We recently had the privilege of being introduced to Amber from The Mindful Bride. She has very kindly taken some time out to share her thoughts on mindfulness, how it links to wellness, and her incredible journey starting TMB.
AMBER'S WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE
The seed idea for The Mindful Bride came out of my experiences working at ESPA in Singapore where I worked in the dual role of Wellness Supervisor and Resident Yoga & Meditation Teacher. At ESPA I worked with a team of wellness practitioners to devise retreat programs for clients seeking a reboot of their health and time out to de-stress. When you have a whole team around someone, guiding them towards better health through an integrated approach they really respond and I loved this completely holistic approach.
THE STRUGGLE..
In returning to Australia I struggled to find an organisation that was providing the same sort of services. You can definitely find this within the many luxurious retreats around Australia, like Golden Door or Gwinganna, but not so easily in the suburbs of Melbourne city. To add to that I have always believed that every day life can have some tiny element of ‘retreat’ in it. You don’t have to run yourself ragged and reach a state of collapse in order to deserve a week-long retreat for recovering.
WHAT 'MINDFULNESS' TRULY MEANS
I’m not saying that luxury retreats aren’t worth doing - they certainly are! However I do believe that self care can be something you do as part of your daily routine, not something you suddenly turn to as a result of neglect. Five minutes of mindful breathing; a few minutes to
gua sha your face with some organic oils; use a beautiful hand cream; eat fresh wholesome foods that nurture your insides. This to me is part of what mindfulness is.
Critics of the ‘mindfulness movement’ and the commodification of it argue that its nothing more than a navel-gazing aid to narcissism. Mindfulness and the results of it couldn’t be further from that. Meditation and mindfulness practices allow you to become aware. It’s a process that clarifies your values so you can get out there in the world, fight the good fight and make a difference.
So, sitting alongside this desire to inspire people towards holistic health was a growing interest in skin care. Concurrently I was reading books and articles about the science behind the brain-gut-skin relationship. It struck me that I wanted to lift that off the page and into programs that are accessible, practical and fundamentally holistic.
IDEATION OF THE MINDFUL BRIDE
It’s all very well to put on foundation to smooth over your skin tone and all very well to add bronzer or blush to create that flushed, glowing appearance. In reality, we know that true health comes from within. Authentic radiance comes from oxygen, blood flow, nutrition, digestive health, rest, and being connected to the values of both heart and head. And then, of course, a dash of beautiful, quality makeup just sets a girl on fire! So with all this in mind I then set about gathering an amazing team of health practitioners and makeup artists and The Mindful Bride was born.
We had such a good time chatting with Amber; a truly genuine soul who's passionate about what we stand for here at Zove Beauty.
As always, feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with us via the little icon on your right, via Instagram or email us - we’d love to hear from you :)
