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December 2, 2018 By ANU Leave a Comment

Anam Cara: Beauty of the Inner Harvest

Anam Cara“The human eye adores gazing; it feasts on the wild beauty of new landscapes, the dignity of trees, the tenderness of a human face, or the white sphere of the moon blessing the earth in a circle of light.”

I keep John O’Donohue’s beautiful book Anam Cara near me in the office. When I lose inspiration to write or when my head is too full of emails and the stresses of business, I like to open it randomly and read this Celtic Wisdom. Today it fell on the chapter entitled:

Ageing: the Beauty of the Inner Harvest

It is so relevant to the business of ANU; even our name is taken from the Goddess Anu, Mother of the Tuatha De Danann, the good fairy people of the underworld of Nature – which was also considered the Heavenly world by the Celts.

I find it interesting that today, while I contemplate the partnership we forged this year with mandala artist Patricia from Healing Creations, that the words I read concern the magic of circles. The shop we share in Dublin’s Marlay Park courtyard is full of her magnificent mandalas, spiritually inspired circles within circles and bursting with new images for the human eye to gaze upon. Around them, we move confidently into the skin of ourselves; knowing what we are, what we offer and how we can do it better.

The year is a cycle of course, and as 2018 draws to a close I’m reminded of an exercise I did last January, when I drew my intentions for the coming year. Many of those intentions have come to pass, and since there is only a matter of weeks left to achieve the rest, I’m desperately trying to tick everything off! Which is why I love to read these words:

“Part of the wisdom of spiritual soulful self-presence is to be able to let certain aspects of your life alone. This is the art of spiritual non-interference. Yet other aspects of your life call urgently for your attention; they call to you as their shelterer, to come and harvest them. You can discern where these wounds are in the temple of memory, then visit them in a gentle and mindful way. The one kind of creative presence you could bring to these areas is compassion. Some people can be very compassionate to others, but exceptionally harsh with themselves. One of the qualities that you can develop, particularly in your older years, is a sense of great compassion for your self.”

And so, as the circle of this current year closes upon itself, I am reminded not to judge myself too harshly. I’ve done enough for now and next year is a new blank slate.  I’m another year older and I have been harvesting wonderful things!

See more about setting goals and envisioning your desired future through Drawing Solutions with www.upyourcreativegenius.com

Read Anam Cara, Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World by John O’Donohue

Visit us in our shop in Unit 7 Courtyard Studios, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham.

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August 9, 2018 By ANU 2 Comments

How can I get my collagen back?

And what is it, exactly?

 

Collagen is a fibrous protein that helps make the conncetive tissue in our bodies. It’s not just in our skin, it’s in our joints, bones, muscles, veins, organs and even our hair. It helps give strength and elasticity and even replaces dead cells. Collagen production begins to decline from our mid twenties onwards, contributing to everything from aching joints to thinner, more wrinkled skin. That’s why serious athletes are interested in getting it back. So are women of a certain age.

Now, regardless of your outlook on ageing, everyone wants to look and feel healthier, so a diet rich in collagen producting foods is a good idea. So is including collagen promoting products in your skin regime.

Guess what?

We’ve got you covered: all our products include collagen enhancing ingredients, and one particular ingredient has it in abundance…

There’s a reason we include Carrageen Irish Moss seaweed in all our products*

It is POWERFUL in HYDRATING the body

It is RICH in Vitamins A, B, C, D and K

It is LOADED with many BEAUTIFYING MINERALS

It is especially high in IODINE, which is great for treating skin infections

Iodine also REGULATES the moisture levels of skin, promotes SKIN REPAIR and balances hormones

Vitamin K PROTECTS the skin’s ELASTICITY and REDUCES the appearance of WRINKLES

Carrageen Irish Moss will SOFTEN skin, SOOTHE eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis

It will also HEAL burns

It strengthens the CONNECTIVE TISSUE, so fortifying skin, hair, nails, joints and organs.

It is rich in HYALURONIC ACID, excellent for keeping collagen synthesis up

 

Find ANU Face mosituriser, Night Balm, Cleansing Balm, Hand and Body Lotions in our shop www.anuyou.ie /shop or with our stockist around the country.

*ANU Baby Balm is the only product that does not contain Carrageen Irish Moss.

Can I eat Collagen?

Yes! You’ll find it in lean meats, bone broth, egg whites, wheat germ, fish, fruit and vegetables. And yes…Carrageen Irish Moss seaweed!

We get our raw, unprocessed Carrageen directly from Inis Meain, where Caitriona’s brother in law gathers it for us, sun dries it and sends it to us here in Dublin. If you’re not close to the Atlantic coast, you’ll find it in The Health Store and other good health shops.

 

TO EAT IT : Make Carrageen Moss Blancmange

Ingredients

Lemon rind

750 ml milk

30g tablespoons / sugar

15g carefully washed carrageen moss

 

Method

Place the moss in a saucepan with milk and lemon rind. Bring slowly to the boil and add the sugar. Strain into a wetted mould. Turn out when set and serve with fresh or stewed fruit.

Enjoy!

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June 7, 2018 By ANU Leave a Comment

Joseph & the Good Fellas

I once had cause to spend two weeks in a neurology ward in Beaumont Hospital. The women in my ward bonded in a way that was tangible, mainly because of our concern and I suppose, love for an extraordinary woman called Alice, who was gravely ill with a brain tumour and very close to death. She was one of the most gentle souls I ever encountered and she became the hub of our attention as she crept ever closer to the end of her life. Like many women of her generation, she didn’t want to bother the nurses, and so it often turned to the rest of us during her sleepless nights to keep her as comfortable as we could manage. Although she was elderly, it was as if we were sitting with a young frightened soul, ready to return to Heaven.

We had a nurse’s aide that we were all fond of, another gentle soul; a man of Nigerian descent. Alice would get so distressed when he finished his shift. She’d weep and thank him for minding her, and he always felt pained leaving her. He was so kind and considerate that she genuinely missed him at the end of the day. We couldn’t pronounce his name and kept forgetting the shortened version he told us.

“We’ll have to give him a name of our own.” Someone suggested.

“I think all good men should be called Joseph.” Said Alice.

Of the six of us, three were older women, and religious; three of us were younger and not. But the easy silence that descended just then decided it. He would be called Joseph. Because he was a good man. Simple as that. Because, regardless of our beliefs, we could agree that at the core of the man called Joseph, the father of Jesus, was something good. I thought of my own father and the father of my children. Good men. I gave quiet thanks for that.

To celebrate good men, we’re offering 20% off our skincare products, so you can treat the good man in your life, or just treat yourself (which should make him happy if he really is all that great!)

Use code: JOSEPH at the checkout for 20% off. Until end of June 2018.

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April 9, 2018 By ANU Leave a Comment

The Riddle of the Brittle Nail

Am I the only one suffering from brittle nails? I swear this extended Winter is to blame!

In fact cold weather can be a culprit; extremes of cold weather and the heat indoors actually confuses our poor nails as there is difficulty regulating moisture. Who knew? So, glove up when you can.

Is it possible you are over washing your hands? Limit the amount of very hot water you use and avoid chemical laden soaps (all liquid soap, in other words) and always finish with a hand moisturiser. Busy hands are guilty of not always wearing gloves when doing housework but just remember, everyday household chemical cleaners are not doing your nails any favours either.

Cold hands: warm heart, so they say, but if that’s you, it could just mean your circulation is reduced and this will limit nail growth – they need to be warm. Just like hair, nails tend to grow slower in the winter for this very reason. Moisturising them means you’re massaging them and keeping blood flow going. Keep a good natural moisturiser (like, ahem…ANU!) not just near the sink, but in your bag or in the car so traffic jams can actually be beneficial – win/win!

The biggest baddie for brittle nails is nail varnish remover – even the acetone free version is harmful, especially as we need to use more of it to effectively remove that colour. While you’re working on your nail health, try going nail naked, or if you really do like varnish, use clear or barely clear so chipping isn’t as obvious (and you get away with longer time between removing). Nail strengtheners are a better option, or indeed look to your diet – always the better option in the end; Omega 3, 6 and 9 rich food is beneficial and zinc, iron or biotin supplements can work wonders.

Our hands are important; we look at them all day and yet, most of us neglect them. And with very little attention your hands and nails can look so much better, so long as it’s consistent. Make good habits. As with all skin health, moisturise and then moisturise some more. Think about what you’re touching and ask yourself if you’d let such things near your face. We all admire beautiful hands. Imagine if those beautiful hands were yours.

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March 22, 2018 By ANU 2 Comments

Anti Anti-Ageing!

“Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.”  (Dorothy Parker)

I’ve written about this before; the term ‘anti-ageing’. How can you be anti-ageing? The world isn’t really full of older women wagging their fingers and complaining

“I may be ageing, but I’m agin it!”

Down with that sort of nonsense. Ageing happens, just like the sun rises, but I think the problem is the term rather than the event. In my blog “Dont Get Old” I conclude that while ageing is fine, we should try not to get old. That’s a different matter altogether, and I wish there was a better, more globally accepted term for it that doesn’t reek of political correctness.

Synonyms for ageing include:

Crumbling,

Fading,

Declining,

Waning,

Wearing out…

Where’s the respect? All these young whipper snappers are forever coming up with new buzz words – I won’t use examples, because chances are, they’re already passé (Preach!) It’s not all negativity and wrinkles in my online thesaurus; there’s also:

Maturing,

Mellowing,

Developing…

Nice, but…who wants to be nice? Since hitting fifty last July, I’ve had the biggest revelation of my life: most of the rules haven’t been rules at all; the unbridled joy of not caring is one of the best things about hitting so-called ‘middle age’. And when you don’t care, you don’t worry, and when you don’t worry you don’t get lines, so it’s all good. But even if you do get lines – who cares? I like that things get simpler. You know how you feel when you come down from a complete meltdown? When someone has chilled your beans (I am so young at heart) and you realize all is actually well with the world…that’s my middle-aged feeling, and I like it. So please, tell me: do I sound like a woman on the road to hell? A woman beginning to wane, wear out…do you think I may be fading into the wallpaper or crumbling into uselessness? Now that we’ve got that sorted out, I have a challenge for you: come up with a term to replace ‘Anti Ageing.’ Old age is not a crime. Here at ANU, we want to talk about the benefits of our products in a healthier light; we’re not anti-ageing, but we are pro-health. I promise if there’s a good one in the comment box, we’ll use it!

On that note, I’ll leave you with Tip No. 10 in Look magazine’s top ten awesome makeup tips for older women:

Do not be tempted to contour – leave it to those with time to waste and who don’t mind being laughed at in in public.’

That’s a bit mean, but I did open this blog with a quote from Dorothy Parker – she didn’t pull her punches either, and now that we are the NEW Middle Aged, and anti Anti-ageing, that’s just the way we roll these days.

A 4 Your Lips lip balm gift for the best one!

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