Dear yoga enthusiasts, welcome to join our public welfare yoga classes, we will be with everyone through live broadcasts at 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day for yoga practice. You can click the link below to book our public welfare yoga class.
At the recently concluded 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, well-known actress Carina Lau replaced her husband Tony Leung to attend and accept the award. Her outfit attracted wide attention, and she chose a suit called the “lobster outfit” from the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2024 haute couture collection. Around her neck, she wore a huge “lobster” necklace, which, due to its unique design, became a hot topic of discussion. Although at first glance the design may seem quirky or even comical, considering it is crafted from pure gold, it is not hard to appreciate its unique beauty.
Carina Lau’s temperament and figure have always been her trademarks, and she has a very balanced figure with graceful curves. It is said that the outfit is a tribute to the “lobster outfit” from the movie “Dancing with the Dragon,” but this has not been confirmed. In the same collection, there is also another design decorated with crabs, which is equally eye-catching. Carina Lau’s outfit was particularly stunning on her, with a deep V-neck and a hip-wrapping skirt design, perfectly showing off her figure.
It is worth mentioning that as a successful actress, Carina Lau seems to have no age or beauty anxiety, sharing selfies on social media that are not only natural but also boldly showcasing her bare face. Although her skin is not extremely fair, it is healthy and vibrant.
Interestingly, our emotions actually have a significant impact on the health and condition of our skin. Negative emotions like depression, sadness, and anxiety can disturb the hormonal balance in our body, leading to increased levels of cortisol. This glucocorticoid, if produced in excess, may disrupt the balance of skin collagen, leading to poor skin elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles. On the contrary, when we are in a good mood, our body secretes more chemicals beneficial to skin health, such as acetylcholine and endorphins, which improve blood circulation and make the skin healthier and more radiant.
In addition to psychological factors, lifestyle also has a major impact on the skin. For example, some people might regulate their mood by consuming high-sugar foods when feeling down, a habit that can cause blood sugar to rise, increase sebum secretion, and lead to skin issues like acne and pimples. Such dietary habits over the long term might also accelerate skin aging and cause skin laxity and wrinkles. Therefore, maintaining a balanced diet, as well as a positive and healthy emotional state, is crucial for preserving skin health.
A greasy diet not only poses potential health risks but can also negatively impact skin metabolism and blood circulation. These adverse effects can in turn damage the appearance and health of the skin. Moreover, skin conditions might arise due to dietary habits.
The problem is more serious for those who rely on smoking to relieve stress. Nicotine and other toxic substances in cigarettes can significantly reduce the speed of skin cell renewal and weaken oxygen supply, leading to skin hypoxia. This process can cause skin dryness and sagging, and may even promote the formation of wrinkles. Worse yet, the facial expressions made while smoking are often fixed and repetitive, leading to asymmetry in facial muscles and more pronounced wrinkles in certain areas, such as around the eyes and mouth.
People often say, “A smile can take years off your life,” and there is indeed a scientific basis for this. The pleasure and relaxation of one’s mood can not only bring about a positive attitude but also benefit skin health. A happy mood can be achieved through practices such as yoga, which can not only reduce anxiety, activate calm areas in the brain but also make people feel more relaxed and stress-free.
Here are some yoga poses that you can try when feeling depressed, anxious, or tense:
Mountain Pose: Represents stability and balance. It can calm the nervous system through breathing exercises and increase awareness of the mind-body connection, which is crucial for improving mood.
Key points include: relaxing the shoulders when breathing, tightening the tailbone, keeping the spine extended upwards, stabilizing the feet, and evenly distributing weight.
Standing Forward Bend: This pose has a significant effect on soothing tense emotions, relieving fatigue and insomnia, and it is extremely beneficial for strengthening the back chain of the body and internal organs of the abdomen.
Key points: Bend forward from the hips, shift your weight towards the balls of your feet, maintain a lifting state of the thigh muscles, and keep the groin tight.
Cobra Pose: This pose can open the chest, enhance the flexibility and resilience of the spine, alleviate shoulder and neck pain, stimulate blood circulation in the digestive system, and improve digestive issues.
Key points: Tighten the legs to the midline, perform internal hip rotation, curl the tailbone towards the heels, press the pubis towards the floor and slightly lift the abdomen, externally rotate the shoulders, and extend the head and neck away from the shoulders.
Butterfly Pose, also known as Bound Angle Pose, is a very fundamental yoga posture. Its main effect is to open the hips and stretch the buttock area, which often accumulates a lot of our emotional burden and stress.
When practicing this pose, combining yoga breathing methods and meditation practice can create a safe and peaceful space to help us clear negative thoughts and emotions from our minds.
Key execution details:
- Before beginning, push the muscles of the buttocks back and up, ensuring that the sitting bones are stable and the pelvis is in the correct position, then bend the knees to avoid a bow-shaped curvature of the back.
- If there is pelvic tilt or the knees are too high, you can place a yoga block under the buttocks.
The Inverted Archer Pose is a very low-difficulty and gentle inversion. By raising the legs above the heart, it helps promote blood flow back to the heart, while also relieving pressure on the lower limbs and improving issues with leg swelling.
Using the wall as support, you can provide stable support for your legs, making your body feel more relaxed, beneficial in reducing anxiety, stress, and tense emotions. This also promotes a state of relaxation throughout the body.
Important Tips for the Practice:
- Keep your back flat against the mat, and if there is a gap between your back and the mat, you can place a towel or blanket under your waist.
- At the end of the practice, do not get up immediately, but rather roll onto your right side, which helps the body’s blood circulation return to normal.
While doing these postures, playing soft music or lighting a scented candle you like can make your environment more comfortable and reassuring, providing a more beneficial atmosphere for you to delve deep into your inner world.