Saving My Soul in My Car: The Power of Music

I have officially deviated from the initial purpose of my blog, which was to share lifestyle tips about health and beauty that I have learned through experience. But it doesn't really matter because the real reason I started this was because I know the purifying and stress-relieving effect that writing has on me. And along those same lines, I have recently rediscovered the other activity that releases that persistent tension from my jaw and eases the tightness in my chest from stress-induced irregular breathing (have I mentioned that I'm anxiety-prone?): singing.

You want proof that I love singing? Here is picture of me with my high school treble ensemble. The picture of us in our silver glittery dresses would have been more effective.
Location: Central Park, New York City, May 2002
Photo Credit: Kristie Chavez, Facebook

I am going to say something that is cheesy and a cliche but is true: I have loved to sing since before I could remember. I have never been formally trained, nor is my voice particularly strong, and I have a hard time finding my key when I don't have a cue, but none of that matters, because when I sing, I let it all out. And by "it," I mean the stress, the sadness, the anger, the joy, the love, the nerves, and the excitement that I always carry with me.

Recently, I saw Fiona Apple- one of my idols, my tortured, ferocious, and gentle kindred spirit- in concert. Allow me to digress, because if you only know Fiona Apple as that angry girl singer from the 90s that told the world off in her VMA acceptance speech, I can only say that you are missing out. Because the woman can write, she can sing, and she can pound the you-know-what out of that piano. Her words, her voice, and her melodies carried me through one of the most difficult times in my life. I sang along to her music the same way I used to sing along to Mariah Carey in my bedroom when I was 10 years old- with abandon. Except by the time I got around to Fiona, I had lived enough to relate to the emotions behind the music, and I'm not gonna lie- I cried a lot of tears singing along to Fiona Apple.

The cover of the album that first broke me apart and then made me feel whole again. Thank you, Fiona; your words mean more than you could ever know.
Source: http://www.1000recordings.com/music/when-pawn/

I am happy to say that my life is much more peaceful now than it was at that tumultuous time, but, being an incredibly sensitive person, I carry remnants of all of my major life experiences with me. I don't know, does everyone? Anyway, I feel like those emotions are useful because they make me a more empathic and accommodating person; at the same time, I think that they weigh on me subconsciously, and I only developed this hypothesis because of the intense relief I feel after singing.

Until that Fiona Apple concert, it had been a while since I had let myself feel that connection to music. I don't know, I guess life gets in the way; sometimes I don't have much alone time, sometimes I want to listen to the news, and sometimes it is just overwhelming to decide what I want to listen to. I've always had this wavelike relationship with music, with peaks and valleys of music consumption, and at every peak I make a promise to myself that I won't let music fall by the wayside again. Now that the promise is in print, I hope I can keep it.

Even though this isn't a post about tips for looking better or being more fit, in reality it is a post about health, because emotional health is really the foundation of a healthy and balanced life. When I am feeling emotionally healthy, I find myself making more choices that benefit my physical health, too. I sincerely hope that every person who reads this and every other person out there has some kind of emotional outlet like singing is for me, because I feel like it is a human necessity to just let it all out. Regularly. So, when you see that crazy-looking girl driving on the freeway who seems really fulfilled to be screaming at her steering wheel, first of all it's probably me, and second, be happy for her, because she might just be doing a little bit of soul-saving.

Thanks for reading :-)

-Melissa


SONG OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS: Regina Spektor "Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)," What We Saw From the Cheap Seats. I absolutely defy you to not be in a good mood while listening to this song. It's just bubble-gummy giddiness in the most quirky sort of way. Plus, it seems to be some kind of  a love song to my love, New York City. I have been listening to this song obsessively and have happily explored more of Regina's music because of it.

Down in Bronxy-Bronx the kids go

sledding down snow-covered slopes
And frozen noses, frozen toes
The frozen city starts to glow
And yes, they know that it'll melt
And yes, the know New York will thaw
But if you are a friend of any sort
then play along and catch a cold!

Treat. Yo'. Self.: My At-Home Facial

Yesterday was Israel's first day back at work after summer vacation. That is always the saddest day of the year for me, because it means that the carefree fun we've been enjoying together for the previous two months is over. This year, it also means that I will have a lot of "me" time, since I don't start school until two weeks from now. Today, I decided to up the girly factor to 10 and do the following: pick up the latest issue of People StyleWatch, put on some Fiona Apple, and give myself...an at-home facial (seriously, my afternoon could have been a montage from a mediocre chick flick or an episode of Sex and the City, aside from the Fiona Apple, whose music lacks the levity required for such sequences, but I digress...)!

The at-home facial is actually part of my regular skin-care routine. I have my daily routine, about which I wrote in my first post (though it has changed slightly, so...future blog post idea!); once a week, though, I like to incorporate those more intensive treatments that are not appropriate for everyday- namely, scrubs and masks. If you can squeeze in a half-hour a week of down time, or even quality time with your spouse or child(ren) of an appropriate age (I assume this goes without saying, but please don't give your six month-old a facial!), I highly recommend indulging in an at-home facial once a week. I, of course, use many natural products and at-home remedies; if that's not your cup of tea, you could easily swap out the products I use for your own products, as long as they serve the same purpose.  Here is a breakdown of the facial that I, myself, just enjoyed in the comfort of my own home.

My Weekly Facial

Please do admire and enjoy the way I carefully positioned these items, as though they were sitting for a  family portrait. Products I use in my at-home facial, from left to right: clay mask, olive oil (for makeup removal, if needed), honey (which I am currently not using), oatmeal, aloe vera water, shea butter, lemon water, rosewater and glycerin, micro-dermabrasion scrub, tea tree oil, jojoba oil.

Step 1: Cleanse
Product: Oatmeal
I like to think that the progress of a facial is from superficial to deep, meaning you start by addressing the surface of the skin, then with each step go a little deeper. With that in mind, cleansing is the step that gets the dirt (and makeup, if you're wearing any) off of the outer surface of your skin. Whatever cleanser you normally use is A-OK for this purpose.

Step 2: Exfoliate
Product: Kiehl's Epidermal Re-Texturing Micro-Dermabrasion
After you have removed the surface dirt, it is time to also remove the dead skin that sits on your face. A cleanser alone is not abrasive enough to do this, so you need either a physical or chemical exfoliant for this purpose. Mine is a scrub, so it is a physical exfoliant; it sloughs away the dead skin manually. A popular example of this kinds of exfoliant is the St. Ives Apricot Scrub (which I used to use when I was a teenager as a face wash, before I knew what the heck exfoliating was. Oops!). You just take whatever scrub you have and gently (without really applying any more pressure than the touch of your fingers to your face) smooth it over your face in small circular motions.

A chemical exfoliant, like a peel, uses acids to break down the dead skin so that it is easy to peel away or rinse off. You can use fruit or dairy products (e.g. sour cream or yogurt) for this purpose, though I can't vouch for that since I have yet to try it. Of course, there is also a plethora of these chemical exfoliants on the market.

Step 3: Steam
Product: A pot of hot water!
I just recently started doing this step after seeing Annie Jaffrey do it during her facial on YouTube. It's purpose is to open your pores in preparation for the final cleansing step: the mask (dun dun duuuuuuun! Aaaaaaah! No, don't be scared- it's fun!). Steaming your face is honestly just very relaxing, and, though I'm sure it does open my pores and soften my skin, I think this step might be skippable. If you do decide to do it, begin boiling the water right before you start your facial, so that it is nice and hot by the time you need it.

Step 4: Deep Cleanse
Product: Health & Beauty Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
Now that your skin is softened and smooth, it's time to remove any remaining dirt or impurities from your pores. A clay or mud mask is usually used for this purpose. I learned about the mask I use, again, through Annie Jaffrey on YouTube, and it is available at most natural food or vitamin stores (I found mine at the local Vitamin Shoppe) and online. This mask is serious. It pulls your skin so tight that you can feel the blood being pulled to the surface of your face, which may sound scary but that is actually good; increasing the blood circulation near your skin improves oxygen and nutrient levels in the cells and removes waste. This mask is actually my favorite step, because it is the one that makes the greatest immediate difference. Once I take it off, my blackheads are gone and my skin is smoother. If you can't or don't want to find the mask I use, you can use your own or pick up Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask, which is a beauty staple and is easy to find in almost any store.

Why does this look like a mug shot?
Of all of the steps, I felt most compelled to share a picture of this one because it's my favorite and we all know it looks the coolest.

Step 5: Treat
Products: lemon water; aloe vera with tea tree oil
After you rinse of your mask, you are officially done with the "Taking Stuff Off of Your Face" portion of the facial and are ready for the "Putting Good Stuff on Your Face" segment. This is the point where you would use any treatments that are targeted for your specific skin needs; these are usually either acne prevention or anti-aging products. At my age (which is 28, if you must know :-P), I use products that address both.

First, I spritz my face with lemon water (about a 1:5 lemon juice to water ratio). According to Livestrong.com, lemon juice restores the pH balance of your skin, while also killing bacteria to fight acne and encouraging cell turnover to keep skin looking youthful. I let the lemon water sit for about 10 minutes, then wipe it off with a wet cotton round to wipe away any dead skin that was disintegrated by the acid in the lemon juice. Then, I mix a couple of drops of tea tree oil with five drops of aloe vera water in my hand and rub that on acne prone areas (for me, that's mainly my chin and jawline).

Step 6: Moisturize
Products: Trader Joe's 100% Pure Jojoba Oil; Heritage Store Rosewater and Glycerin spray; Nubian Heritage Shea Butter Infused with Indian Hemp and Haitian Vetiver  
The final step in what may seem like a long, but hopefully enjoyable, process is to seal in all of that good stuff with a moisturizer. I always think of a moisturizer as some kind of protective second skin that I spread all over my face to protect my real skin. I looove how my face feels after I moisturize- just so dewy and soft (sigh). I start by rubbing five drops of jojoba oil into my palms then patting it into my face. I then mist the rosewater and glycerin spray all over my face (about 10 squirts- I'm pretty generous with it!) and pat that into my face, including my eye area. Finally, I take a small dab of the shea butter and pat it under my eyes and on my lips. Products: sealed. Skin: treated.

Skin may not look perfect, but it feels absolutely refreshed :-)

I don't naturally have great skin, but I feel that this facial keeps it looking its best. Remember that the whole concept of a facial is more about the process and less about the products; as long as the products you use serve the purpose described in each step, you will derive some benefit from the process.

By the way, in case you want to know about the last remaining hour of my girly day before Israel came home, I made myself  the following yummy smoothie and sandwich, because nothing feels better than giving your insides a treat when you're done giving your outsides a treat:

Foreground: Yummy sandwich.
Background: Only slightly less yummy smoothie.

Smoothie
Blend together:
1/2 cup of acai juice
3/4 cup of frozen berries
2 cups of kale
half a banana

Sandwich:
2 slices of Alpine Valley Organic Sprouted Wheat Bread with Flaxseed (best wheat bread ever, available at Costco)
Hummus and Whole grain mustard (to spread)
1/4 avocado
1/2 tomato
spinach
1 slice of Trader Joe's Roasted Turkey Breast

Pretty nutritious, and delicious, if I do say so myself!

Thanks for reading and vicariously spending a girly afternoon with me :-)

-Melissa

CLIP OF THE DAY: From Parks and Recreation, Season 4, Episode 4, "Pawnee Rangers." If you want to know where I got the oh-so-clever title for this post, please do treat yo' self to the following clip, from what is one of the best episodes of easily one of the best shows on TV right now.

Treat yo' self 2011!