vitality physically, mentally, and emotionally.
If that resonates with you, then it’s time to exfoliate the old ways of doing things and shed the layers that aren’t serving you personally or professionally to reveal the layers that will.
It’s time to go “Skinny Dipping” ! (This is a process I take all of my clients through so that they have more time, energy and motivation to do what they love!)
Are you in?
Each quarter, I’ll share tips, skills and exercises that you can implement right away to help you edit, rewrite or celebrate your story so that you are glowing from the inside out and outside in.
Believe me, if you are willing to go all in, “getting naked will never have felt so good💗!”
