You know the phrase, “Chop wood, carry water”? It comes from a story about being present enough in every task to really dedicate yourself to what you’re doing in that moment—and subsequently find peace. There’s a meditative aspect to anything we do if we stay in the moment. Take a skincare routine. It might sound relatively trivial in the scheme of enlightenment, but when you take care of your skin, you can choose to be present with yourself—no distractions. It becomes a moment of peace. But as YTTP co-founder Joe Cloyes shares in episode 04 of To The People Podcast, there’s more to skincare than just a routine.
“First and foremost, sleep. Second, drink enough water. Stay hydrated. [Those are the] two most important things for optimal skin health,” Cloyes says. “Past that is when you get into your topical products and a healthy diet, of course.”
Proper nutrition, rest, hydration, and physical wellness are essential pieces to the puzzle that is skin health—but they’re not always guaranteed. America has a wellness problem. And just like the concept of wellness, the lack of it is layered. Wellness requires rest, clean water, movement, community, care, and nutrition—things that have become privileges, when they really should be rights. Access to nourishment of all kinds is vital for wellness, and today, on To The People, you’ll meet a few of our friends who are dedicating themselves to bringing wellness to their communities.
First up is Luis Mota, who volunteers with Alma Backyard Farms. It’s a nonprofit that grows and distributes fresh, healthy foods in neighborhoods around Los Angeles and provides urban agriculture training to people who were formerly incarcerated. Then, you’ll hear from Aabi Abdun-Nafi, an organizer and yoga instructor who leads free yoga classes at Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC.
Click here to check out a restorative yoga flow recorded by Aabi Abdun-Nafi exclusively for Youth To The People.
Hosted by Alyssa Shapiro
Edited by Manna Zel
Produced by Manna Zel + Alyssa Shapiro
Theme music by YTTP co-founder, Greg Gonzalez, + Hannah Fernando
