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!

maintaining your youthful spirit

each time muse takes me on a walk i'm reminded how important it is to maintain my youthful spirit. every morning she wakes up with a freshness about her; she sees the world like it was the first time.

i feel joy watching her roll in the grass, playing chase with the birds, smelling the flowers... even the spring in her step, it's all with such freshness! bright eyed and happy tailed muse definitely inspires MY youthful spirit!

maintain your youthfulness by practicing seeing things as if it was your first time.

merriest of holidays!

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!

New Product coming soon! Buddha Nose

We're really excited about this hip and tranquil addition to our store... Buddha Nose aromatic oils and plant remedies

Here's a sneak peak.

Bodhi Balm To relax, quiet the mind & peace out!
A unique balm to ease tension headaches, and aches and pains associated with stress.

Girl Balm To ease cramps and lighten moods
Hey Girlfriends! Need a belly balm to rub away aches and grouchy feelings associated with your cycle? Massage a fingertipfull of Girl Balm into your lower belly, as often as needed.

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

Fall into your bliss

Fall in Virginia is spectacular this time of year. Just came back from a hike with muse in historical Bull Run. What music to my ears to hear the beautiful sounds of the rustling of crisp leaves under my feet... and her paws. As muse was prancing about on the trail, I experienced a brief magical moment standing beneath the trees. I was being showered by falling golden leaves! I'm sure it was a gentle (and beautiful) reminder of the importance of bliss in my life.

Fall is a perfect time of year to renew your spirit and find your bliss. Take some time this month to think about what stirs you up inside.

NEW Organic Spa Collection!!

We're happy to announce a great addition to the De-Stress essentials bath and body line, the organic spa collection by Bonicca. The latest in spa quality organic lotions, salts and shower gels. Using 100% vegetarian ingredients, these natural body care products appeal to all your senses in 9 signature fragrances including Spice Island, Coco Coriander and Bamboo Flower, Cucumber Lime, Fig, Mandarin Dream, Provence, Unscented and my biased favorite..... California Coast.

Don't be fooled by the packaging. It has the looks of the Kiss my Face brand packaging, not too attractive (my opinion) but don't judge this "book by its cover". If you can get past the packaging, you'll be pleased with your purchase.

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Here's an interesting article I found on organics and Bonicca.

Chemotherapy Patients Praise Organics

(PRWEB) February 16, 2006 -- A fragrance-free Organic lotion for sensitive skin is quickly becoming the product of choice for many cancer patients suffering side effects from chemotherapy.

Recently, when cancer patient Kristina Jones was searching for a lotion to soothe the burning, itching sensation in her face and upper body (a common side effect of chemotherapy), she turned to her neighbor and friend Kim Cabot, owner of BONICCA Natural Body Care. Kim gave her some Unscented Bonicca Organic Spa Lotion, knowing that the high organic aloe content and all natural ingredients would be gentle to KristinaÂ’s irritated skin. “The itching and burning were relieved immediately,” reported Jones, “and the chapping, redness and swelling subsided in just a few hours. I feel like a new person!"

Bonicca President Kim Cabot states, “We are working hard to create the highest quality organic products” and we are offering samples of this remarkable product to Cancer clinics across the country.

WHY ORGANIC: When products are applied directly to the body, up to 60% of the compounds in the product are absorbed into the skin, including any toxic ingredients. This is the primary concern with toxic cosmetic ingredients. Lotions, creams and oils affect the skin’s appearance precisely because they are being absorbed. While looking your best is the reason many people use cosmetics, the ill effects of toxic ingredients is alarming, and is of even greater concern for people whose immunities are weakened by illness or medication.

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Bonicca is one of 200 companies who signed the Compact For Safe Cosmetics and they are proud to support the Breast Cancer Fund in this endeavor.

Bonicca was the Variety magazine's Stylephile pick of the day. Here's what they wrote.

Vegan Shower Dream

Bonicca's Organic Spa Collection may be ethically sound—the line is 100% vegan and uses 70% organic botanicals—but that likely won't be at the fore while lathering up with one of its swoon-worthy shower gels. Coco Coriander, Bamboo Flower, Spice Island and Pikake transport you with tropical fragrances that never overpower; Cucumber Lime, Watermint and California Coast are refreshing morning boosters; and scents Mandarin Dream and Fig are creamily sweet. Of note: Bonicca's unscented spa lotion has worked wonders for people undergoing chemotherapy.

Not sure which scent is right for you. Purchase a sampler kit for $5.



















View the complete Organica Spa Collection here.

Mother's Day anti-aging SECRET

Our bodycare lines are expanding! I'm excited about this new prodcut line direct from Umbira, Italy known for being the "Mediterranean diet for the skin", called Olivella -- from 100% virgin olive oil.

So here's a Mother's Day anti-aging SECRET.... Olivella ALL NATURAL Virgin Olive Oil Moisturizer. It's so rich in vitamins and antioxidants, protecting the skin from free radicals that damage healthy skin. Tell mom to apply 1-2 drops on face, neck or body 10 minutes before betime to allow moisturizer to absorb.

Do it for mom today and maybe she'll actually like trying something new and it's naturally better for her skin too.

Olivella Moisturizer contains premium quality Virgin Olive Oil (rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin E, beta carotene and squalene) and scented with natural floral essences from the Mediterranean.

Wash face first with the bar soap or Liguid soap.





Not tested on aniamls and no artifical coloring.

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?