Relaxation Bath Soak
We all have our special ‘’go to” choices for an indulgent relaxation, but for me, I can go no further than the bathroom and, more specifically, the bathtub. An hour or two soaking in the bath, reading a book, and 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 overthinking and give ourselves time to relax our muscles should not be a ‘’special’’ treat but a regular event. Even when you can’t feel tension, you’ll 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’s not until you come down with a cold or start to feel you are dragging your feet that you realise you have been overdoing it and need some time out. So, take yourself to the bathroom!
Before you step into the bath, here are some tips on making the experience more indulgent just by using products from your pantry and garden.
Create beautiful bathwater…
Try my gorgeous ‘RENEW YOU BATH SALTS RECIPE’
It’s an easy-to-prepare bath salt mixture 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 journal entry on Aromatherapy and Essential Oils covered the benefits of inhaling oils through burning and using diffusers, but these oils can also be added to your bath salts. Choose the oil that matches the healing power you need, like, relaxation, preparing for sleep, clearing your mind, or beating a winter cold.
TEATIME NATURAL BLEND
You could also make a pot of herbal tea to enjoy while you are soaking, but… You might like to soak IN the tea.
I have created a beautiful tea mixture to soothe the soul and leave you feeling calm and serene.
Simply mix together some fresh lavender, rosemary, and dandelion.
Place into a porous cloth, like muslin and tie together.
Pop it in the warm bathwater with the ‘Renew You’ bath salts recipe, then lay back and relax - with or without a pot of tea!
Other essentials to make a luxurious bath soak are:
A bath tray for all your essentials to sit on
Waterproof pillow
Candles
Music
Your favourite book or magazine
Face mask
Hair treatment, and, most importantly…
Lock the door! So you don’t have any interruptions
De-stress from the top of your head to the tip of your toes
As you sink into the bathtub, allow your body to slip under the water, and feel the stress and strains of life literally wash away. Then, deeply inhale the freshness of the ingredients you’ve added to the water.
Before you begin to read, drink your tea, or listen to some music, stay quiet for a few minutes, and just lay in the bath, breathing in and breathing out. Focus on your breath so that you can’t think of all the other busyness. Allow yourself to relax, starting at your feet and work your way up the body to the crown of your head.
Get Creative
Sometimes, I also take a pen and paper with me. It may sound like a contradiction to relaxing, but once I feel the lovely blissful softness floating through me, some amazingly wonderful ideas begin to form in my mind.
Without the distraction of busy thoughts and activity, your mind relaxes and calms, allowing new creative thoughts to come to play and dance in and out of your consciousness.
Listen to your thoughts and allow them to fully develop. They may be creative ideas you had days, months or even years ago. Now, given the space and the right timing, they are instinctively reaffirmed.
Then, write them down, and work with them. You’ll be surprised where they lead you and the journey you will travel across the paper.
There are baths that I have not even picked up my book or put on the music as the peace and quiet are enough, with the only sound being my inhaling and exhaling breath.