Romance Book Paradise: Spotlight on Dr. Elizabeth Reid Boyd & The Secrets of Mindful Beauty

This week our Spotlight on Author is on Dr Elizabeth Reid Boyd. She has a new book, The Secrets of Mindful Beauty.

Dr Elizabeth Reid Boyd has degrees in psychology and gender studies. She has taught interpersonal, communication, and personal development skills including meditation, self-awareness, self-care and mindfulness at the university level for almost two decades. She writes fiction as Eliza Redgold.

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Recommendations

I recommend mindfulness! I practice mindfulness and meditation, and teach these practices to my university students. I’m fascinated by how much more creative we are when we slow down and let ideas grow. Mindfulness is magical for our bodies and minds.

Reservations

A new form of anxiety recently noted by psychologists is what’s been called ‘appearance-related anxiety’. This form of anxiety, found predominantly among women, is specifically linked to worries about changing appearance, especially due to aging, or to body image issues. Unfortunately, appearance-related anxiety can lead to a vicious cycle, because worrying about your appearance can actually make matters worse. That’s why it’s so important to address stress at the psychological level.

Remarkables

It’s remarkable how effective mindfulness can be for dealing with an overwhelming rush of appearance-related anxiety. Here’s how:

Take three deep breaths. In and out. In and Out. In and out. Excellent.

Now, use your breath to direct your attention away from the appearance-anxiety provoking thought, feeling or body sensation, such as worrying about a blemish, or blushing, or a feature you dislike. Without being aware of it, you’ve probably locked on. Become aware. Focus instead on the aspect of your face or body part you consider neutral or that you feel good about. Rest your attention there instead. Do you like your eyes? Focus on them. Your ear? Go there. Your left little finger? Zoom in. You get the picture. Breathe, focus inwardly towards the facial feature body part that makes you feel OK, and rest your attention there.

If your attention wanders, notice it, and then return your inner gaze to the feature or body part you like, instead of focusing on what you dislike. With practice, you can learn to do this technique in a few breaths. You can do it while doing something else, even in the middle of a conversation! You have the power to focus your breath and your attention – right now.

The Secrets of Mindful Beauty: Revolutionary Techniques in Anti-Aging and Self-Care

If you think the answer to anti-aging and looking good comes from a jar, a salon, or a surgical procedure: think again. The best beauty treatment is in your own mind.

Did you know

Depression can give you wrinkles

Insomnia can cause sagging skin

Anxiety can increase reddening and skin rashes

Stress can result in acne and hair loss

and much more?

Discover the secrets of mindful beauty. Lose your permanent frown. Smooth your worried brow without Botox. Turn your sag lines into smile lines. These age-defying techniques have been specially created for a happier, more beautiful you.

Mindful beauty is a way of applying the practices of mindfulness to our physical health and well-being. Many of our routines around beauty lend themselves to mindfulness, and this will not only enhance the experience, but also have ongoing positive beautifying effects by reducing the stress and anxiety that can affect how we look and feel.