?the golden glow of Summer Vibes

Well this may not be what you were expecting as I do write alot about natural skincare but this week I have been thinking about radiant looking skin from another angle ……  

When we are feeling amazing within ourselves and are flooded with joy, elation and happiness as humans we can truely radiate a youthful glow can’t we. Well, live music can give us that glow in spades and it can feed our souls in so many other ways too. All those positive vibes can give us a massive drop in cortisol, reducing our stress levels, as well as a feel-good rush of endorphins making us feel amazing and what could be a more fantastic anti-ageing elixir than that. But the reality is that it can feel a bit intimidating to some of us and it’s hard to know where to start isn’t it. 

Just to get one thing straight, music festivals have come a long way from the flower power days of the 60’s and 70’s and really do offer something for everyone nowadays. They are bursting to the brim with a fantastic variety of music styles, some of which you may not normally listen too, as well as a large dose of comedy, literary events, crafts, delicious foods, people watching and a chance to really let your hair down and put your life on hold for a short while. Even for those of you who don’t usually rate the quality of your dancing (thats me folks I am shockingly bad !) the fact that you are in a throng of thousands of others who are not taking a blind bit of notice of you, can feel so liberating and despite my pair of left feet, the heart thumping music tends to being the “crazy dancing girl” out of me every time so why not give it a try too.

I have to admit that I came late to this party only going to my first festival at the ripe old age of 47 and all I can say is, its never too late and you are never too old to try something new. I loved it and am now a complete convert after being a bit of a scard’y cat if I am honest. The social pressure of having to look the part (hippy/cool/youthful/carefree?) be an ace dancer, have the stamina of wonder woman and an outfit to die for and with the added pressure of not shaming your kids too can feel like a tall order can’t it. But actually going to a festival is one of those days where anything goes with your clothes, you can eat what you want and dance all day long if you fancy, no one gives a hoot if you look sweaty, dirty and down right bonkers as lets face it everyone around you is doing and looking exactly the same. A day off from the perfection of social media stereotypes and having to look like you have got your s**t together is so liberating – I love it. 

Listening to live music is a brilliant stress reducer as it lowers our cortisol levels (and lets face it we can all do with a bit of that can’t we) not to mention the fact that listening to music can increase our pain threshold as our brain releases endorphins which block pain receptors so there are two biological benefits to consider too !.   Stepping into another world can be a time to reflect on things past as music can trigger wonderful memories and a time to see how far we have come and all the positive changes in our life not to mention the fact that it is fab exercise and you are going to hit your 10,000 steps for the day without evening feeling it !! All these factors combine together to make us feel flipping fantastic. That feeling that we are part of a greater tribe than just ourselves, that we are accepted, that we are gorgeous and that life is amazing can leave us feeling energised and high on life and looking gorgeous. 

So whether it be sitting on the steps of a roman amphitheatre listening to an opera in a foreign language on a balmy evening, joining in when you stumble across a dancing flotilla on street carnival day, immersing yourself in the sounds of a joyous choral recital in a cool and peaceful place of worship, stopping for a brief interlude on your busy commute to listening to a street busker or going to the concert of a much doted on singer or band, live music can really reach the very essence of us can’t it. We may be reduced to tears, covered in goose bumps or yelling along and grinning from ear to ear, and no matter what your own experience, live music surely unlocks so much joy and emotion in us all. Ultimately by listening to live music, we put ourselves in the midst of a joyful, shared experience, seeing the best in every moment and relishing the wave of communal joy that ripples through all those in the midst of it.

So how about taking in a bit of live music this summertime, think of it as anti-ageing cream for the soul. So go on, slather your self in it, if for no other reason than to look glowing and feel amazing this festival season.