Blissful Bathing Rituals

As the autumn and the cooler months start to creep up on us; the call of a hot bath or shower can be a tempting way to relax and unwind after a busy day, as well as a wonderful way to indulge in some self care and pampering!

The act of bathing can be very healing on many levels.  The warm water can act as a cocoon, a held space for us to rest and revive.  It can be a space to release tears and emotions.  The tub can be a sanctuary of peace and “me” time, a place to read a book or write in a journal.

We can also turn the act of bathing into a ritual.

By adding candles and crystals around the tub, by adding herbs, petals and salts to the water, we can use these extra ingredients for their healing properties, or for their affinity for the type of intention we wish to draw in to our lives (eg: love, luck, protection).

Baths are also a great opportunity to add in a few extra items to the water your bathing in.  You can get very specific with the items you choose and make your bath into a ritual.  For example a bath for self love, healing, purification, drawing creativity or abundance your way.

Read on for some ideas for you to elevate your tub time to a magical, spiritual and healing experience….

Plants make a lovely addition to your bath and can be chosen for your intention or healing properties. For ease of clean up, place your plant materials in a large muslin bag (like a giant tea bag) and then place into the bath water. You could also seep the plants for 10-15 minutes in a tea pot, strain and add to the bath water. Again do your own research for safety, allergies and contraindications.  Please also remember that hot and cold water can alter blood pressure so exercise caution if you are pregnant or have blood pressure issues.

Some suggestions are:

✨Rose Petals: For self love, romance, healing a broken heart, honouring the goddess.  Rose water is rich in antioxidants and could also be added in for its skin soothing properties.  I have found Rose to be a potent ally in healing after heartbreak as she helps you get in touch with all facets of the feminine both in physical and spiritual form.  She is wisdom, sensuality, softness, wisdom, strength and fierce protectiveness all in one.

✨Oats/Oat straw: Oats are full of protein, saponins, vitamins and minerals and is particularly   soothing for itchy skin conditions such as eczema.  Oats/oat straw are also linked to money, fertility and abundance.

 ✨Lavender; Great for bringing anxiety relief and peace to a busy, frazzled mind.  Lavender is also deeply mothering and protective, so she's a good one to add into your bath when your in need of rest and respite.  Lavender is also anti inflammatory and anti-fungal, soothing to minor skin injuries and is a great addition to the bath if you have a headache or other aches and pains.  Lavender is also ideal if you wish to have a good nights sleep or do some dream work.

✨Chamomile:  The flowers of chamomile look like little suns with white rays extending from a large yellow disc.  It is the perfect addition to baths when you are in need of mental relaxation and soothing.   It is also very calming to itchy skin conditions.  Chamomile helps reduce inflammation and is antimicrobial.  Magically chamomile corresponds with protection and purification, so it is a good one to bathe in before any ritual work, before meditation or even before big important events.

✨Mint:  Mint is the perfect addition to a bath on a hot summers day, when its cooling and refreshing properties are hugely welcome!!  Mint can also wake up and reenergise you so, its best to use mint when you want to be alert and not when you wish to head off to bed for a good nights sleep!  Mint is also great for drawing wealth and abundance to you and to enhance vitality and energy.

✨Orange blossoms/Neroli:  Who doesn't love the scent of orange blossoms?  The aroma puts you straight into a relaxed happy state and there is always an abundance of blossoms on the trees so you can add the little white flowers to your bath without fear of reducing your orange harvest.  Orange blossom is stress reducing for the mind and decongesting for the skin, as well as being anti inflammatory and antimicrobial.  Magically it corresponds with love, luck and money.

✨Jasmine:  One of my favourite scents, the star shaped flowers of jasmine invoke a feeling of sensuality, joy and relaxed openness.  Sprinkle through your bath if you wish to work with the energies of love, sensuality or enhance psychic dreams and visions.

✨Eucalyptus leaf:  The freshly scented Eucalyptus leaf is a good one to bathe with if you are feeling run down and in need of a boost mentally as well as your immune system.  Adding Eucalyptus to your bath can also add to the waters warming and relaxing properties.  Eucalyptus has been associated with healing, cleansing and removing negative energies.

✨Tea tree: Tea tree is a fabulous healing plant medicine.  It is antiseptic, anti fungal and anti inflammatory.   Great for cuts, abrasions, acne or helping to soothe and heal skin.  Similar to Eucalyptus, Tea tree is associated with protection, purification and clearing negative energies on all levels (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) so its a brilliant additive to your bath when you are feeling drained and fatigued with psychic or emotional gunk.  If you are live in New Zealand, Manuka and Kanuka have very similar properties so you could use sprigs of these trees instead.  Kanuka has a gentler energy to it, so is better suited if you feel you need a softer approach.

Other add ons to consider for your bathing experience:

✨Epsom or Pink Himalayan salts (don't be stingy add a good cup or so) are fantastic for sore, tired muscles or for times when you feel physically or energetically heavy and want to draw out toxins.  If your aim is to detox set a timer for ten minutes and then hop out of the bath.  If you stay in over ten minutes you're just going to reabsorb all the nasties that the salt has drawn out of your body.

✨Essential oils are great to add in (see the chart a few blog posts back) but remember to add a few tablespoons of milk/milk powder, Castile soap or vegetable oil (take care as the vegetable oil or Castile soap may make the bath slippery) to help the essential oils disperse as they are not water soluble.

✨Crystals can also be added to the bath water.  However do be careful, not all crystals are suitable for use in water (some crystals are soft and water will slowly dissolve them and some crystals release toxins in water), so do your research.   Crystals may also scratch or create chips on the surface of your bath or poke into our soft bare skin which isn't ideal either!   I tend to only use smooth tumble stones of clear quartz or rose quartz in my bath water, any other crystals I wish to invite into my bath energetically are kept up on a window sill or bath ledge well away from the water.

Of course if you do not have a bath you could use the above ideas in a foot bath or to make your shower more therapeutic you could consider hanging  bunches aromatic plants in your shower to give you a hit of aromatherapy.   The steam from the hot water will help release the volatile oils in the plants leaves - just be sure to replace your plant material regularly, mouldy soggy plants aren't cute! Popping a few drops of essential oils onto a face cloth or sponge and placing it in the corner of your shower will have the same effect. 

These are just a few ideas to enrich your bath time experience.  There are many more ways in which you could get creative, or more make your bathing ritual feel more luxurious.  Whether you wish to make bathing a healing, magical or a pampering experience, I hope this article has helped to get the ideas flowing!

Happy bathing!!