Morning Ritual: My mornings have a set routine. I start my day out with quick shower, eat a plentiful breakfast, and then my daily makeup and hair routine. My commute is pretty easy, I simply ride the elevator to the main level of the building; yes, that™s right. I am fortunate enough to live in the same building as the school! Lucky right? Before starting Massage, I graduated from Aveda Institute Denver’s Esthiology Program and in the meantime, I got certified in Eye Lash Extensions.

Before learning the Chakra Massage this afternoon, I wanted to show you my favorite Aveda Skin Care line: Tourmaline. The deep exfoliation is great for the dry skin that most of us experience in Colorado.

Posse: At the Institute, I have met some amazing people. But, today I get to  master Massage techinques beside these wonderful ladies. These wonderful women are creative and bright. I am incredibly blessed to have met so many admirable people through my journey at Aveda!

Massage: Here I am learning the Aveda Chakra Massage. Which Chakra is your favorite? Mine is Chakra 3, its the power/solar plexus center. It™s all about motivation and tapping into your own power. The color is yellow, and I imagine a bright yellow beaming out of me like a CareBear full of sun shine! Are you letting your light shine?

After school: Tonight I had an eyelash extension appointment. This guest likes a longer lashes, with a natural look and shape. I love the industry we are in, it allows each of our guest a greater sense of confidence by simply enhancing the beauty that already exist! You can follow more of my lash extension before and after by liking my professional page: @tswaff_lashes

Favorite product: After a busy day full of hard-work, I love coming home and washing my face. But, I couldn™t do it without my Aveda Shammy. It™s a hidden gem in the Aveda product line but once you discover it, youl be amazed! Washcloths only scratch the surface of your skin, but the shammy actually cleanses the face with a smooth gentle approach.

Before bed: I like to end my day with a daily reading that reminds me how grateful I am for all the wonderful assets I™ve worked so hard for. What are you grateful for?

Aveda Institute Denver is a school for cosmetology, barbering, esthiology (skin care) and massage therapy. To learn more about our programs, connect with our Admissions Team Leader, Kristy Fiore by emailing kfiore@avedadenver.com. For more information about our services offered by our students in training, call 303-567-7500.

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He shared his timeline of his full career in the beauty industry, which began at age 16 when he started school. The program is much longer in England so he was 18 when he completed his education and started his career. Today Ian has been with Aveda for 17 years and as a part of the Aveda Global Artistic Team, Ian spends his days working on education pieces, discovering new ways of teaching others, overseeing how education is pushed out to the network, he collaborates on Aveda collections and product development, works with marketing and also travels and presents often. Though it may seems he spends a lot of his time on stage, he shared he’s literally only on stage maybe a few hours a year. Prior to Aveda, Ian got his start at Toni & Guy.

“Aveda is a company I can work for and feel really proud of.”

Having shared that he feels he could die happy tomorrow because he’s lived the life he wanted, Ian said that he still desires to take a few months off from work and spend some time in Cambodia to help young women trapped in sex trafficking.

Ian shared some of his work with Aveda and a teaser of never-before-seen images of some recent work he’s done on his own. Editorial work is hard work and Ian called it “grueling” when giving an example of the photo shoot in Hawaii for Aveda Damage Remedy. The rain, the lava rocks and the continued challenges with weather in creating a perfect image that was about beautiful, healthy, conditioned hair, that would tell the story of quinoa protein in the products.

“It’s not always about the hair, it’s creating the mood to create the image. And it’s not about YOU. It’s about the model. Editorial style is not the same in real life.”

Understanding what you want from a picture is unique to the subject, Ian says. You have to understand what you are trying to show, tell in the picture. Going back in time a bit to November, 2014 when Aveda shared on their Ian’s work featured on the cover of American Salon magazine, Ian spoke of seeking to inspire more diversity with models and how he loves the “in-between” when it comes to images – that place between the current image and the next one about to happen. The image that cannot be recreated, that’s what he’s capturing.

Color Wheel from Ian Michael Black Living Aveda Blog

“What makes something great is when you create your own version of it.”

Ian doesn’t really think often about what’s happening tomorrow but he will question where he will be in the next five years. Will I be doing the same thing? Will it be different?

Ian didn’t shy away from sharing that this is an industry that requires hard work to start. He urged us to continue on our own journey and make it our own. First, we must master the basics. If we don’t learn to create perfection from the basics, we’ll never learn to advance. This is where establishing trust begins. Trust in the process. Trust in the unknown. Trust in the fear.

“You’ll learn the most when you’re uncomfortable.”

What else did we learn from Ian today? With over 150 of us in the audience today, I’m sure each of us learned something different and the journey will continue to unfold. Having personally watched Ian from afar, in the fan club of many, and seen his work come to life in our Aveda collections, seen him on stage at Congress, seen his work from a screen – having Ian walk from behind-the-scenes in what seemed like a far-away world and suddenly arrive in person, made me realize how our Global company is a community. I was most inspired by him sharing that at Aveda, “the people here work with each other out of respect. You build relationships.”

That’s what it was all about for me today. The inspiration to continue to live the Aveda mission, inspire others and build relationships. And also keep posting Instagrams about my new #avedacolor

Ian Michael Black with Alicia Christus, the voice behind this blog today.

“What I love most about this career is you don’t have to fit a mold. You don’t have to be anyone else. You don’t have to be the best but you need to be consistent and be consistently good. Do your own thing, don’t be like everyone else.” – Ian Michael Black

Aveda Institute Denver is a school for cosmetology, esthiology and massage and is a part of the şÚÁĎרÇř in Colorado, Arizona and Utah. We also offer an Editoril ReMix class, a week-long course focusing on editorial photo shoot practice for hair, makeup and the full production of a shoot. For more information about Aveda Institute Denver, visit our Web site or follow along on Facebook: Aveda Institute Denver or on our Instagram or Twitter feed @inspireaveda.

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Ayurveda focuses on balance of the three doshas: Vata (air/infinity energy), Pitta (fire/water energy) and Kapha (water/earth energy). Each of us has a blend of all three of the doshas that govern our mind, body and soul (being). Some of us have more Vata energy so we experience more air and infinity qualities like being cold, dry, quick in movement, enjoy change, have high energy and have a lighter, thinner body frame.

Vata doshas also exhibit dry hair and skin, usually show more nervous energy and have active, restless and creative minds. Vata’s can also be inconsistent and unreliable. Those who have more Pitta energy show more fire/water qualities like being determined, strong leadership, strong focus and sustainable energy. Pitta’s usually have an athletic build, have sensitive skin and have a higher body temperature. They are natural leaders and inspire easily but can also have high tempers and get angry easily. Kapha’s are considered the most fortunate in Ayurveda because they are less likely to become ill and are able to stay in balance more so than the other doshas. Kapha’s usually have thick, lustrous skin, hair and nails. They tend to carry more weight and move slower. Kapha’s are methodical thinkers, loyal and trustworthy.

The doshas also represent the three seasons in Ayurveda and govern certain times of the day:

Kapha season = mid-January to mid-May
Pitta season = mid-May to mid-September
Vata season = mid-September to mid-January

Kapha time = 6 am to 10 am / 6 pm to 10 pm
Pitta time = 10 am to 2 pm / 10 pm to 2 am
Vata time = 2 am to 6 am / 2 pm to 6 pm

Currently we are in Kapha season so no matter what our dominant dosha is, we all experience the elements of water and earth this time of year: slow, thick, heavy, dense, cold and fluid. This is the time of year to slow down, catch our breath and reflect inward more. It’s a time to eat heavier and nourishing meals, rest more often and take time to enjoy life. There’s a delicate balance to drawing in the richness of Kapha energy to soothe and nourish without becoming too sluggish, tired or withdrawn. Daily rituals involving beauty and wellness will help to ensure there’s balance during this time of year.

Kapha daily rituals:

• rise between 2 – 6 am, waking after 6 am is Kapha energy so it’s more difficult to wake up during heavier, slow energy
• start with morning stretches, yoga, exercise or meditation to get the body and mind moving and unstuck
• take pride in self-grooming with hair, skin and aroma – use only natural ingredients and non-synthetics so as not to add more toxins to the body
• dry brush to help boost skin circulation, remove dead skin cells, and increase skin elasticity
• drink two glasses of warm water with lemon or apple cider vinegar to help purify the body of toxins
• enjoy a simple yet hearty breakfast every morning between 6 – 10 am
• make lunch the biggest meal of the day between 10 am – 2 pm
• enjoy time to be creative and inspired
• take time to tune-in and appreciate life
• eat a simple dinner before 7 pm and allow time for the body to digest and rest before bed
• minimize TV and screen time, especially before bed

Too much Kapha energy can increase feelings of depression, withdrawal and disconnection. To balance the winter blues, it’s important to stay on routine and make the effort to be social and stay active. There’s less sun energy this time of year so it’s also important to enjoy sunshine by being outdoors when possible as well as increase Vitamin D3 intake. This is a great time to indulge in personal stress-relieving rituals like massage, facials, and play with new hair styles or makeup.

Coming soon to Aveda is the new Beautifying Radiance Polish – the perfect balancing solution during kapha season. This rich and luxurious body scrub will slough away dry skin cells and stimulate skin’s circulation, creating a nourished and beautiful glow.

Aveda’s services are rooted in Ayurveda and use the principles of this healing system to create balance through the products and services. Experience an Elemental Nature spa treatment that is customized to your current dosha or elemental nature of earth, water, fire, air or infinity. For more information about rituals and Aveda products visit www.aveda.com or check out the book Aveda Rituals, by Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda.

Prepared by Alicia Parks Christus for Inspire Greatness Institutes. Alicia is the marketing team lead at Aveda Institute Denver and a certified yoga instructor. She teaches Ayurveda and yoga classes and has led Ayurvedic wellness programs and yoga teacher trainings. For more information email achristus@avedadenver.com or follow along @aliciaraeyoga.

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