Bathing Beauty

Enjoying a leisurely soak is not only good for your body, it rejuvenates your spirit.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and watch as the tension in your muscles begins to disappear. The stresses and worries of your day slowly fade as you surrender to the warm waters supporting you. Your breath begins to deepen, while your heart rate resumes its natural, healthy pace, not the frenetic pace of the day, but the calm, quiet pace of the evening. No, you’re not at a spa or enjoying a watsu treatment, you’re in the comforts of your own home, indulging in the health benefits of a long, leisurely soak.

When was the last time you enjoyed a long soak in your bathtub? Maybe you shy away from taking baths because of time, or prefer the ease of the shower either way, skipping your nightly bath is a missed opportunity to boost your immunity, release stress, and honor yourself with a little me-time.

Bathing is an inherently pleasurable experience. When away on vacation, I frequently am drawn to the bathroom, envisioning the hour-long soak I’ll enjoy while I shut out my worries, calm my monkey mind, and relax. Yet, while indulging in a bath on vacation is nice, creating an at-home bathing ritual is even more beneficial as it allows you to dedicate time to your well-being

Are you an insomniac or an excessive worrier? Creating an evening bathing ritual will allow you to sleep deeper and fall asleep much faster after you hit the pillow. The warmth of the water not only soothes your muscles, it creates an environment where you’re able to surrender your worries and thoughts and just focus on the present moment in fact, by shutting the door, turning off the lights, and lighting some fragrant candles, you’re creating an introspective and meditative experience.

Creating your own bathing ritual is a simple and enjoyable experience. To begin, remove any clutter from your bathroom. Cool colors like purples, blues, and whites are all inviting bathing colors; too many hot or bright colors can be distracting, so limit colors like red, orange, and gold. If you can, purchase some cozy and luxurious towels. New options from such companies as Gaiam (gaiam.com), Vivaterra (vivaterra.com), and Anna Sova (annasova.com) include organic cotton and bamboo blends as well as indulgent after-soak robes made by RobeWorks (robeworks.com). A teak or hinoki wood bathmat is an excellent replacement for the standard cotton variety. It not only repels mold and moisture, it also creates a very grounding post-soak environment. Finally, add your favorite bathing essentials. Some of Find Bliss’s favorites include the Babassu Milk Bath from Inara (inaraorganic.com), an organic line featuring babassu, a rich, moisturizing oil from the Brazilian Babassu palm. To maximize the healing benefits of your bath, add a scoop of bath salts from Abra Therapeutics (abratherapeutics.com). Their unique salts are designed for specific conditions and ailments varying from PMS Relief to Sleep Therapy. Need a quick pick-me-up? With its invigorating aroma the Energy Tonic blend is the perfect prelude to an evening on the town.

Begin your bathing ritual by telling your family that you’ll be unavailable for the next 30 minutes (yes, this means turning off your treo, laptop and iPod). Retreat to your bathroom and run the bath water at a medium-warm temperature (hot enough that it will stay warm throughout your soak). Light several soy candles, which unlike the paraffin variety are non-toxic and soot-free. Aromafloria’s 100% soy wax Sensory Fusion candles gently disperse such heavenly aromas as kiwi-coconut, chai, teakwood, and honey-papaya, creating a tropical ambiance to any bath (aromafloria.com). If you like, add a few drops of essential oils into the tub; Find Bliss’s lavender oil is an excellent evening scent. Add either bath salts or a bath oil blend to the running water to soften your skin while you soak, and grab a couple of your new towels to place by the tub. Turn down the lights, shut the door, and allow your body, mind, and spirit to relax into the warm waters of your own private spa retreat.