As the founder of a holistic skincare line and the author of the wellness blog The Local Rose, Shiva Rose is the genuine embodiment of what she preaches: exuding radiance and creative energy, we’re inspired not only by the advice Shiva shares but the generous, curious spirit with which she does everything. After overcoming multiple serious autoimmune disorders and life events that forced her to reassess her health and perspective, Shiva realized that your wellness is your own; there’s no formula, there’s no “trick” — it’s about quieting down and tuning into both yourself and the world around you. Here, we visited her at home in Los Angeles to talk about her daily rituals, the role travel plays in her creative and meditative process, and to get the recipe for her wonderfully soothing and easy saffron-honey face mask.
Photos by Gemma Ingalls
Can you share more about your upbringing — where you are from, what your childhood was like?
I come from two very different worlds. My mama is American with Irish and German and Native American ancestry, and my father is Iranian with Turkish ancestry. I was raised in the countryside of Iran by the Albourz Mountain range until we escaped when I was ten. It was quite a dramatic and traumatic escape, and readjustment to life here in the States. Most people are surprised to know about the way in which we escaped and how much we went through to get out of Iran. Going through what I did, and what I have over the years has only added more complex layers in my being. I am so so much stronger than I ever thought I was.
I come from two very different worlds. My mama is American with Irish and German and Native American ancestry, and my father is Iranian with Turkish ancestry. I was raised in the countryside of Iran by the Albourz Mountain range until we escaped when I was ten. It was quite a dramatic and traumatic escape, and readjustment to life here in the States. Most people are surprised to know about the way in which we escaped and how much we went through to get out of Iran. Going through what I did, and what I have over the years has only added more complex layers in my being. I am so so much stronger than I ever thought I was.
What are some of the current themes or projects that are holding your main focus right now?
Recently I have witnessed some reminders about the fragility of life and how it truly is such a short experience. I have been trying to incorporate more pleasure and joy in my life. I realized this is something I have had to relearn in a way, and that as women we are meant to receive. Using beauty rituals, and rituals in general in my daily life have taught me so much about self love and how that can be a connection to The Source or spirit. I practice a few daily rituals like Tea Ceremonies and Kundalini yoga meditations. This idea of living your life as if it is a sacred gift and with reverence to it, has translated into my work.I now only want to make products that will truly be works of beauty. I love the film "Like Water for Chocolate," and I feel that kind of devotion and love in my work translates to the potency of the products.
Recently I have witnessed some reminders about the fragility of life and how it truly is such a short experience. I have been trying to incorporate more pleasure and joy in my life. I realized this is something I have had to relearn in a way, and that as women we are meant to receive. Using beauty rituals, and rituals in general in my daily life have taught me so much about self love and how that can be a connection to The Source or spirit. I practice a few daily rituals like Tea Ceremonies and Kundalini yoga meditations. This idea of living your life as if it is a sacred gift and with reverence to it, has translated into my work.I now only want to make products that will truly be works of beauty. I love the film "Like Water for Chocolate," and I feel that kind of devotion and love in my work translates to the potency of the products.
Shiva’s Cardamom Chai
Ingredients:
3 tbsp loose leaf chai (recipe below)
1 tsp cardamom seeds
½ tsp red peppercorn
2 cups water
2 cups mylk – coconut, cashew, almond, walnut, or a blend
1 tbsp coconut oil
Sweetener to taste (we used coconut sugar)
Directions:
1. Bring water to a light simmer in a sauce pan, then remove from heat
2. Stir in chai tea, cardamom seeds and red peppercorn
3. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes
4. Stir in coconut sugar and coconut oil (approx. 2 tsp for every cup) and let dissolve
5. Strain tea mixture
6. Add mylk
7. If desired, let cool then pour over ice
For the chai mixture:
12 green cardamom pods
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 cinnamon stick (approx. 4-inches)
1/2 cup black tea, loose (this can be decaf if you prefer a decaf tea)
Preheat oven to 350. Split the cardamom pods in half. Place in a small baking dish with the peppercorns, fennel, coriander, cloves, and cinnamon. Toast in the oven for about five minutes or until the spices are fragrant. Remove and cool. Add ginger and crush spices with a rolling pin or in a mortar and pestle.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp loose leaf chai (recipe below)
1 tsp cardamom seeds
½ tsp red peppercorn
2 cups water
2 cups mylk – coconut, cashew, almond, walnut, or a blend
1 tbsp coconut oil
Sweetener to taste (we used coconut sugar)
Directions:
1. Bring water to a light simmer in a sauce pan, then remove from heat
2. Stir in chai tea, cardamom seeds and red peppercorn
3. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes
4. Stir in coconut sugar and coconut oil (approx. 2 tsp for every cup) and let dissolve
5. Strain tea mixture
6. Add mylk
7. If desired, let cool then pour over ice
For the chai mixture:
12 green cardamom pods
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 cinnamon stick (approx. 4-inches)
1/2 cup black tea, loose (this can be decaf if you prefer a decaf tea)
Preheat oven to 350. Split the cardamom pods in half. Place in a small baking dish with the peppercorns, fennel, coriander, cloves, and cinnamon. Toast in the oven for about five minutes or until the spices are fragrant. Remove and cool. Add ginger and crush spices with a rolling pin or in a mortar and pestle.
Describe a transition you are currently amid.
I feel like there is an organic expansion happening with my line and so I may need to look for a larger studio space. That is exciting and also can test my faith in where this will lead. I am trying to accept transitions and changes since that is what life really is, isn’t it?
[I am feeling] a constant shift or evolution in thought, spirit, and body. I recently went to the Yellow Mountains in China to further my Tea Meditation and Ceremony practice, and really felt that in the East they are more in touch with the transient nature of life. I hope I brought some of that wisdom with me. If we know how temporary it all is, and our deaths are imminent, we may enjoy this moment even more.
I feel like there is an organic expansion happening with my line and so I may need to look for a larger studio space. That is exciting and also can test my faith in where this will lead. I am trying to accept transitions and changes since that is what life really is, isn’t it?
[I am feeling] a constant shift or evolution in thought, spirit, and body. I recently went to the Yellow Mountains in China to further my Tea Meditation and Ceremony practice, and really felt that in the East they are more in touch with the transient nature of life. I hope I brought some of that wisdom with me. If we know how temporary it all is, and our deaths are imminent, we may enjoy this moment even more.
What makes you feel most alive?
Being in nature, hiking in the mountains that I live against makes me feel so alive, so in my body, so vital. Eating healthy, clean, organic, vibrant food and dark chocolate in any form. Hearing children laughing, traveling off course, swimming in the sea, being cheeky in uptight places, seeing goodness in the world...
What are some cultural touchstones you consider a part of who you are today — i.e.: what specific films, books, artists, places, etc., have been most influential in shaping you?
I was so passionate as an artist and actress in my youth and so I pretty much created myself from all the books, paintings, music, vintage clothes, and films I watched. I always wanted to tell a story and so I did that through whatever world I was creating either through a play or just the clothes I was wearing that day. I devoured Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chekhov, Milan Kundera, Rumi, Pablo Neruda. I watched endless amount of films my favorites being old Italian Films. I studied and read about Picasso, Kahlo, O’Keefe, Titian, Mozart, Di Vinci and more. Today I would say all my spiritual practices have imprinted me. You truly are what you think and do. My tea ceremony practice and Kundalini yoga are a major part of my life today. They condition my aesthetic yet I still do love fashion!
I was so passionate as an artist and actress in my youth and so I pretty much created myself from all the books, paintings, music, vintage clothes, and films I watched. I always wanted to tell a story and so I did that through whatever world I was creating either through a play or just the clothes I was wearing that day. I devoured Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chekhov, Milan Kundera, Rumi, Pablo Neruda. I watched endless amount of films my favorites being old Italian Films. I studied and read about Picasso, Kahlo, O’Keefe, Titian, Mozart, Di Vinci and more. Today I would say all my spiritual practices have imprinted me. You truly are what you think and do. My tea ceremony practice and Kundalini yoga are a major part of my life today. They condition my aesthetic yet I still do love fashion!
What are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?
So many lessons . . . I feel I have grown up so so much since a big seismic life shift I had 8 years ago when my marriage crumbled and my career as an actress wasn’t fulfilling. I think perhaps a key to keeping a youthful, passionate life is to shift things every few years.
So many lessons . . . I feel I have grown up so so much since a big seismic life shift I had 8 years ago when my marriage crumbled and my career as an actress wasn’t fulfilling. I think perhaps a key to keeping a youthful, passionate life is to shift things every few years.
Eight years ago I created my site The Local Rose, and decided to get closer to the natural world to heal many fissures in my life. Through those experiences I learned how to hone in my intuition, and to have a deeper connection to spirit. I realized that for me having a spiritual life makes everything just a touch more magical, a touch more mystical, and touch more beautiful.
I have also learned to really cultivate gratitude: gratitude for health, for the natural world, for community, and for love.
I have also learned that bliss is a necessity. We were made to be joyous and have blissful moments.
Life is challenging and we should work hard for ourselves and the planet, but also balance it with bliss . . . The key is to find what brings you bliss. Even if it’s a warm bath in the evening with a good book. Find those moments …
Shiva’s Saffron Honey Face Mask
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup organic yogurt (She prefers goat or sheep)
3 TBS raw honey
1 Tbs Saffron threads
Simply mix the yogurt, honey and saffron until it is a pale golden hue. Then brush onto the skin. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. Another variation is to add a few drops of lemon, a pinch of sugar and a few drops of coconut oil. Mix all of those with the above and let sit for 10 minuets before applying.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup organic yogurt (She prefers goat or sheep)
3 TBS raw honey
1 Tbs Saffron threads
Simply mix the yogurt, honey and saffron until it is a pale golden hue. Then brush onto the skin. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. Another variation is to add a few drops of lemon, a pinch of sugar and a few drops of coconut oil. Mix all of those with the above and let sit for 10 minuets before applying.