Sleep with your face up: Everyone has a favorite sleeping position. While for some it’s on their side curled up in a fetal ball and others on their stomach with their face smothering the pillow, the best way to sleep is on your back with your knees slightly bent over a pillow. Not only does blood flow naturally and comfortably through your body but in the physical sense your face won’t be scrunched up in a floppy pillow all night forming lines and creases in your skin which will eventually turn into something permanent over time. If we spend approximately 6-8 hours in any given night every night of our lives with our face being unnaturally contorted, it’s likely to have some permanent effects on our skin as we get older. Not very beautiful.
Remove all make up before bed: Foundation might be great during the day to cover up spots and skin unevenness but it sure doesn’t look as pretty on the pillow. There are several reasons to remove cosmetics before bed but the most important is because skin is made to breathe and foundation and powders clog up your pores. Pimples would just love to get their little puss filled hands on your skin but why give them the pleasure. Wash your face with a mild hypo allergenic facial wash and discover your true skin complexion before you enter dreamland. But don’t forget to pay special attention to your eyes. Mascara and eye make up are just as bad for the face during sleep. They weight down lashes and could do some temporary damage if a hard lash should get inside your eyeball. Rub your eye in a bout of exhaustion and you could scratch the surface of your pupil leading to discomfort and redness for several days. Not very beautiful.
Brush your teeth and floss before beddy bye: Mother was right all those years of preaching. Brushing your teeth and flossing are perhaps the two most important personal tasks. Whatever you eat on a Sunday might still be there on Wednesday if you don’t stick a string in there to pry it out. Depending on the size of the gaps in your teeth, food can stay jammed for a long time and besides making your smile less pretty, your breath won’t smell too nice either. Gum can mask the problem of this morning’s breakfast but why not prevent it altogether with a simple brush and floss. Plaque and bad breath. Not very beautiful.
Close your eyes, stress free: Heaven knows it’s much easier said then done to simply wish your problems away and presto! They’re gone! Life doesn’t quite work that way, but should your physical self suffer because your mental self won’t let go of a trivial issue? Most things we worry about haven’t happened yet and won’t happen anyway but our minds conjure up the most intense possible scenarios to help us along our nerve-racking journey. A good way to let go of a problem before bedtime is to realize it will still be there in the morning. That doesn’t sound good does it? Of course it doesn’t but will you feel better about your problem at 5 am when you have to get up for work and have had no sleep at all? After a good 8 hours of downtime, your mind will be more at ease to deal with your dilemma the next day. Meditation will do wonders for your body and your mind. No matter your faith or beliefs, there is a mantra for everyone.
OM NAMO GANESHAYA for example derives from Ganesha, the God of beginnings and success. You can say this at the onstage of new undertakings and to bring about success by removing obstacles. Choose a healthy mantra, repeat it several times and put yourself to sleep to the sound of your own positive voice. In the morning you’ll wake up refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to tackle the day. Now that is beautiful!
