Daily rituals, mental getaways and an obsession with Costa Brazil baths - brand consultant, editor, mother and breast cancer survivor takes you on a self-care journey.

BRAZIL IS…

Ying Chu : Confidence. It's as much a spirit and mood as it is a destination. Having spent a lot of time with Brazilians, I really do believe that one can be Brazilian even if you've never been there.

DAILY SELF-CARE

YC: Get moving. Run, walk, swim. Preferably outside. Sometimes with ankle weights to squeeze in some strength training. The reality is, so much of my work happens on a screen and I often need to pry myself away from my devices, especially when I’m on a deadline. But that’s when I most need the reset.

METAL GETAWAY

YC: Anytime I want to bring a familiarity to an environment, I light the Costa Brazil Candle. It smells like the jungle, truly. A new space is like a blank canvas, then you light the Candle and it brings the feeling of home.

LESSONS IN RESILIENCE

YC: Nothing could prepare me for a breast cancer diagnosis a couple years back (reminder to get your mammograms and sonograms, ladies!). As a survivor who went through a whole slate of surgeries and treatments and more surgeries and more treatments, I am constantly amazed at how resilient we can be. I’ll never take my health for granted.

ULTIMATE INDULGENCE

YC: With young kids, our home is filled with a lot of love—and a lot of noise, always. An afternoon in total silence, soaking in a long bath at our place upstate in the woods, is the ultimate indulgence. No bathing ritual is complete without a couple scoops of Costa Brazil Bath Salt, a few splashes of Kaya Body Oil, and a lit Jungle Candle or some Breu. It washes the day away.

SUMMER PLANS

YC It’s a mix of urban and green: We’re starting on the east coast—between Brooklyn and our place in Upstate New York—then heading west to Vancouver then way west to Tofino, BC, a tiny slice of seaside heaven.

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