How I Incorporate Slow Beauty Concepts Into My Family Life

After sharing how Slow Beauty came to be, I also wanted to share how I incorporate Slow Beauty concepts into my family life.

1. Pause and reflect on what you value most. Write it down. For me, it is my health and well-being. Growing up my mom always taught me “health is wealth.” She always says, “If we don’t have our health, what do we have?” I instill this very same lesson in my home. For me, this means being aware of what our bodies consume and come in contact with, creating positively impactful indoor and outdoor environments, and engaging in personal spa time.
2. Self-care is first and foremost. From the first tip, I learned that self-care was ultimately about health. Find profound and meaningful ways to take care of yourself. It’s the “oxygen mask” protocol: In the case of a flight emergency, we are instructed first to place an oxygen mask on ourselves and then on our children. Apply this same principle to your self-care rituals. These routines make me feel good, and when I feel loved and supported I’m at my best, and I can spread the love and support to those around me. Some of my Slow Beauty practices include daily meditation, weekly hikes in nature, yoga classes, and beauty care rituals like regular sugar scrubs and self-massage using one of SpaRitual’s body oils.
3. Immerse oneself in nature. The multi-sensory experience of nature renews and nourishes us. We recently took a family trip to Yosemite: We hiked and biked, looked upon gushing waterfalls, experienced nature at night during a stargazing outing, and saw a variety of flora and fauna. It was a transformative, harmonious experience for all of us.
4. Enjoy family dinners or set gatherings together. We make an effort to sit down together for family meals at least four times a week. Each family has its language and dynamic, but family dinners give us the time to share, contribute, and learn how to communicate.
5. Hide the distraction devices. This one I struggle with the most. It is difficult for me to transition from office mind to home mind. I’ve been working on rituals to mark the transition so that when I am at home with my family I am fully present. My next experiment is to hide my device somewhere when I arrive home so that I’m not tempted to over check it.    
6. Try the Slow Beauty Family Recipe.  Mix these ingredients together: A bit of spontaneity, a dash of structure, and a bunch of creativity and joy sprinkled with a measure of discernment: This mix allows our family to become who we are together while honoring who we are as individuals.