Coconut Oil: Nature's Perfect Skin Lotion

Looking for an effective, all-natural lotion that sooths and softens, helps prevent wrinkles, and even heals damaged skin? In fact, one such product fits this bill, and it has been utilized for health and beauty by people for thousands of years. Now you too can understand and obtain the benefits of nature's perfect lotion: coconut oil.
Tropical cultures around the world traditionally employ coconut oil in daily skin-care. Polynesian people achieve soft, beautiful skin (despite their continual exposure to blistering sun and chafing ocean breeze) by applying coconut oil daily. In the West coconut oil is widely used in soaps, shampoos, creams and other body-care products, esteemed for its creamy texture and natural composition. Yet few of us fully understand how significant coconut oils' beautifying and health-promoting properties truly are. Read on for a brief overview of the fantastic benefits this oil can offer your skin.

Keeping Skin Smooth, Youthful & Healthy
Ordinary body-care products are ineffective at permanently curing negative skin conditions--most soften and smooth skin temporary while actually promoting the continuation of dry, wrinkled skin. Furthermore most lotions contain chemical ingredients that exasperate the skin and lack protective antioxidants that are crucial for skin health. Highly processed vegetable oils are prevalent in most commercial creams and have a particularly negative effect on skin; these oils cause free-radical damage to the skin's connective tissues, over time resulting in sagging, wrinkled, leathery skin.
In contrast, pure coconut oil is completely safe and natural. Its small molecule structure is easily absorbed by the skin, readily providing a soft, smooth feel without greasiness. Moreover, coconut oil actually supports skin health, helping to strengthen the connective tissue and protect against free-radical formation. It can help prevent the skin from developing liver spots and other blemishes caused by aging and overexposure to sunlight. In addition, coconut oil aids in removing the dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface, relieving the rough, flaky texture this build-up causes. Skin appears more even-textured and glowing.

Helping Protect & Heal Skin
As well as helping to keep skin safe, this oil can even enhance the body's healing processes. The medium-chain fatty acids found in coconut oil are responsible for its unique ability to stimulate healing and repair; these fatty acids have a powerful metabolic effect on cells, speeding cellular activity and accelerating processes such as healing damaged tissues, removing toxins, fighting germs and replacing damaged cells with healthy ones. As a result the body's overall healing capacity is boosted.

How To Use Coconut Oil
Coconut oil in its pure form is an ideal balm for skin. Virgin coconut oil is creamy textured and sweet-smelling, and its relatively inexpensive in comparison to many lotions. Pure coconut oil can be found in the body-care section of natural food stores and at specialty body venues. It can be used on a daily basis, applied after washing and throughout the day. Because it is absorbed quickly, repeated applications will provide the most pronounced results. It can be used as an all-purpose face, hand and body cream, as well as lip balm, massages lotion and healing ointment. Using coconut oil is simple and safe, making it the perfect lotion to try for all your skin needs!

10 Ways To Connect With Yourself

We all have relationships with many things in life--other people, our environment, our world. Yet the most consistent and important relationship is the one we have with our inner selves. Although our inner being is always present and alive, we often forget about this part of ourselves as we experience life in the physical world.
There are many benefits to connecting with yourself. Getting in touch with your inner energy can give you a sense of clarity, guidance, confidence and peace. Strengthening this personal relationship helps you achieve your goals and realize your true potential. When you’re aligned with yourself you feel centered, happy and powerful.
Everyone has different ways of connecting with themselves. Some people seek this relationship through conscious practices such as meditation, while others benefit from creative outlets, physical movement, or regular daily activities.
Here are 10 ideas that I have found very beneficial in connecting with my true self and enhancing life. These methods can help restore you to yourself and strengthen your inner relationship; they are diverse, enjoyable and healthy practices as well. Try adopting some of them into your life, and play around to discover other alternatives that work for you.

1. Physical Movement: Engaging in any kind of physical activity has a grounding and balancing effect and enhances positive emotions.
2. Seeking Nature: Plants, flowers, water and all natural life are remarkably soothing, increasing your sense of harmony and joy.
3. Journaling: Documenting your personal experiences, thoughts and feelings opens the door for relief, insight and reflection.
4. Creative Writing & Art: As you pursue creative outlets you allow your inner perspectives to be expressed in a beautiful and therapeutic medium.
5. Focused Breathing: Practicing conscious rather than automatic breathing syncs your body and mind.
6. Slowing Down: When you slow your rate of activities and thoughts you live more presently and gain focus, efficiency, and pleasure.
7. Eating Real Foods: Consuming foods that nourish your body and support your health will connect you with yourself and the cycle of life.
8. Sleeping: By relaxing your body and resting your mind you align and re-energize yourself.
9. Practicing Gratitude: Taking time to honor your blessings enhances life experience and helps you to acknowledge the miracle of yourself.
10. Connecting with others: As you interact and enjoy the company of others, you strengthen and enhance your relationship with yourself.

Face Your Fears, Grow Stronger

Deliberately facing our fears and pushing out of our comfort zone is an interesting concept; we don't instinctively move towards pain, yet we can see the long-term value in short-term discomfort. In fact, humans seem to be the only species that can consciously choose to face and overcome fears; other animals resort to running or attacking when in pain.

Deciding to face our fears is a conscious choice we make as we strive to improve ourselves and our lives. Courage and a certain awareness are necessary components as we embrace discomfort in an effort for growth. While facing and overcoming all of our fears immediately isn't practical, continual growth by expanding our comfort zone is key to achieving happiness. When we become stagnant and restricted by fears we hinder our lives and personal potential.

It can be a struggle to find the initial motivation and resolve to face challenges and make positive changes. Cultivating awareness and trust in the eventual rewards of facing fears aids this effort. Realize that you can choose to remain comfortable yet unhappy, or challenge yourself to experience temporary discomfort but eventual enhancement.

All growth comes with growing pains, but the rewards of our efforts are plentiful and well worthwhile. As we face our fears and expand our comfort zones we realize our inner strength and capability. We foster confidence and self-reliance, ultimately realizing our unlimited creative power. Many learning opportunities are available as we expand, and we are likely to make new and exciting discoveries.

As we successfully progress in our growth endeavors it is valuable to take time to feel appreciation for our work and satisfaction in our accomplishments; this positive feeling is truly what we are seeking. Be strong, act mindfully, & enjoy the sweet challenges in life!

My Favorite Way to Get Super-Soft Skin!

Do you regularly deal with dry, flaky skin? I don't usually have this problem, but over the past few months it progressively developed. The combination of dry air, being indoors with a fan heater, and then unusually sunny weather resulted in my skin becoming uncomfortably rough and exceedingly dry. Last week I looked in the mirror and saw my face coated in see flaky dead skin! Not exactly glamorous or healthy!
My approach to body-care is very simplistic, a "less is more" philosophy. While I'm mindful of healthy upkeep, I think a huge array of body and beauty products are unnecessary, often aggravating more than aiding. As such I'm not overly familiar with many products such as face scrubs, masks, and exfoliators. Now I knew I needed something to sooth my skin condition and hoped for a simple solution. Thankfully, this is exactly what I found.
On a recent visit to Whole Foods, I head to the body section and inquire about exfoliating options. I'm introduced to a spread of professional-looking products. The bottles are priced up to $40, and scanning the ingredients panel I'm unsure; always cautious about what I apply to my body, I suspect that even "natural" products can harbor undesirable components. Isn't there any other option? Then I spy a small display of special body brushes and sponges. Eureka! This is more my type. I remotely recall hearing about the usage and benefits of loofa sponges and I sense that one will fulfill my present need. I purchase a facial loofa for $1.99 and eagerly try it at home. With a douse of warm water the sponge softens slightly, and I follow the instructions to scrub in a circular motion. Remarkable! It feels like a facial massage, and in about 20 seconds I'm done. Upon rinsing my face I notice immediate improvement; my skin is relived of the flaky build-up, now feeling clean, clear and shockingly invigorated. I continue to use the loofa daily and by the second day my skin is fully transformed to an ideal soft state, looking and feeling better than ever. I love the easy results I get using a loofa and also appreciate that it derives from a natural source (loofas are made from gourd fruits). There are several loofa products available including face and body scrubbers and loofa-infuses soap. Have you tried any? If not check them out, and let me know if you get the positive results I expect!

Easy "Awaken Your Senses" Meditation

Here is a simple practice I created to awaken to the present moment and connect with the world. It also heightens the use of the senses and develops coordinated focusing.
You can think of this as a meditation or simply a grounding and centering technique. It can be performed sitting or standing still, and I even practice it walking (when in motion I keep my eyes open the entire time for safety). I find that practicing it out of doors is the most effective and rewarding. Give it a try, then work to incorporate the awareness concept into daily life.

1. Begin by closing the eyes and taking several deep breaths to relax and focus inward.
2. Bring your awareness to your sense of hearing. Note the sounds in your environment. Notice the layers of sound and varying levels of volume.
3. Release your attention from hearing and move on to focus on your sense of smell. Inhale deeply and smell the air and aromas of the environment. Discover the subtle smells surrounding you.
4. Letting go of this sense and continuing on, now address the sense of taste. Inhale through the mouth and taste the oxygen. Taste your tongue and any lingering tastes in your mouth from the food you last ate.
5. Switching your focus to the sense of touch, feel your body and the things in contact with it. Are you connected with the ground or a floor? What fabrics are touching your skin? What else is your body touching? Scan your entire body and note the contacts.
6. Lastly, open your eyes and fully focus on your vision. Look softly but deeply at the world, becoming aware of the many details available to your sense of sight.
7. Now, you may try closing your eyes once again and repeating the process, this time retaining your focus on each sense as you add the next, ending with all 5 senses activated and balanced. Try to maintain this state of full awareness for a few moments.
Recognize how awake and attuned you feel to your body and environment. Move on to your daily activities, enjoying your enhanced awareness!

Tasty Healthy Sprouted Grains

You’ve probably seen products made with sprouted grains at the grocery store, especially if you shop at Whole Foods Market or other natural food venues. The most popular brand is Food for Life, better known as Ezekiel (the scriptural their product line is inspired by), which makes a variety of organic sprouted-grain goodies. Trader Joe's also carries a selection of sprouted breads. I love these products for several reasons; Firstly, they taste great, with pronounced flavors and a satisfying chewy texture. I always feel good when I eat them as well, as they have a balancing impact on my body, providing long-lasting sustenance and even energy.

Food for Life explains their advantage with the "Live Grain Difference". According to them, sprouting grains and seeds before baking into bread yields significantly more nutritious products. The sprouting process increases vitamin content, and further encourages vitamin absorption by neutralizing an acid present in grains. Also important, sprouting produces enzymes that "pre-digest" the food, breaking down its amino acid bonds and easing our digestion. Finally, sprouted grain products contain 9 essential amino acids, a superior protein that parallels dairy protein.

All of these health benefits are good to be aware of, especially if you have troubles with refined or even regular whole grain flour products. I find that you really feel the positive effects of eating these "flourless" goods too. There are many sprouted products available from Food for Life and others. My favorites are the breads, English muffins, tortillas (they make sprouted wheat and corn), and even cereals. To someone unaccustomed, sprouted grain breads may taste bizarre, but they are really just a step above whole-grain products. With a little time and adapting, I think you can find them as delightful as I do!

Welcome to Willow's Way!

Welcome! My name is Willow and this site will host an array of my writings. I love to write; I began journaling at 6 years of age and have kept a diary consistently since then. Growing up I also loved creative writing, and as a teenager I discovered a passion for non-fictional journalism.
I consider myself to be the Inquisitor of the World, or at least the of my world, as I sift and examine the many aspects and details in life. Furthermore, I am inclined to formulate strong opinions and conclusions through my experience. It is my desire that my insight, opinions and ideas contribute positively to your life, offering information and inspiration. This format for my work will be simple, personal and hopefully useful, both for myself and you, the reader. Enjoy my words and send me your own if you like!