Finding the Joy Beyond the Skin...

There comes a moment that catches most of us by surprise.

Not because anything dramatic has happened.

Just because one morning, while brushing your teeth or catching your reflection in a shop window, you notice something you hadn't seen before.

Perhaps your cheeks don't seem quite as lifted.

Your jawline looks a little softer.

Your neck isn't as firm as you remember.

You think,

"When did that happen?"

The answer, of course, is...

Little by little.

Your face is wonderfully alive

Beneath your skin, an extraordinary conversation is taking place every second.

·      Blood is carrying nourishment.

·      Lymph is clearing away excess fluid.

·      Oxygen is feeding every tiny cell.

·      Your own energy systems are constantly communicating with one another.

When these natural processes become a little sluggish, your complexion can lose some of its sparkle, your skin may feel less vibrant and puffiness can linger a little longer than it once did.

One of the simplest ways to support your face is not another expensive cream.  

It's movement.

Just a few minutes can encourage circulation, support lymphatic flow and remind your tissues that they are still wonderfully alive.

A good walk is one way to get things moving and if you want to get really focussed, try waking up the lymph ……

I often use my fingertips, although a couple of clean, soft blusher brushes  provide the gentleness required.

Begin by making tiny circles in the little hollow above each collarbone—the clavicular notch—to gently wake up the lymph nodes.

Then lightly stroke:

·      from the base of the ears down to the notch

·      from behind the ears down to the notch

·      from in front of the ears down to the notch

·      then from the centre of the face out towards the sides before sweeping gently down to the notch.

Think of it as quietly inviting the lymph to flow.

The touch needs to be feather-light because these tiny vessels lie just beneath the skin. Pressing harder isn't better—in fact, it can have the opposite effect.

·      Don't rush.

·      Breathe.

·      Smile.

Instead of making it another job on your "to-do" list, let it become a small daily ritual. Time out for you - a couple of minutes is all you need, perhaps once in the morning and once in the evening.

As you move your hands, imagine every skin cell responding with renewed vitality as the lymphatic system moves away old stale stagnant lymph... with a bit more enthusiasm!

Talk kindly to yourself. Imagine your face becoming healthier, brighter and more radiant.

Perhaps the greatest lesson I've learnt over recent years has been

learning to fall in love with my wrinkles, sag and age spots.

After all, life is so much more than appearance.

Life is ….

·      Laughter.

·      Curiosity.

·      Compassion.

·      Kindness.

·      Optimism.

Those are the qualities that truly shine through a face and create your own special, individual ‘glamour’.

The word glamour did not originally mean beauty, fashion or Hollywood elegance.

It comes from the Scottish word gramarye (or glamer), which meant magic, enchantment or a spell. The word ultimately derives from the medieval word for grammar.

In the Middle Ages, anyone who could read Latin or possessed scholarly knowledge was sometimes thought to have mysterious or magical powers.

Over time, gramarye shifted in Scottish folklore to become glamer,

meaning an enchantment that altered perception.

To cast a glamour was to cast a spell that changed what another person saw.

A witch, fairy or enchantress could make an old cottage appear to be a magnificent palace,

or make herself appear irresistibly beautiful—

not because she had physically changed,

but because she had changed the observer's perception.

It wasn't vanity.

It was perception transformed by presence.

So, it wasn't about changing reality; it was about changing what people noticed.

If someone chooses to see you simply as "old" rather than recognising you as an elder with wisdom etched into every line...

That's their story.

Not yours.

Wear your face with loving pride.

It reflects the remarkable journey you've travelled along your own personal timeline.

I'll be honest.

That acceptance doesn't arrive overnight.

It asks something of us.

·      A little courage.

·      A little kindness.

·      A little inner work.

Ultimately a shift in our priorities. It's natural to want to look 'attractive' when young, it's in our DNA to attract a 'mate'. However, once past menopause things change, we gently enter our Yin time, the time when we do go inward and connect to that inner wisdom - other things become important .... in other cultures it could be said that we step into the role of 'elder'.

Somehow we need to reconnect to that natural shift, in a society that no longer recognises or values it .... but we need to!

Gosh, I sound a bit preachy there ....

One final thought...

The next time you catch your reflection in the mirror...

Smile.

Blow yourself a kiss.

And quietly say,

"Hello, you beautiful thing, you."

Because here in the Crone Zone, we're discovering that true beauty isn't skin deep. 

It's found in the joy that shines beyond …….

Maddie

xxx

When your life force shines brightly enough,

people don't see your wrinkles first;

they see your radiance.