convERSATIonS WITH SHel PinK
by Kelly Heitz
in tHe faSt-Paced, tecHnology-driven world
we live in, it’s more important than ever to take a few things
slow. Shel
Pink, founder of SpaRitual and recent author of
Slow Beauty: Rituals and Recipes to Nourish the Body and Feed
the Soul, applies the much-needed concept of taking it slow to
the beauty industry. Her book introduces lifestyle philosophies
and rituals to readers in the hopes that they’ll adopt them as
a lifestyle, rather than hope for a few quick fixes.
broken into four parts (philosophy, rituals, recipes and
mapping), Slow Beauty guides the reader through an individu-
alized method of self-care and self-love. It’s an inside-out
approach that will change how readers approach both the way
they think about beauty, and the way they think about
themselves.
In this month’s Conversations, we spoke to Pink about the
inspiration behind her new book and how she hopes readers
adopt a slow beauty way of life.
Pulse: Can you explain the concept of slow beauty for
our readers who might never have heard the term
before?
Shel Pink: Slow beauty is a concept to help people reframe
how they approach beauty, and a way to understand its conver-
gence with health and wellness. When we feel good, we look
good. Slow beauty is an act of self-care and self-love instead of
experiencing beauty only as anti-aging and a pursuit of perfec-
tionism. In the book, I share information on how to shift our
mindset from growing old to growing young. Slow Beauty is a
call to action to make a connection to the deeper layers of
beauty, and an integration with health and wellness for a
sustainable self-care practice of rituals and recipes to nourish
the body and feed the soul. Ultimately, Slow Beauty is about
joyful living and a commitment to always becoming the best
version of our self.
P: Where did the concept of Slow Beauty originate for
you?
SP: The seeds were planted in childhood. My mother set me
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PULSE
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January/February 2018
on this path, introducing me to the teachings of healing modal-
ities like reflexology and iridology, and introducing me to spa
treatments to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety. She
also taught me how to read ingredient labels on products and
showed me what ingredients to avoid. She emphasized the
importance of thinking about what we put on our bodies and
in our bodies, and selecting healthier options for diet as well.
When I left home, I continued this path, seeking out other
healing modalities and discovered meditation, yoga and
Ayurveda as well as other physical, spiritual and emotional
approaches to well-being from the vast teachings of the worlds
unique cultures.
P: How can spas integrate the ideas of Slow Beauty?
SP: Spa treatments are an important aspect of slow beauty that
shouldn’t begin and end at the spa. My hope is that spas will
encourage people to continue the wisdom of the spa tradition
at home in between their appointments, and offer their clients
experiential and dynamic on-site education on how to incor-
porate self-care rituals at home.