Monday: A Gentle Solution // with Amanda Chase
Winter is hard. Monday is hard. As part of our Tender Touch campaign, we're asking LAP babes to write about what it means to give themselves a tender touch. Our third post comes from Amanda Chase :)
When you truly love what you do, waking up on Mondays are seemingly less difficult. Trust me, I know all too well what it feels like to dread going into an office, taking the commute to end up working at a place that doesn’t feel aligned with your truest intentions. Now, being at the point in my life and career when I’m beyond passionate about what I’m creating and bringing into the world, I couldn’t be more grateful for Monday mornings to come not only with ease but true excitement.
Let’s just be real though, with passion comes hard work. It’s all about constantly pushing through what feels comfortable, allowing changes to happen and going with the flow - all the while checking off that to-do list. It’s a lot of work, long hours and busy days. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but it’s not always easy to do everything all in a day. That’s why self-care and rituals are so important to me now because, in order to support this passionate lifestyle, I need to take care of myself.
I’ve neglected my body before and what happened from that was burn out, fatigue and unhappiness from a rushed/busy life. Ever since I started incorporating a slower lifestyle with Ayurveda foods and rituals, my whole relationship to my mind, body, and spirit really changed. It’s been the biggest catalyst to being able to keep up with the work demands all the while having a smile on my face, which, to me is almost more important than the things that I’m actually creating. To be able to do what you love, with the highest integrity… now that’s what I’m talking about.
My name is Amanda Chase, I am the Founder of AC Creative, a full-service creative consulting company with a unique focus on the holistic wellness + beauty industry as well as the Founder of Coconut Yoga, a children’s yoga and wellness company that provides little ones the tools to help them become their most authentic selves. Basically, I live, eat, and breathe holistic wellness, so what I put in and on my body is extremely important to me and everything that in my life needs to completely support this desire of spreading holistic healing to all, including myself. And that’s why I am a huge fan of Lauren's All Purpose Salve. It’s not only created with integrity, but incredibly healthy ingredients and inspires healthy wellbeing within myself. It’s a constant reminder to take a moment, stay present, and to take care of myself.
•Rituals•
Every morning is pretty much the same these days. I wake up around 5 am (in bed by 1030pm) to start my morning rituals. I love the quietness of the morning; those moments before the sun (and people) start to rise bring me so much clarity, peace, and stillness. I need those moments. It’s almost like I’m waking up just to have that time to myself. LAPS is on my bedside, so when I first wake in the morning I apply some on my hands and if my hands need a little extra love at night (plus the lavender helps to calm the mind) I will apply then too. Ah, a moment to reset.
And then, bulletproof coffee, kundalini meditations, and jump online by 7 am working for a couple of hours, taking care of those “fires” and then it’s me-time again. I might make some breakfast or I might jump in a shower. Either one, I take the moment to tune in with myself and apply another little dab of LAPS on my hands/body.
After my shower, I love to spend time in my robe, allowing the product to really soak into my body and allow the mind to relax. This is really the magic of the product, allowing the body
and mind to slow down. After I’m done with my beauty rituals, I get ready for the day and have had a little dance session (its good to get the body moving) before I start on my creative projects. The peppermint is a great energizer to get the mind going, so another application while I write, pull swipe or create mood boards. Again, its a reset - a refresher. And, I smell great throughout the day. The best part of LAPS is the moments throughout the day that bring me back to my body, allow me to check in with the present moment and all the while having deliciously smooth hands. And as a creative, who is constantly creating with my hands this is a TRUE gem.
To me, creating rituals to support my mind, body and spirit is not only a weekly thing, done on Mondays, but truly a lifestyle and something I incorporate into my everyday routine. It’s just that simple. Because if I’m not taking care of myself, I can’t show up and take care of my clients or my 'Lil coconuts in my kid's yoga classes. Couldn’t do it without ya, LAPS <3