WiRE Blog

By WiRE member Carrie Eddins

Dear Wire Ladies,

It’s cool to be kind!

I feel there is a ‘kindness revolution,’ taking place as more and more people are raising money for causes that they believe in and  are being more eco-friendly and animal-friendly than ever as it feels so fulfilling and good! It feels so good to spread a little kindness that it is now cool to be kind, which is so lovely for both the  giver and the receiver as it feels so heart-warming and so meaningful:)

I feel that this ‘Kindness Revolution,’ is  very much apart of ’the Goddess Age,’ where people are becoming much more conscious of the importance of giving and kindness, for example.    For example, I was recently out on my bike when I was run over by the kindest man you could possibly meet!  He helped me to hospital, paid for the cat food I was on my way to buy, refunded my hospital car parking ticket and offered to taxi me to hospital and fix my bike!  This chap was extraordinarily kind to me!

Recently, I had the good fortune to meet a lovely woman called Sue who has  made it part of her life purpose to encourage us all to do random acts of kindness and to be kind to one another with an awe-inspiring new non-profit making website.

So, I asked Sue to tell us a bit more…So Sue, where does this passion for kindness come from?

It comes from my Mom, and before that my Grandma!  My Mom is one of the kindest people I know. She just is. Each and every day she commits acts of kindness without even thinking. She just loves giving and has done it all her life. She’s a natural and she never ever brags about it. Her acts of kindness are often invisible and she never expects any thanks or anything back. There’s no way I could list all the kind things she’s done because she does it each and every day, I could fill thousands of pages with examples of her acts of kindness! And, I have tio say, she is also about the happiest person I know! And that’s no coincidence. She’s happy because she’s so kind. She’s 81 now but looks much younger because she’s got such a kind face. No bad thought has ever crossed her brow, so it keeps her skin soft and smooth! Well that’s my Mom!

When I was young my friends all used to tell me what a lovely Mom I’d got and how they used to wish she was their Mom too. Y’see she’s quite famous for her kindness. If you ask her what life’s all about she’ll always say “life’s about giving back as much as you can”. I really feel so blessed, and so very fortunate, because, in  fact, I grew up with a double dose of kindness as my Grandma was also one of the kindest people too! When I think of her I cry. Her kindest was beautiful. Yes, of course it’s all about love. All I have to do is think of the two kind faces of my Mom and my Grandma I’m filled with such love and warmth it makes me cry!  But it’s ‘happy tears’  because these two amazing women have taught me so much and continue to be such a great inspiration to me.

I wonder why you’ve decided to embrace this amazing quality with your new project?

Because it’s the right time for me to do it. Life is short and I’m passionate about making a difference. It’s just something I feel I have to do. I believe it’s one of my life’s missions to ‘put kindness out there’. It feels like my gift to the Universe. I must add, that I don’t want my name on it. I want this website to belong to everyone. I just want to plant the seed and put it ‘out there’ to grow in an organic way.

It’s gonna be non profit making and will exist as a resource for schools, groups and organisations to generate kindness and people will gain inspiration from the site in what ever way they choose because you can be kind in many different ways – ie, to the planet, to animals, to the poor and of course, to ourselves.

What are your ‘top tips’ for being kind?

First and foremost you must start with yourself. Be kind to yourself – love yourself and be happy and then you can really start smiling, loving and giving to everyone else with a truly warm heart. Sometimes being kind is all about just smiling at a stranger and thinking kind thoughts about people instead of feeling grumpy about the person in the car in front who’s just cut you up. Smile at them!

When someone says something hurtful or mean, smile!  Bless them! Then work on spreading your kindness further.  If you’re an animal lover, be kind to animals. If you want to save the planet, be kind to nature. If you love children, show them acts of kindness and lead by example.If you develop kindness you’ll be young forever! My Mom has the skin of an angel because mean thoughts never cross her face!

What a lovely lady, I am sure you will agree:) To contact her via email: suemaclusky@gmail.com and her website is:

www.sootheoutstress.co.uk.

There is a charity, local to me, who are running a Christmas fair with a difference shortly on Sunday 21st November, in Stourbridge to raise funds for their gorgeous 16 horses who they have rescued:) For further details do visit: www.animalhealingtrust.org

In the meantime ladies, I wish you every success in your ventures!

Happy Days!

Peacefuuly Yours,

Carrie Eddinsxxx

Dear WiRE ladies,

Stress Relief for Female Entrepreneurs part three..

At the week-end, I popped to the cinema to see: ‘ Made in Dagenham,’ wow what an amazing film about a group of lady machinist in Kent who stood up for not getting equal pay at Ford, and then protested and protested until it was made law with Barbara Castle spearheading the legislation for Equal Pay for women, which many of you might know about it, I am sure. Wow, what a film, it’s a must-see as it is so humbling and inspiring how these ladies did it, without any previous experience, or political knowledge! It really makes you think just how powerful we can be when we just focus and keep going after what we want for any aspect of our lives:)

Okeydokie, ladies, over to Ntathu Allen for our final guest blog post piece in which she offers you some top tips on beautiful skin, how exciting? I don’t know about you ladies but I am a little saddened by the ‘push,’ for women to be botoxed during their lunch,  and a filler here and there, it feels sad, and depressing I find facial exercises, good skin care and Nthathu’s tips  much more healthy, but each to their own, of course! Okeydokie ladies, over to Nthathu…

Stress Relief for Female Entrepreneurs – Part 3

 Yoga and Natural Beauty Top Five Tips For Beautiful Skin

 Would you like healthy, glowing young looking skin?  Your skin is constantly exposed to toxins and pollution, whether through poor dietary habits and negative thought patterns or because of exposure to industrial waste and car exhaust fumes.

Effect of Stress on Your Skin

You may not realise it, but your skin is always absorbing and releasing toxins. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Constant exposure to internal and external stress and pollution can cause your skin to look dry, jaded and dull. Have you noticed how tired and strained your eyes feel after a long stint at the computer, or how grey and dull your skin looks during the cold winters?

Effects of Yoga on Your Skin

 The quality and tone of your skin gives you an indication of the state of your health.

From a yogic perspective, good health starts within. All yogic practices help to keep your skin healthy and radiant.

 Yoga encourages you to be body aware, to be conscious of what is going on inside your body and to observe the external signs and systems of imbalance; for example, cracks, ravines, white furry coatings on your tongue indicate internal imbalances; or spots and pimples, cracked fingernails, dandruff, leg cramps, gassy stomach, excessive yawning, all these physical symptoms lead to you feeling below par, stressed and tired.

Five Natural Self Care Tips For Younger Looking Glowing Skin

 To boost and support your immune system, practice the following natural self care tips and see what a difference they make to the quality and beauty of your skin.  Don’t expect miracles, as it can take many months to eliminate toxins and bacteria from your body, but you will notice an improvement in your energy and quality of your skin in a few days.

Many of these tips involve using simple every day household products so you don’t have to spend vast sums of money on expensive manufactured products.

1. Dry body brushing.  Dry skin brushing is an excellent way to exfoliate and cleanse your skin and releases toxins from your system.  Dry skin brushing helps to make your skin smooth and radiant as it encourages the rate at which toxins are released through the body. Your lymphatic system (blood cells and lymph tissue) gets a good boost as you skin brush and release toxins through your skin.  Ideally your body needs to be dry for skin brushing, so it a good idea to skin brush before you shower or bathe.  Use a good quality natural bristle wooden brush.  Always brush towards your heart as this increases circulation. Starting at the soles of your feet, use long deep slow strokes and brush the soles of your feet, work your way up your inner and outer legs, then up your arms, over your shoulders and down your back. Brush your stomach using small circular clockwise strokes. Take your time and aim to spend at least 10 minutes breathing and brushing your skin.  Avoid brushing over sore, tender or broken areas of skin and do not brush over your face.
2. Facial steam – a facial steam releases stale oils from the pores and loosens debris sticking to the skin.  Simply fill a small bowl with hot (not boiling) water.  If you have any herbs or aromatherapy oils sprinkle in a few drops (for example, lavender and peppermint are stimulating, rosemary, eucalyptus and rose are cleansing, and chamomile is soothing).  If you don’t have any, that’s ok.  Place a towel over your head and sit quietly with your head about 20 inches from the water, with the towel covering the bowl.  Breathe deeply for about 5 minutes as you allow the steam to gently ease away cares and stress from your skin.
3. Drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of spring water or herbal teas (nettle, fennel, dandelion teas are great detoxifiers) throughout your day to help flush out your system.
4. Foot massage – at the end of a busy day a foot massage is a beautiful way to relax and release tension and stress in your body.  Wash your feet in warm water and sprinkle in a few drops of your favourite aromatherapy oil.  Dry and massage your feet with a soothing cream.
5. Dab your face with small amounts of olive oil to keep your face glowing and fresh. Have a bath as you allow this to soak into your face.

Everyone wants to look younger and have more beautiful skin and to feel healthy and well.

I hope you have enjoyed this mini series of Stress Relief Techniques for Female Entrepreneurs. In Part 1 we looked at the role of yoga stretches to reduce stress. Part 2  I offered you simple foods to cook or snack on to boost your energy levels; whilst Part 3 showed the effects of stress on your skin and gave you five natural self care tips you can do at home to reduce the signs of worry on your body.

Stay Blessed and Stay Happy

Ntathu -ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk

www.yogainspires.co.uk

Thanks Ntathu, much appreciated! I trust you ladies loved her posts as much as I have:)

Any questions as ever about marketing to women or overcoming chocolate addiction, the best email to catch me on is: carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com. Remember, no question too blonde!

Shortly, I will have  two new businesses to let you know about which I am quite excited about, to put it mildly. Sometimes I feel, it is vital to wait for the right people and to launch something at the right time! Well, this week it is a new moon, so it is optimal for launching and indeed started something new be it a business, a habit, a new way of being- go for it ladies

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxxx

Dear WiRE Ladies,

Stress Relief for Female Entrepreneurs

I trust you are well and are enjoying the  few surprisingly sunny days of late- wow haven’t they been glorious!! As I sit in our conservatory, it is just lovely to have the sunlight beaming onto my workplace:)

Have you been to the cinema lately? Well, I am planning to go and see the movie: ‘ Eat, pray and love,’ next week and am looking forward to it already! I rememer reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book last year and loving it; such a heart-warming account of how she put her life back together  after a rather painful divorce  and how she re-discovered herself and her spirit through travelling and through stepping into the unknown in Italy, India and Bali.

 I have been to Italy myself and I truly loved the open-he arted, warm and friendly people, and the food and the surroundings were divine too ! I have yet to make it to India, but I have been to Bali, most definitely one of the most romantic places I have ever been to, and I loved the hospitable people. When the locals in central Bali discoverd I have travelled on my own, they just kept on inviting me to gathering, took me white water rafting and even to a local wedding which was rather humbling to say the least! Karen Kingston, the space clearer, which is a type of Feng Shui, said that in Bali, you could feel your sacral chakra open and your heart chakra, which I felt too, hence I am not remotely surprised that it is  one of the most popular romantic getaways of the planet! I promised myself I would next time  go with a hot young man, which I have every intention of doing in the future!

Okay ladies, now, let’s draw upon some more inspirational thoughts and words from Ntathu Allen who has recommendations for foods you can eat to help relieve you from your stress!

Over to you Ntathu: )

5 Foods To Eat To Help You Cope With Stress

Welcome Back! How did you get on with the last post’s tips? Were you able to try out any of the stress relief techniques ? I hope you found them easy to slip into your daily routine.

As promised, this time,  we are looking at foods you can snack on to help you reduce stress and calm your nerves. I will start off with a brief background to the effects of stress on your body, particular the role of the adrenal glands in helping you to cope with stress. Then I will offer you five easy to prepare foods you can cook or buy as a snack to boost your immune system.

Please feel free to email me if you wish to find out more about the effects of the foods you eat on your stress levels: ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk

Effects of Stress on your Body

 Food plays an essential part in our lives and  in times of stress and upheaval it is easy to forget to eat or eat foods which make it harder for our bodies to cope. In yoga, you are encouraged to eat foods which have a positive effect on the body and mind, and least negative effects on the environment and other creatures. 

Stress plays havoc with your body’s immune system. When you are stressed, your body undergoes many changes. These include an increased heart rate, migraines, and digestive disorders. Your body has an amazing ability to heal and repair itself form stressful situations. However, during periods of intense stress and uncertainty, the foods you eat can hinder or help you to respond to stress in a more relaxed and positive manner.

Role of the Adrenal Glands to Fight Stress

The adrenal glands are responsible for producing the body’s stress hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine, which regulate the fight or flight response in the body.

During stressful times, your body produces an increase level of these stress hormones which can lead to nutritional deficiencies and an exhausted adrenal gland. When your adrenal gland is exhausted, you can suffer extreme exhaustion and fatigue.

To help your adrenal glands work better when you are under stress, it is vital you eat foods which enhance and support their function and; contain properties which help the body to deal better with stressful situations.

5 Foods To Eat To Help You Cope With Stress

If you are going through a stressful time, try to include the following foods into your diet.

1. Sunflower Seeds – Sunflower seeds are rich in protein, fiber and B vitamins and zinc minerals which have an important role in keeping your adrenal glands healthy. You can eat sunflower seeds as a snack or sprinkle them on breakfast cereals, salads and vegetarian dishes.
2. Cabbage – an excellent stress-busting food. Cabbage is an excellent source of fibre, vitamins (especially C, K, E, B1 and B9), minerals (including iron, selenium and potassium) and beta carotene. Green cabbage is especially rich in these nutrients. The combination of these vitamins and minerals all help to boost your energy in stressful times.
3. Avocados- a rich source of vitamins, especially B2, riboflavin, B6, C and E and the minerals iron, potassium and manganese. The high vitamin and mineral contents in avocados aids in red blood regeneration and prevention of anaemia. Anaemia causes fatigue and lowers your ability to deal with stress.
4. Almonds – almonds are an excellent source of iron, potassium,magnesium which helps support adrenal function. Low levels of magnesium can increase your feelings of anxiety, irritability and sleeplessness. Almonds are also a good source of protein especially when combined with other plant based foods, for example whole grains and pulses.
5. Wholegrain brown rice – is a good source of fiber, vitamins, including B group and minerals (iron, calcium and phosphorous). Rice provides a slow-release energy which helps the release of the chemicals serotonin. This helps to boost your energy and has a calming effect on your brain. Brown rice contains protein which when combined with other vegetable protein aid tissue growth and repair, which is adversely affected during stressful times.

As you can see, it is possible to work with your body and eat foods which help you to reduce stress whilst strengthening your immune system. If you are in the habit of snacking on highly processed fast foods, aim to include at least 2-3 of the stress-reducing foods in your daily diet. You will feel lighter, healthier and in the long run more equipped to cope with stress.

Finally, in next week’s blog, we will take at the effect of stress on your skin and offer you five simple remedies you can do at home to reduce the ageing effects of stress on your face.             

 Thanks so much Ntathu, providing huge value again, it is most appreciated. I know I am relieved to know more about the foods which can help relieve my stress levels! Thankfully, I love avocados and almonds and brown rice! I love cabbage but I do love less it’s affect on me, making me rather anti-social

I am sure you are looking forward like me to her final post on her top tips for natural skin care, as I know that I no longer use skin products full of chemicals as I just do not feel that they are doing me any good, at all.

Any questions as ever, please direct them to: carrie@theblondemarketinggoddess.com

Any questions or feedback for Nthatu Allen please kindly direct them to: ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk  Or do visit her website: www.yogainspires.co.uk

Namaste, giggles & light,

Carrie Eddinsxxx