Human Design Deep Dive

by Olivia Cartwright,

Living authentically isn’t just an Instagram concept, it is the struggle we all face day to day. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with aspirational lifestyles, diet plans and influencers so many of us have lost that innate connection to ourselves and what we truly want or need. Sometimes we find ourselves conflicted between the decisions we 'should' make, and following our gut instinct. Human Design is a segway to reconnect you back with yourself and encourage you to follow your own unique path instead of trying to get into somebody else’s lane. It allows you to forgive yourself for not being like 'X' and gives you an explanation for a lifetime of frustrations when you aren’t tapping into your innate personality. 

We had an incredibly insightful reading with the lovely Olivia Iasonos from Embodied Human Design, whom we discovered after hearing her speak so eloquently on Danielle Copperman’s podcast. Human design is essentially an astrological approach but with centuries of wisdom to support its claims. This system draws on the philosophy of astrology, the Kabbalah tree of life, the Hindu chakra system and the I - Ching combined. It’s a really inspiring modality to look into. Human Design was only channeled in the 80’s but it draws on these ancient philosophies and wisdom, making it a system that synthesises all these ancient systems. As Olivia said Human Design really gives you “permission to be unapologetically you, we are all born unique and your reading is your roadmap to step into our own uniqueness and you can lean into it to find deep satisfaction, deep peace and deep success.” What could be better? It essentially teaches how to be true to yourself!

In order to look into your own Human Design, you simply need to know, your date of birth and the exact time and place you were born. You can actually call the hospital you were born in to confirm this if you don’t know for sure. Once you have gathered all that information you can then input the information here to find out more. There are 5 different design types in Human Design, these are manifestors, generators, manifesting generators, projectors and reflectors. Here is a little more information about each energy type to get you started:

Manifestors represent about 9% of the population, they are the natural initiators amongst us. Their strategy is to inform those around them of their decisions before taking action, this naturally relaxes those around them, allowing them to initiate without feeling resistance or anger. Manifestors are here to have an impact on others.

Generators, together with Manifesting Generators make up the life force of the planet representing 70% of the population. They have an open and enveloping aura that is constantly drawing life towards them. Their strategy is to wait to respond (as opposed to initiating like Manifestors) meaning they are here to follow signs and synchronicities to know what to put their energy towards to achieve satisfaction and reduce resistance. Manifesting Generators tend to be multi-passionate, wanting to put their energy towards many different projects, tasks and interests.

Projectors are the natural guides, around 20% of the population, their strategy is to wait for recognition and invitations from others before sharing their gifts to avoid feeling any bitterness. Focusing attention on the wrong people and initiating without recognition can lead to exhaustion. Projectors need to be discerning about how to use their energy, they are naturals at mastering systems and reading into people with their focused and penetrating aura.

Reflectors are the rarest type, just 1% of the population with an aura that samples and reflects the energies of the environment and those around them. Reading others very well and acting as mirrors for society and they have the potential to show us where we are not living in alignment. Reflectors are here to experience the delight and surprise of life but can end up feeling disappointed and burnt out if they find themselves in the wrong jobs and friendship circles. 

Olivia, is the prime example of someone who previously wasn’t living according to her own design. She actually practiced as a lawyer before discovering Human Design x years ago. She is such a pleasure to talk to and she took away any skepticism or fear within seconds and really put us at ease.  Olivia also has extensive training in life coaching, continually asking intuitive questions to make the most of your reading, for you! She aims to lead you to the path of least resistance in your own life, sounds nice doesn’t it?

Olivia begins each session with a brief meditation to open the heart space and focus the mind. You are also encouraged to set an intention for your session prior, allowing her to steer you towards the most practical information for what you want to learn about yourself. Olivia's fusion of life coaching combined with the reading itself is part of what really drew us to Olivia and get the most out of the experience. It is a much more practical and pragmatic approach to Human Design than anything else we found. 

I found the whole experience really enlightening, and most of all empowering. It's oddly freeing to have an explanation for why things haven't worked for you in the past. Olivia seemed to know me better than I know me and things make a little more sense armed with this information. We are currently in a drained society as so many people are living out of alignment and we are all so conditioned to follow each other and listen to SHOULDS, rather than wants. I can’t recommend a reading with Olivia enough so you too can shed the shoulds! 







Top 3 Cookbooks for Skin Health

by Olivia Cartwright, , link

Cooking has always been a favourite hobby of ours and the further you go down the health journey the more experimental you become, incorporating unusual flavours and produce in order to eat the rainbow. When eating for more targeted results and to most benefit your skin etc we like to look to the experts for their recommendations.

Here is our round-up of our top 3 favourite cookbooks to feed our face and keep you glowing from the inside out:

Eat Beautiful - Wendy Rowe - Celebrity make up artist Wendy Rowe counts Sienna Miller as one of her loyal clients and her cookery book not only looks beautiful on your coffee table but also has some great recipes that firmly sit in our weekly rotation. I particularly love the french onion soup recipe! 

Beauty Chef - Carla Oates - The beauty chef is an Australian supplement company with an emphasis on skin health. They have some amazing balanced recipes that the whole family will enjoy whether they enjoy clean eating or not! 

Simply Good For You - Amelia Freer - This book is not specifically targeted toward cooking for skin health but it is a welcome product of consistently using Amelia Freer’s recipes! Everyone in the Radiance office owns, uses and loves this book and if one of those we reach for weekly. 


Feed your face

by Olivia Cartwright, , link


We’re all familiar with the notion of 'you are what you eat', but have you considered eating with targeted benefits in mind? Some of the foods we already reach for daily are reminiscent of old wives' tales like 'carrots for your eyesight' or 'fish for brain food' - and there is actually some truth in it. There are many foods we can include daily that have a direct impact on our skin and conversely, foods that we should try to avoid. 

Here are some of our favorites foods to incorporate to feed your face:

Antioxidant-rich foods - 'antioxidant' is a term that is banded about a lot but does anyone really know what it means? Antioxidants help to protect the skin from free radical damage that ages it prematurely. These free radicals come in all forms all around us so I like to think of these foods as the antidote to the ‘oxidants’ we all meet daily such as pollution, cigarettes, toxins, alcohol, and processed foods. Potent antioxidants can be found in berries, dark chocolate, kale, pecans, etc

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is one of the hero vitamins to support your skin's collagen production! It can also be applied topically but to feed your skin from the inside out you should be including lots of lemons, oranges, carrots, green leafy veggies, broccoli and cabbage!

Healthy fats - Fats get a bad rep but it's very misdirected! Eating a diet rich in oily fish, nuts, flax, and chia seeds will really nourish your skin and give it all the essential fatty acids and omegas you need.

Flavonoids - Flavonoids help regulate cell renewal and due to their high level of antioxidants they also fight off those pesky free radicals. Drink lots of green tea, apples, onions, red cabbage. 
Even the occasional glass of red wine is a good source. 

Vitamin A - is also the standout ingredient that derives Retinol, retinol is proved to be the most anti-aging topical product we can use as it rejuvenates the skin and promotes cell turnover. You can literally eat your serum by including lots of carrots, sweet potato, leafy greens and seaweed in your diet. 
 
And to avoid? For clients with skin concerns, we often recommend a few weeks to eliminate dairy from your diet. Reducing intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates, and increasing your fluid levels will also support positive skin health. 


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