Wellness Rituals: 6 Must Have Palo Santo Items

When life hands you lemons, sometimes you really just want to squeeze them into other people’s eyes. But when life hands you Palo Santo, somehow everything just seems alright. I’ve been crushing on this scent for awhile now since I first got a whiff while browsing at Le Labo. Once you smell Palo Santo, you immediately notice that every calm and peaceful place in the city is crushing on this scent too. Palo Santo, or holy wood, has been used for centuries for everything from energy cleansing to respiratory ailments. The smoke is much lighter than sage and the wood itself is so fragrant that you don’t even have to burn it to reap the wellness benefits. Obviously, I just had to bring it home and I was stoked to see that there are so many products available that harness the power of this aromatic wood. Here are 6 must have Palo Santo items for you to bring home!

Morphologically Aromatherapy Roll-Ons

Clean beauty has never smelled this good. While you’re swapping out all of the toxic ingredients in your beauty routine, don’t forget to get your hands on your new favorite perfume. While you’re at it, shop the entire range of home goods from Morphologically’s Holy Wood Collection.

Anthropologie Palo Santo Incense Bundle

Each eco-friendly incense stick is harvested from naturally fallen branches from Ecuadorian Palo Santo trees!

Le Labo Fragrances Palo Santo 14

These calming candles will really set a purifying mood in your home. They’ve been the perfect addition to my ginger detox bath.

Monk Oil Palo Santo Skin Potion

Slather on this calming and  grounding skin potion that’s a unique blend of Palo Santo and Vetiver eseential oils. Oh and did I mention that each bottle contains a Smoky Quartz crystal? Hello, celestial healing!

Min New York Palo Santo Wood

Because one simply can’t have just one incense bundle.

Apotheke Candle

Because one simply can’t have just one candle.

3 Apps to Support Your Emotional and Mental Health

Does running away from my problems count as cardio? Sigh. If only that was the way things worked. Anxiety and stress are no joke. No matter what changes you make to your diet and your fitness routine, your mind can always find a way to convince you to be miserable. Now that self care is an actual trending topic, we can finally openly talk about the struggles we’re facing in our quest for emotional and mental well being. What’s even better is that there’s always an app for that.

Meditation Studio

This app goes beyond just general relaxation meditations. Meditation studio offers a wide variety of guided meditations that focus on specific areas like anxiety, sleep, and gratitude. There’s even an ‘unguided’ feature that allows you to create custom meditations.

Talkspace

This app is like having the magical ability to get your therapist to make a house call. For $32/ week, you can chat with a professional as much as you need to. You can even do couples therapy! This is unlimited, on-demand counseling, y’all.

Happify

This app is like a one stop shop for emotional and mental support. Happify describes its mission best: “How you feel matters. Whether you’re feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or you’re dealing with constant negative thoughts, Happify brings you effective tools and programs to take control of your emotional well-being.” Set your goals and let the app do the rest.

***Didn’t find exactly what you’re looking for? Go here for the low down on more Health & Wellness Apps available on ios and android.

Wellness Trends to Look For in 2018

I had a major crush on this boy that was way into Tai Chi and who (spoiler alert) turned out to be a totally self important tool bag. Considering he was so wrong about so many things, I started to firmly believe that Tai Chi is ridiculous because, ya know, there’s no “I” in denial. But with the new year comes the opportunity to restart, rejuvenate, and reinvent yourself. Even though I’ve come to see the practice of Tai Chi as a reliable red flag as any, this new year is already telling me otherwise. Tai Chi classes have already started making their way into a gym or park near you. Alas, this low impact exercise is perfect for reducing stress and creating calm in both mind and body. Still bitter. I probably need to work on that. Wellness is all about mind, body, and soul, right? So, what else is 2018 bringing into the world of wellness? Here are just a few things that we’ll be seeing more of this year.

Indoor Air Purification

As world leaders continue to compare missile sizes, and pretty severe weather patterns are devastating entire regions, we can’t help but notice environmental effects on our overall sense of wellness. Clean water has been a concern for decades, but this year, expect to see more talk about indoor air purification.

After you painstakingly planned your diet and really got yourself into a successful workout routine, breathing in the comfort of your own home should be a no-brainer. Sadly, dust, mold, and other pollutants have been putting a strain on that otherwise quiet existence for some time now. Searches for air purifiers and air purifying household plants have already increased by nearly 300% and we’ve only just begun.

Fortunately, there are some pretty awesome air purifiers available on amazon. For larger spaces in your home, this tower-style HEPA air purifier with a charcoal filter is a workhorse, clearing the air of allergens and odor from pets and smoke. For smaller spaces, like your bedroom nightstand, this cute purifier will filter out 99% of the allergens in the air. Best part, they’re extremely affordable.

The Importance of Self Care

Mindfulness in meditation has been trending for a while now. The idea is to be present in the moment and gradually let go of the thoughts that produce anxiety and adversely affect our mental well being. This trend is going to have some company this year as self-care becomes more and more important. Whether the emphasis is on caring for your body through restorative post workout stretches or snacks (Huel and Althletic Greens have been my saving grace), getting enough sleep, or slipping away into a spa-like bath, the principle of self care is no longer a luxury. This year, it’s a necessity.

 Well + Good predicts…

From athletic gear, to women’s health, to brain-boosting supplements, to craft Kombucha elixirs, to gut health, and beyond. Those trailblazing folks over at Well+Good have rounded up their Top 18 Trends of 2018. It’s so worth the read. I don’t know about you, but bio-hacking and high-tech sleep sound uh-mazing!

4 Homemade Sports Drink Recipes to Beat the Heat

It’s brutally hot here, you guys. That yucky humid heat that just lingers and sucks all of your energy smooth out of your body. Because of this weather, my usually temperate home yoga routine has inadvertently become hot yoga for two days in a row now. Anyway, after yesterday’s hot yoga session I was feeling a little light headed and super thirsty. Fortunately, the hypochondriac in me immediately diagnosed my symptoms as being the tell tale signs of mild dehydration. I needed a sports drink fast not only for the electrolyte replenishment, but if for no other reason, the placebo effect. Hypochondria is real, y’all.

Anyway, these homemade sports drink recipes will have you feeling fully hydrated and raring to go no matter how hot the weather gets in your neck of the woods. With ingredients like coconut water, fruit, and even herbal tea, you’re getting all kinds of healthy goodness with delicious flavors to match. Best part is you can totally skip all the unnecessary sugars and additives that you’ll find in traditional sports drinks. You must try this!

1. Cucumber Lime Electrolyte Refresher

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 2 limes, peeled
  • 1½ cups coconut water

Directions

  • Juice the cucumber and lime in a juicer
  • Mix with coconut water
  • Serve chilled or over ice

2. Homemade Gatorade

Ingredients

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

  • In a blender, add all ingredients and mix well
  • Serve chilled or over ice

3. Watermelon Electrolyte Booster

ingredients

  • 1 quarter of a watermelon, seeded
  • 2 large glasses of coconut water
  • 1 pinch of Himalayan Sea Salt

Directions

  • In a blender, add all ingredients and blend well
  • Serve chilled or over ice

4. Herbal Cooler

ingredients

  • 4 cups herbal tea
  • 2-4 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients thoroughly and store in the fridge
  • Serve chilled or over ice