Why This Often Overlooked Part of Mindfulness Is Essential
According to Kimberly Snyder, this often overlooked part of mindfulness is actually pretty important.
After enduring what she describes as the cracking open of her heart with her mother's passing, founder of Solluna, #FeelGoodMovement leader and New York Times bestselling author Kimberly Snyder spent plenty of time thinking about the fragility of life and focusing on healing. More than a year later, as Snyder recounts the experience and speaks of the perspective she's gained since then, she emphasizes the life-changing powers of redefining wellness.
"We don't have to wait for something in the future to feel good," Snyder says. "It's about tuning in and finding what feels comfortable." The author and nutritionist is diving deeply into this mentality, using it to propel other women forward through her new Solluna brand — a line that captures a physical component, including supplements and skincare products, as well as a spiritual component through the Feel Good Circle, an empowering community of women learning and growing together.
We caught up with Snyder to discuss becoming more connected with oneself, the importance of mindfulness and her new brand. Here's what she had to say.
On Her A.M. Mindfulness Practice
"It's really important to get present in our own bodies before getting pulled outside ourselves in the swirl of social media, emails and outside noise," Snyder says, explaining that the body is at its most serene and still in cleansing mode during the a.m. It's a time for taking in energy that supports it and does not weigh it down.
"When we are more present in our bodies, especially first thing, we tend to make better food choices the rest of the day, are more fortified against food cravings, become more confident and less swayed into self-doubt and comparisons, as well as more focused and less scattered," she adds.
Snyder's own morning ritual starts with a simple commandment: Don't reach for your phone as soon as you wake up. Instead, she opts for a three to five minute meditation (her website provides free guided meditation resources), after which she nourishes her body with a glass of hot water with lemon — a practice that supports digestion, as opposed to icy water which would shock the body. She also indulges in two SBO+ probiotics from her Solluna line, which, according to Snyder, feature soil-based organisms (SBOs) much like the ones our ancestors used to get their probiotics.
On the Mindfulness Practice Too Many Ignore
Swearing by meditation is not unheard of for a wellness expert — but there's one particular part of the meditation practice that Snyder believes more people should open up to. Introspective journaling, or sitting with tougher questions and reflecting on what caused a certain reaction, is a practice many people are unable to commit to.
But, according to Snyder, this practice is integral to learning about yourself and not repeating patterns from the past. "We continue to react and act out patterns based on situations and events from the past, and the stories we tell ourselves," Snyder says. "If we don't ask and inquire, we can keep acting out destructive patterns, keep limiting beliefs and not reach our fullest potential of happiness and peace."
On the Connection Between Food and Wellbeing
Another important but often overlooked part of mindfulness? Food, which is oftentimes used as a distraction from being present.
Snyder explains, "In the Western world we tend to have this reductionist approach to food, whether it be about calories, protein, carbs or whatever. It causes us to look at food in a fragmented rather than whole way." Snyder believes this way of thinking is one of the biggest misconceptions about food — oftentimes reduced to a numbers game, food is actually an energy and should be seen as such.
"By getting out of calorie counting and simply eating meals centered around whole foods, we can not only naturally reach our ideal weight but also our energy will skyrocket, our skin will start glowing and we will be freed from the misery of dieting and start living out more joy in our lives."
One of Snyder's positive energy food go-to's is her morning Glowing Green Smoothie, featuring spinach, lemon, celery and bananas.
On Her New Solluna Brand
"Solluna is all about community," Snyder says of her newly launched line that features supplements and skincare, as well as a women's circle titled the Feel Good Circle.. "I wanted to create a space where women can really come together to rediscover and celebrate their unique wholeness."
The founder and author, who aims to talk to talk to her community in a way that's nurturing, personalized and aware, will also debut a new book in February — "Recipes for Your Perfectly Imperfect Life," featuring not only healing recipes, but an assortment of life lessons, discussions on getting past body shame and discussions on the emotional parts of being bloated. We can't wait to start reading!