Feature: Beauty and Health Part 1

I don’t think it’s any secret that beauty and health go hand in hand and that it’s important to lead a healthy lifestyle as best as you can. I don’t claim to be a health nut or guru in any sense as I love my share of junk food and I’m not known for my physical lifestyle, but everything in balance right?

This is where I bring in the experts! In Part 1 of Beauty and Health I’d like to introduce everyone to Leisa Peacock, a Certified Natural Health Practitioner or C.N.H.P. She is also a Certified Aromatherapy Health Therapist or C.A.H.T and a Level III Reiki practitioner. Sheesh, where she finds the time I have no clue! (photo courtesy of http://www.escentialinspirations.com/)

I had the opportunity to meet Leisa at an open house in the spring and honestly, it was such a short 15 minute session with her but I felt like a much of the stress from my shoulders was gone!

So what exactly does Leisa do? Well, she tells me that she assist clients to their own path to wellness by offering a variety of body and energy work such as:

Aromatherapy Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Reiki
Chakra Balancing
Vibrational Arts and Sound Healing

The treatments are all based on the client’s customized needs and comfort level. Since many of these concepts are foreign to most of us Leisa loves the opportunity to educate clients on how to achieve daily relaxation and healing. This is something I think we all need to take time out for!

Leisa:

I believe that life is a journey and the ultimate destination is one of balance and well-being which can be realized through complementary holistic health practices.

Although I have science and math as my educational background this is something I truly believe in too.

(courtesy of http://www.escentialinspirations.com/)

So how did Leisa get started on this path?

I was working in the corporate entertainment world and found myself caught up in the frenzy of the “rat race”. I was working too much, not knowing how to stop it, I just craved balance. I was no longer satisfied with my career as I didn’t feel I was making a difference in the world with what I was doing. Or rather there was something else I should be doing that would make more of a difference. And so I began my search. It started with a visit to a naturopath. When I discovered that so many symptoms of disease could be corrected with natural remedies such as better diet, herbs, working on emotions, healthier lifestyle, etc I became fascinated. All the reading I had been doing surrounding finding balance between mind, body and spirit all started to make sense to me. My passion for Aromatherapy had already developed by then, and so I studied aromatherapy formally as well as other body work and energy work. I still pursue learning in all things spiritual as I continue on my path of awakening.

What an incredible journey! I think many of us can relate to the feeling of craving balance!

So while many of us may be seeking to balance our lives more we may not all be looking to be going into holistic practices completely 😉 I wanted to know if there was something we could do on our own to incorporate some of these practices.

From this post you may know what a big fan of body oils I am, but hey, guess what, they can be REALLY good for you too!

Leisa says that by adding essential oils to skin care products we can incorporate healing properties for our bodies and skin. She does caution however that we should make sure the products we used a plant-based and have natural ingredients. (I want to point out that some people do have allergic reactions to natural and plant based ingredients so test things out – you know your own body best!)

Some examples Leisa gave:

· Frankincense and Sandalwood have cytophylactic properties (skin cell regeneration), which helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage.

· Lavender oil can help to moisturize, soothe and balance PH levels in the skin whereas Peppermint can help to soothe, revitalize and energize the skin.

· Rose and Rosewood oils are very nourishing to skin, especially mature skin

· Neroli can help with scars, stretchmarks and broken capillaries as it helps to improve elasticity

· Orange can help with cellulite as it is a good stimulant for all body systems and helps to detoxify

· Rosemary and/or Peppermint can be added to your shampoo or conditioner for anti-itch and revitalizing properties

· Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, Neroli and Patchouli all have aphrodisiac properties.

A few precautions when using aromatherapy:

Never apply any Essential Oil directly onto skin (exception is Lavender for burns). It needs to be first diluted in a carrier oil such as vegetable or jojoba or almond oil.

Citrus oils are photosensitizing, meaning you will burn in the sun if using these oils on your skin.

Leisa practices in downtown and the West end of Toronto and is an independent distributor for Young Living Essential Oils. For more details please visit her website at http://www.escentialinspirations.com/.

You can also find her on twitter and on facebook.

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