6 Daily Tips for Finding Your Inner Glow

Our new Clean Glow collection lets you customize levels of color and illumination in three simple steps: bronzing and highlighting with glitter-free liquid and powder formulas, and awakening the skin with a Kombucha-infused setting spray. But when it comes to achieving an inner glow, feeling strong, at peace and in the moment are what will get you there. Here are our favorite tips for achieving a daily inner glow from wellness experts who radiate from the moment they wake up.

Embrace Positive Affirmations

“One of the hardest parts about being on the journey to living your best life is figuring out what it is that you want to achieve throughout your lifetime,” says Koya Webb, an internationally recognized yoga teacher, holistic health coach and author of the upcoming title Let Your Fears Make You Fierce: How to Turn Common Obstacles into Seeds for Growth.

We hear a lot about how a positive attitude can go a long way, but how does one begin to practice this? Write yourself a sticky note at the end of each day that says something like “You’ve got this!” and tape it to your computer. Prefer to talk things out? Schedule time on your calendar — whether it be early morning or midday — to go somewhere quiet and remind yourself that yes, you can work through even the most difficult of tasks. Record your words for those days when you need an extra push.

“It can be difficult to visualize your goals, but once you do, positive affirmations can bring you closer to achieving them. We’re all too familiar with the feelings of fear and doubt. Through positive affirmations, fear is driven away because you are replacing that fear with the power of self-love and acknowledging your worth,” says Koya. “This is why it is important to practice daily.”

Give Your Body a Reset Day

Just as you need to take a day off of exercise, you need to give your body the fuel and recovery time that it needs to push forward emotionally. “You can do this by cutting out the processed foods you eat … logging off of social media for a day to focus on self-reflection and what your soul really wants, spending time in nature to just observe the beauty and magic all around you, increasing your intake of water and submerging yourself in water via a warm bubble bath,” says Koya. “Even a cool shower will help you recover from a stressful day. These are all ways that you can reset your body … [and] take on life in a more balanced way.”

Practice Gratitude

A gratitude practice is the act of acknowledging the things in life that you are grateful for, either just by noting them silently, saying them out loud, or journaling about them. “My practice consists of thinking about three things I’m grateful for today such as the blue sky, my morning coffee [and] the friend that I spent time with last night,” says Chuck Rockey, a life coach and yoga instructor. “I try to choose things that have not been included in my practice before. This trains my brain to be on the lookout for new things to be thankful for. Then I think of three things I hope to be grateful for in the future. The wrinkle here is that I say them to myself in the present tense — as if they had already come true. This allows me to set those intentions without my mind automatically thinking about how I’m going to get there.”

“Experiencing more gratitude is easy to do and doesn’t take a lot of time,” says Chuck. If you do it on a regular basis; it will improve your outlook and make your days more enjoyable as you start to think positive thoughts. It’s natural to focus on what’s going wrong in life. But where attention goes, energy flows. The more you express gratitude for what’s positive in your life, the more positivity you’ll feel and radiate, lifting others around you as well.

Be Aware of Your Breathing

The quickest way to muffle your inner glow and sense of peace is to succumb to stress. One natural, easy way to reduce anxiety and remind yourself to be present is to simply become aware of your breathing. One quick exercise to help get you there is called the Four-Part Breath, also known as Square Breath. “[This] is a great tool to re-center yourself, and helps combat physical and emotional stress,” says Lauren Zoeller, a life-balance expert and Motivational Speaker. This technique can be practiced both at work and at home:

• Close your eyes and visualize the four sides of a box.
• Breathe in for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four and then hold your breath at the bottom for a count of four.
• While you practice this breathing exercise, visualize tracing a box with your mind’s eye as you breathe. This will help keep you focused.

Zoeller recommends setting a timer for two minutes, or completing three rounds total to minimize your stress and calm your nervous system.

Try Yoga-on-the-Go

If you have a moment at home, in a hotel or even a vacant meeting room, make like a butterfly. “Supta Baddha Konasana, also known as ‘reclined butterfly,’ is a great yoga posture to revive your mind and body, ease stress, and decrease anxiety,” Lauren says. She recommends starting or ending your day with this posture to help ease into your day or to get yourself ready for bed.

1. Lay on your back and place the soles of your feet together.

2. Let your knees fall out wide in a butterfly position. If this pose puts strain on the outside of your hips, you can place blocks or pillows underneath your knees to ease the pressure.

3. Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest and practice a breathing exercise. Four-Part Breath, as mentioned above, is a great place to start.

Fill the Energy Cup

Self-love is the most important thing you can do to maintain your inner glow. “Think of your available energy as a cup full of water,” says Lauren. “You are always in an act of giving or receiving energy. Each day, we are involved in activities that require us to give our energy away [and] drain the cup of water. The act of self-love … gives us the time to refill our energy bank: pour water back into the cup,” Lauren says. “Involve yourself in actions that will bring about these emotions on a daily basis.”

Although there are many ways to show yourself self-love like meditating, taking the scenic—albeit longer—route home or calling up grandma for a one-hour positivity sesh, it’s important to remember that loving yourself simply means refreshing your energy, which is needed to accomplish all that you do in a given day. Lauren recommends taking the time to treat yourself to a solo date, whether it’s at a local restaurant or ordering in your favorite meal. If you’re feeling particularly self-loving, put on your favorite music, grab your latest favorite read and/or tune in to that podcast you haven’t had time to finish and lay on the couch in a pool of your softest blankets or soak in a fragrant bath. The important thing is that you relax your mind and indulge in thoughts that make you genuinely happy. Need help finding your positivity center? Close your eyes and think of the last time you gut-laughed or felt completely at ease. Summon that feeling and go from there.

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