Glow! just released

Today was a huge sigh of relief for me as I just released the first issue of Glow!, that's my store's new newsletter, first issue in fact you can almost smell the copy! Well, not really but you will get lots of tips to help keep you on the path to relaxation, wellness and a spirited way of living. I'm enjoying it, I hope you will too.

Read about Rejuvenation and Resolutions or sign up to receive Glow!

Have a glowing week!

Maria

winter solstice rituals

winter solstice which is tomorrow marks the beginning of winter and the shortest day and longest night of the year. so for me as the sun goes down this means an annual ritual of remembering and appreciating the year that is ending, letting go of the not so good stuff in the year and then setting an intention for the new year ahead.

how will you observe or celebrate winter solstice? some ideas... sharing a candlelight dinner with friends or simply observing the sunrise and sunet, turning off the lights after sunset and lighting candles or fireplace to truly experience this longer night.

so instead of resisting this day, accept (reflect) and celebrate (the direction) of your new year ahead!

New partnership with Spiritual Cinema Circle!

Today is a great day. I'm very excited to let you know that we've just partnered with Spirtual Cinema Circle to do our little part to help raise the vibration of the planet!

If you haven't seen the film, The Secret, I highly recommend it! AND would love to hear your thoughts on how it has improved your life. Send me a message at maria@destressessentials.com



Spritual Cinema Circle is offering a free month of membership to get you started receiving those hard to find films. Click here to be taken to their website.

when life gets hectic

with all this talk about sales and shopping i wanted to make sure we're also feeding our souls (myself included!).

when life gets hectic... be sure to create that spiritual space for yourself. just as flowers and plants need space to grow and flourish, so do we. nothing soothes my spirit more than sitting outside taking in the natural beauty. i'm grateful for being able to do that year-round living in santa barbara. a quick jaunt to the beach with muse gives me tons of tranquility for the week. the sound of the water never fails to carry my troubles away. even living on the east coast during the winter months meandering along the serene potomac gave me a sense of peace.

find your spiritual space and reflect on all that you have to be grateful for. share if you'd like too. wishing you safe travels and many many more blissful moments. thank you for coming into my space today.

truly grateful for you,
maria

Buddha Nose Body Treats for a stress-free holiday

A quick shout out that Buddha Nose is now available at De-Stress!

After a long day, doesn't a warm bath set the stage for a peaceful, restorative night's sleep by signaling your body that it's time to rest. We encourage you to enhance your experience by indulging in our spa-inspired find, Buddha Nose Body Treat that will definitely nourish your body and spirit.

After a warm soak, I love to wrap myself in a comfy robe and a cozy foot mule for a truly soothing evening ritual. A soy candle fills my room with a calming scent of lavender to really take me to that blissful space.

Meditation Bath Salts Be still and breathe. Quiet the mind and concentrate on nothing.

Happy soaking!

style bakery's holiday gift guide features Luxurious Neck Wraps

Shop from the comfort of your home for a truly stress-free shopping experience AND shop Indie while you're at it!

We're offering 10% off ALL Comfort Essentials - neck wraps, eye pillows, body wraps and oh so cozy foot mules in this year's Style Bakery's huge Holiday Gift Guide. Find us in 50 under $50.

About our NECK WRAPS: Bliss in a bag. Drift into total relaxation with these luxurious neck wraps. The ultimate in relaxation and stress relief. Available in many pretty fabrics. Comes with eco-chic jute tote.

** When purchasing neck wraps or any comfort essentials you must use code: StyleHoliday06 in comments section; free shipping on orders over $100. Adjustment will take place after checkout.

You know what you want. Click here to be taken directly to Comfort Essentials.

Happy Shopping!

happy thanksgiving

At De-Stress Essentials we hope your Thanksgiving is stress-free, relaxing and full of reflection. And here is a beautiful medley of color therapy... just in case you need the mood booster!

new scents just added to via botanica line

Exciting news Via Botanica pamering fans.

Just arrived! NEW SCENTS to expand the current Via Botanica bath and body line. You craved it, we've got it.

Whipped Body Butter/Hand and Body Lotion/Body Wash/Sugar Cane Scrub/Body Butter available in these scents
Vanilla Orange (most popular)
Lavender
Invigorating Mint
new flavors: Ginger Cream, Honey Almond

Ginger Cream - a warm and nurturing scent

Honey Almond - just a hint of warm honey that softens on your skin to the barest reminder of honey and almonds. Sweet and sexy, yet not overly fragranced.


Handemade Soap
new flavors: Vanilla, Ginger Cream, Honey Almond

being beautiful naturally

maria's tips on being BEAUTIFUL, naturally

~ love your life and everything around you. the more you count your blessings, the more they will appear.

~ drink lots of water. being dehydrated can make you stressed, but pure fresh water both energizes and uplifts naturally.

~ no matter how stressed you are - exercise. it is the best anti-stress medicine ever! just 30 minutes of it can help you deal with anything.

~ laugh really loud whenever and as often as you can, it is very liberating!

~ eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. rich in nutrients and skin-protective anti-oxidants, these are nature's beauty foods.

~ give hugs, lots of them. if you cannot find anyone, hug a tree ;-)

~ have massages: in addition to toning your muscles and relieving aches, being kneaded and squashed simply makes your body happy.

~ love your body and stop criticizing yourself. remember, you truly are a miracle of nature.

~ be really really genuinly nice to everyone. smiles are contagious. it's even known to boost your immune system!

laugh your way to wellness

I'm always seeking out interesting articles on wellness. My sister knows this so she sends me articles and links on things she comes across. She sent a fun one last night about balance... laughing your way to wellness. It's a type of yoga called Okido. The purpose is to help you regain the connection to your life-force and create the basis for better health and spiritual happiness. I gave it a try this morning with muse. She can always make me laugh. She does this drop roll thing on me most mornings to play and wake me up to feed her. She seems to have the Okido practice mastered. So I giggled myself to bliss. Really lightened me up, ready for whatever comes my way today.

So time to open our minds and take a journey to find the inner child in you and laugh your way through the day. What a natural way to feel good!

If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.
- Jimmy Buffett

reasons why I home spa

By now it's probably no secret that I love pampering. It wasn't always in me... I actually shyed away from things that brought attention to myself. And even more so I shyed away from pricey spas. But now I might indulge only on occasion but home is where I'm most comfortable in integrating my spa routines.

I find the wonderful thing about getting older is becoming more in tune with our Self. That means, taking time out for us. Pampering should be as beneficial as reading a book, eating healthy and even walking your dog (shame on you if you're not!). It's up there with my peace, health, balance, my overall wellness.

As we head into the holidays be aware of how you're feeling and listen to what your body is telling you. What does it need? More TLC? A salt scrub perhaps? Make home spa'ing within your reach so that it's practical for you, your lifestyle and your wallet. I challenge you to get creative and use the ingredients in your cupboard right now. Take a look at Inside the Spa Pantry for creative practical home spa recipes.

I love this quote by Anais Nin "I go in to come out". It sums up why I take spa moments no matter how busy life gets. As the week goes by, I challenge you to just listen to your inner spa diva and give it the attention you deserve.

If you have a favorite recipe, I'm eager to hear about it to share with others.

Happy Spa'ing.

many uses for the eye pillow

One of my favorite spa items I own is the eye pillow. It's also one of those items that can be easily tossed aside if it's out sight. To prevent this, I keep it visible on my side table ready to use, stored away in its jute bag.

I use it a few ways.

1- As an end to doing a few sun salutations at home, I end a yoga session with shavasana - deep relaxation - where I lie on my back with my lavendar filled eye pillow on and accept the aromatherapy. I am completely relaxed and my mind quiet and still.
Tip** for a more intense relaxation, microwave eye pillow for a few seconds. You will love the warm feeling.

2- I also bring my eye pillow to yoga class so I can look forward to relaxation even more... in a room full of other yogis. Laying there with my eye pillow I enjoy a total feeling of accomplishment after a solid seventy five minutes of practice!

3- Great for a quick power nap. The eye pillow completely blocks out the light so there are no visual distractions. It's designed to fit above the nose, so it's a comfortable fit.

4- I take it along when travelling. In unfamiliar hotel rooms, it takes longer for me to fall into my zzzz's. The pillow is the comfort.

5- I started toting my eye pillow to the beach recently. I put a cover on it though so muse won't get sand on it while she's digging to get cool. When Muse sees it, she knows it's my time. Muse relaxes quietly next to me.

Stress Relief Yoga - Final Relaxation

Learn the Strees Relief Yoga pose, "Final Relaxation".

De-Stress muse

New Arrivals! Spa Soy Candles Summer Scents

Spa exclusives to bring into your home...

Try luxurious Spa Soy Candles in your home. Elegantly packaged to give as a gift too!

New Scents for the summer:

14 oz. candle in organza packaging: NEW Cucumber Melon and Crisp Cucumber

7.5 oz spa candle: NEW Aqua Fruits and Romantic Chypre, perfect for that new summer romance

I want to start shopping for Spa Soy candles now!

De-Stress tip: Mindfulness

Mindfulness, the primary weapon against that 5-letter word (stress) is a kind of "meditation-lite" developed for people who found traditional meditation styles too difficult to practice.

Mindfulness is simply breathing deeply and noticing your surroundings. Sounds kind of new agey but the practice has shown to work in heart patients and is so easily learned.

Can lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve immune function, and ahhhhhh promote relaxation. Not a bad side effect to managing stress and finding the balance in your life.

Isn't that what we all contantly strive for -- finding balance.

De-Stress tip: Retreats

Go on a retreat.

Whether it be a spa retreat, health retreat, or spiritual retreat the idea is to tuck yourself away into silence. I'm sure if you do a google search for retreats plenty of choices near your home will spring up.

This week I went on a spiritual retreat to a beautiful serene place surrounded by trees tucked away at the foot of the mountains in California. Came back recharged with a more purposeful attitude to life. Appreciation. Gratitude.

I love what Thomas Merton said, "Solitude as necessity, a way to compassion." One of his strongest convictions was his insistence that solitude is "not a luxury but a necessity."

Even if you find that place under the tree, in your park, a special place to you, retreat there. The experience will lead you toward a calmer place.

I go in to come out.
Anais Nin

De-Stress :: Retreat :: Solitude :: Compassion

NEW! Essential Oil Perfumes

Our product lines are expanding!

We're especially excited about this one, the Santa Barbara collection of essential oil perfumes by Sharon Bolton.

My favorite, Luv, very feminine but not too bold of fragrance. It feels light and airy. I have always been especially sensitive to scents (makes me really nauseous) but after having tried these, I am going back to wearing perfume, these perfume oils at least. Luv it!

NEW! ..... PERFUME OILS with a tropical twist

Luv ~ Soul ~ Truth

These Perfume Oils are pure unique oils that are long lasting and smell different on each person. Each scent has a tropical twist and are a blend of fragrance oils and natural essential oils.

Comes in a compact roll on bottle that is a perfect size to throw into a cosmetic bag or purse for the office or an evening on the town. For $39 a bottle, these scents will go a long way.

click here to choose an experience.

Soy candles ... the healthy living candle

In honor of this past Earth Day, I'm talking SOY CANDLES.

But WHY soy candles?

Here are the facts...

Almost ALL candles around the world are made from paraffin wax. Paraffin is the left over residue from gasoline refining -yet Paraffin aromatherapy candles are presented to consumers as a health enhancing product!

The Dangers of Paraffin Wax Candles.

• Has been documented to contain 11 harmful carcinogens, 2 of which are toxic.
• Produces problematic petrol soot emissions - has been considered as harmful
as second hand tobacco smoke.
• Paraffin candles are not biodegradable or water-soluble
• Burns hotter and faster than soy wax candles
• May potentially harm your health, pollutes your indoor air quality and our environment
• Many still contain lead wicks - CAUTION

Soy is clearly a better choice because...

• Soy wax candles are 100% natural.
• They are made from soy bean products.
• They are a healthy alternative to petroleum based products.
• They are clean burning and no petrol soot to black walls.
• They are environmentally safe and biodegradable.
• They are non-toxic and safe for children and pets.
• They are hand crafted and made from 100% Soybean based wax.
• The wicks are all natural cotton
• They contain the highest quality essential oils

The great thing is they come in different aromatherapy scents and the soy candles burn cooler and longer than mainstream paraffin candles.

I have always enjoyed the ambience, warm environment and the scent throughout the house from paraffin candles. I didn't know any better. But after learning about the hazards of the most popular paraffin (petroleum based) wax, I am now seeking the healthier choice, the soy candle. They smell delicious and look so elegant that I can rest easy that my lungs will be healthier. It's a better world with soy!

Soylicious Soy Candles

Be well.
Maria
www.destressessentials.com

Find your bliss

Hi everyone, I this finds you well.

So it's been a while since my last post. Have you felt pulled in so many directions? That would describe me in the past month. Buidling a business is taking me in directions that keep me on my toes and happily surprised by the results.

Well, because of my commitment to "walk the talk" in all things relaxation and wellness, I've been making time to care for my total wellness -- my mind, body and soul. I started to get into a regular exercise routine, rather than just walking my dog so I went to a yoga class last week. It totally invigorated me and felt stronger coming out of a class. Glad I survived it because I was starting to think bad thoughts about the instructor. But these are the things I need to do for myself to keep my stress level to a minimum and at the grueling end, my tension is released and ready for the day's challenges. Yoga is my bliss.

Let's put stress into perspective. Not all stress is bad. Think about the time you were in a stressful situation tyring to make a deadline on something you procrastinated too long. Didn't that type of stress propell you to take action? That's what I mean by some stress is ok.

From time to time we all find ourselves in stressful situations - that's normal. I think we can't avoid it 100% of the time, that's just life and part of being human. However for many people stress has become a constant way of life. More often than not this is down to work and/or money problems, but relationships and ill-health are also common factors that contribute to our high levels of stress.

While we can't always elimate the things in our lives that normally cause us to feel stressed, what we can do is change the way we react to them, while also learning to relax more and worry less. We could all use a gentle reminder on managing stress. I know I do.

De-stress tip: Examine your life more closely and make the necessary changes required to reduce YOUR levels of stress.

What's your bliss?