Wellness Coach Lyndall Mitchell Talks Natural Beauty, Mindfulness And Health

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This month we want to inspire you to think more about living a healthy and well- balanced life, and the products we have selected for our Mindful Beauty bellaboxes will get you started on this journey. But there’s more to Mindful Beauty than just what you put on your face.

We went one on one with Aurora Spas and ASPAR Founder and Executive Wellness Coach Lyndall Mitchell to find out more about health, mindfulness and wellness and how she incorporates these ideas into her everyday life.

We were completely and totally inspired by her ideas about Mindful Beauty, and we have a feeling you will be too!

1.We hear a lot about mindfulness and wellness, but what do those terms mean to you and why are they important?

Mindfulness for me is a practice that I continually build upon. It is really how present and “awake” we are our daily lives. It is the opposite to the multitasking badge of honor. It is focusing and devoting your attention to the task at hand, which sounds easy until you do it! The more I can be mindful the more that particular neural pathway to the brain is built making it even easier next time.

Wellness for me encompasses my whole life. I have seen from a very early age the impact and positive outcomes wellness can have on client’s lives having started at Camp Eden Health Retreat when I was 14 on work experience. Wellness is a way of life, a life that I design and commit to that brings out the best for me both personally and professionally.

2.Do you have any simple techniques for reducing stress?

Plenty! Here are five.

3.When it comes to food do you follow any particular food philosophies or trends, and are there certain foods that we should be eating or avoiding?

Having grown up on a farm all my life where you pick fruit from the tree if you are hungry I have experienced firsthand an understanding of getting food as close to the source as possible and now really value that.

We have a normal size urban house block however we have created what I call our ‘urban farm’. We have organic vegetable gardens which we get most of our produce from as well as chickens and composting. For me this is an essential part of nutrition. Also we have two young daughters and it is in alignment with my values to educate my girls on the importance of eating whole foods. We will harvest from the garden and then cook a meal together. I would love to provide my daughters with the same awareness and inspiration I experienced growing up just in an urban way. I guess the philosophy that is most aligned with great balanced nutrition for me is SLOW – Seasonal, local, organic and whole. This encapsulates what works for me.

4.What sort of exercise do you recommend for achieving optimal health and wellness?

I think it is about listening to your body balanced with having clear goals. For me I feel best when I have 3-4 runs per week, as well as 1 x yoga session and daily meditation. This is my recipe for achieving optimal health and wellness. I encourage my clients to think back to a time they felt healthy, fit and strong and then we can look at how we can gain knowledge from that to devise a plan that is both sustainable and effective.

5.You’re really well known for your life coaching and workshops – what sorts of things do you focus on in these sessions?

Whether I am coaching one on one or in front of a large group the fundamentals are about designing your optimal foundational plan to support you to be the best you can be both personally and professionally. Sometimes when you are under stress this is hard to ascertain and action.

In the one on one coaching we identify habits, behaviors and areas of your life that are working well or not working well. We then design a Future Map to create a clear, focused path for the future.

In the large workshops I like to empower the participants with knowledge about how their body functions so they can get the most out of their personal and professional performance. It is like a tapas menu of strategies and tools to draw from so participants can see what works for them. If you take 1 element of the workshop and implement that in a sustainable way that is the perfect result. For long tern sustainable results it is the small things we do daily that have the greatest impact.

6.Let’s talk skincare - what are the benefits of natural based skincare like ASPAR when compared to more chemical based skincare brands?

My philosophy when it comes to what I put in my body and on my body is to try and get it as close to its natural source as possible. You can make a comparison with a muesli bar to raw oats. Muesli bars have oats as well normally a high amount of sugar, fat, chemical preservatives and many other additives; oats on the other hand are a pure fuel source.

By having something that is close to the source of where it began minimizes the impact of chemicals in your body which is ultimately reflected in your skin.

With skin care I have peace of mind when I am using products that are naturally based. We have such an incredible wealth of botanical ingredients to work with and knowing that the ingredients you are using are natural mean you can use them on yourself or your family with total peace of mind.

7.At bellabox we’re really interested in makeup and skincare routines. What does your daily beauty routine consist of?

After my daily yoga, meditation or running I shower with my ASPAR Grapefruit & Seaweed Revitalising Body Cleanser. This is a great invigorating body cleanser and the aroma is perfect for kick starting the day. I then cleanse my face with the Kerstin Florian 3 in 1 cleanser; I find this is great task focused cleanser that leaves my skin fresh. After that I apply rehydrating facial oil that is absorbed so quickly by my skin, then I apply a rehydrating cream to seal in the moisture, as well as an eye cream. I then apply a light application of mineral makeup.

During the day I will use the ASPAR Rose Hydrating Facial Hydrosol and the Vanilla & Orange Lip Balm for a spritz and hydration boost.

At the end of the day I shower with my Rose & Aloe Body Cleanser and have my 3 second mini holiday as I take 3 deep breaths and breathe in the therapeutic aroms of the body cleanser that have been designed specifically to help clients wind down. I then cleanse my skin with the 3 in 1 cleanser (and exfoliate 2 x per week). After my shower I hydrate my body with the Ultra-Rich Body Cream and use a treatment oil on my face and an eye cream.

Just before bed I have a ‘lights out ritual’ this is when I apply my Vanilla & Orange Lip Balm, then I apply my Rosemary & Clove Thermal Balm to my neck and under my nose, this helps to clear my thoughts and it signals sleep to me. I complete the ritual with journaling in my gratitude journal. Being grateful is one of the quickest ways to fill your happiness bank!

8.What product could not live without?

Rosemary & Clove Thermal Balm – I love it, great for muscle soreness, coughs or colds, mosquito bites, it’s great for adults or kids as it is petrochemical free so it’s true multitasking balm.

9. Do you incorporate regular treatments into your regime?

Yes I have a monthly treatment at Aurora. I love having spa treatments and especially visiting exotic spa locations. My favorite 3 spa treatments to date were at Therme Vals (Switzerland), Mi iamo (at Enchantment Resort, Sedona US) and Como Shambhala Estate (Bali). I have a large ‘wish list’ of spa locations so lots more to come I hope!

10.What natural beauty advice do you live by?

I think what you put in your body is just as important as what you put on your body. What you put into your body is reflected in what you eat, how you move, sleep and the quality of your thoughts. When you have a great balance in all of these areas I think it is reflected in your skin and is fundamental to natural beauty in my experience. When it comes to what you put on your face and body I keep it as simple and as pure as possible. Natural beauty truly is inner and outer beauty working synergistically.