We all have our own special ‘’go to” choices for an indulgent relaxation, but for me I can go no further than the bathroom and more specifically the bath tub. An hour or two soaking in the bath reading a book, listening to music with a treatment in my hair and a mask on my face is sheer bliss and an important part of maintaining my well-being and health.
Time alone to chill out without having to think too much and giving ourselves time to relax our muscles should not be a ‘’special’’ treat but a ‘’regular’’ event. Even when you cannot feel tension, you can be pleasantly surprised once you have relaxed at how different you feel in body and mind.
We can all get caught up in the activity of life and it is not until you come down with a cold or start to feel you are dragging your feet that you then realise you have been overdoing it and need some time out. Take yourself to the bathroom !!
Before you step into the bath below are some tips on how you can make the experience more indulgent, even using products from your pantry and garden. Once you are set up we can talk about some specific benefits of soaking in the bathtub.
To set the stage, we need to begin with what to put into the bathwater.
Check out my tempting recipes below –
RENEW YOU BATH SALTS RECIPE
An easy to prepare Bath Salt mixture is made up of 2 parts Epsom salt, 2 parts sea salt and 1 part baking soda. The salts contain minerals that will be absorbed into the skin to relieve tension and assist with inflammation and muscle soreness. The baking soda helps to soften the water and alleviate skin irritation. My previous Blog on Essential Oils covered the benefits of inhaling oils through burning & using diffusers but these can also be added to your bath salts depending on the healing power you are seeking. Be that relaxation, preparing for sleep, clearing your mind or getting in before that winter cold takes hold.
TEA TIME NATURAL BLEND
You could also make a pot of herbal tea to have whilst you are soaking but you might like to soak IN the tea. Below is a beautiful mixture to soothe the soul and leave you feeling calm and serene.
I have mixed together some fresh lavender, rosemary & dandelion which you can place in a porous cloth, like muslin and tie together. Place in bath and enjoy, with or without the pot of tea!
Other essentials are a bath tray for all your essentials to sit on and set the scene, with a few suggestions below:
- Waterproof pillow
- Tea candles
- Music\Book or magazine
- Face mask & Hair treatment
- most importantly LOCK the DOOR so you are not disturbed.
BENEFITS OF A BATHTUB SOAK
Get Creative – I sometimes also take a pen and paper with me, which sounds like a contradiction to relaxing, but once I reach that lovely blissful softness coming over me amazingly wonderful ideas begin to form.
Once our mind becomes still and we are not distracted by busy thoughts and activity new creative thoughts come to play, dancing in and out of our consciousness. Take note and allow them to fully develop. They can at times be creative ideas we had days, months and even years ago but given the space and the right timing instinctively are reaffirmed. Write them down, work with them.
De stress from the top of your head to the tip of your toes – As you sink into the bathtub, allowing your body to slip under the water, feel the stress and strains of life literally wash away. Inhaling the freshness of whatever you have added to the water be deeply inhaled.
Before you begin to read, drink your tea or listen to some music, stay quiet for a few minutes, just being in the bath breathing in and breathing out. Focus on your breath so that you literally cannot think of all the other busyiness and allow yourself to relax starting at your feet and work your way up the body to the crown of your head.
There are baths that I have not even picked up my book or put on the music as the peace and quiet is enough with the only sound being my inhaling and exhaling breath.
Enjoy your bath and I look forward to you joining me next week to look at Yoga & Meditation to help create
Balance in Your Life
x m
