With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, Silked decided to have our Pillow Talk with writer, actress, activist, and breast cancer survivor, Larissa Gomes. We love her positive view on life, her inner beauty shines brightly and inspires us. Here's what she has to say about her beauty and wellness journey:
WHATS YOUR DAILY BEAUTY & WELLNESS ROUTINE?
Waking up with cuddles from my 4-year-old & lots of pets to give to our two 20-year-old cats. I will generally walk my son to school in the am while he scooters, this way we both start our day with some physical activity and I clock a minimum of 4000 steps on school days- on the way home I usually listen to an interesting podcast or music that I’m into at that moment. I will also hike Griffith Park if I have the time that day.
Hiking is my form of meditation, just being able to walk a trail in nature, tuning out the sounds of the city and tuning into the sounds of birds, being perfectly in the moment. I often have inspired thoughts in these quiet, internal moments.
Somewhere in my day, I usually end up dancing, singing & acting silly for at least 10 minutes with my son (Drake is his absolute favorite artist to get the party started). Highly recommend this one for good vibes/wellness.
I generally do some yoga stretches before bed for about 10 minutes. I’ll wash my face with a cruelty-free face wash, slather on a cruelty-free intensely moisturizing cream – cause…well, 40’s. Finally, I will fall asleep on my ‘Silked’ pillow sleeve to maintain low breakage to my hair as well as clear skin.
WHAT DOES BEAUTY AND WELLNESS MEAN TO YOU?
To me, beauty and wellness are synonymous with physical, mental & spiritual health all working optimally as one system. To create mindfulness in all areas, we must nourish our bodies in terms of nutrition, to decrease inflammation and create balance. So, for me, that looks like, a diet packed with salads, greens & berries, seafood, nuts, olive oil, really fresh grains (for me, pasta) and obviously, dark chocolate! But somebody help me please, I can’t quit salt and vinegar chips…
What we do to exercise and increase strength and circulatory flow to all our vital organs, knowing how it can have a lasting impact on our immune system is very important. For me, this is a workout/wellness regimen that includes lots of walking, hiking, yoga-ish stretching, and pilates.
What we do to keep our brains challenged, active and curious, what we value and take actionable steps toward in order to create a positive mindset informs our mental health. I have a mental health regimen of checking in with myself to balance whatever emotions or thoughts may be more intense than others and try to understand what is at the root of it, to work through it. Also, so much absorbing through reading and learning keeps me inspired to create the work on the projects I am a part of. Of course, relationships are major, we are social creatures and the ties that bind us in positive ways increase wellness.
What spiritual work we do to foster compassion, kindness, and connectivity so all living beings and systems can be harmonious. My spiritual wellness goal is ongoing and evolving, always based on respect for everyone and the desire to understand human complexities. Expressing gratitude is huge!
Finally, to me, beauty doesn’t require much but laughter, a genuine smile, and moderation in all aspects…a dark, smoky eye, peach cheeks & nude lip can’t hurt either, that look is always fire!
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Courage – Kindness – Activism - Music
Children inspire me, they are ingenious, naturally creative, at their core they are happy, they are open & they are free. They embody the love they receive, and that is everything.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
‘We all have our dark tunnels in life, this is yours, move through it and look for the light.’
ONE THING YOU KNOW FOR SURE?
Being there and showing up for the ones you love, that this, is ultimately all that matters!
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Learn about breast cancer
One of the top priorities is educating women on what they can do to be proactive with their breast health. Knowledge and early detection saves lives. Please check visit The National Breast Cancer Center to learn more.
Love,
Silked!
