In this book, we will uncover the various reasons for taking baths, from healing and relaxation to beautifying and enjoyment. While we cover a lot of ground, a common theme with every recipe is to promote feeling better in some way or another.
These recipes are one part of a bigger equation. I truly believe that in order to feel our best, we must be balanced in all parts of our lives. Our lifestyles, from the way we eat to our mental attitude, combined with healing rituals like bathing, lead to the results we seek. A healing bath with salts and essential oils is one more piece to completing the puzzle of well-being.
One thing that I’ve learned is the power of intention. I was already studying how intention works (and watching it work magic in my own life) when I read in Patricia Davis’s book, Subtle Aromatherapy, about the use of intention when using essential oils. I truly believe setting an intention, especially when it comes to healing, is very powerful.
So, what is the best way to take a bath? It may seem like a funny question, but there is an art to getting the most out of your healing bath. Luckily, it’s very simple.
Take your bath at a time when you won’t be bothered. There is almost nothing more enjoyable than a luxurious bath at the end of a stressful day. Dim the lights and light a candle. Take the bath in silence or with music that speaks to you. Draw a medium-hot bath and fill the tub, then add your salt soak or bath bomb. Once you’re comfortable in the bath, close your eyes and set your intention (details on page 60). Be grateful that you have the luxury of taking a healing bath. Then relax and let the salts and oils do their magic.
Baths Promote Well-Being
Throughout history, salt soaks have been used as a way to heal. Starting in Ancient China and then spreading west to Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, bath salts have been used not only to heal ailments, but also to stay and look youthful. There have even been recent studies that show Dead Sea salts are beneficial in reducing wrinkles.
Because of the high density of minerals in bath salts, such as bromide, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, soaking in them detoxifies your body while softening and plumping up your skin. Salt soaks have been proven to reduce common skin conditions such as itching, psoriasis, and eczema. Another major benefit of salt soaks is easing sore muscles and tendinitis.
The relaxation of soaking in a tub of hot water and salts reduces stress, which is linked to most diseases and ailments, including the skin conditions listed above. When we are stressed, the immune system is lowered in order for the body to deal with the stress. In other words, we go into fight-or-flight mode, which cuts off our ability to heal ourselves.
These days, stress is a massive part of daily life. Even little things can set it off: checking email, traffic, and everyday busyness. Most of us live in a state of being overwhelmed, especially with the constant use of technology. I’d go as far as to say that in some ways, we are addicted to the feeling of being in fight-or-flight mode. The constant need to be in the know, to be connected, and to be updated leaves us feeling completely exhausted. In fact, there is an actual term for this: adrenal fatigue.
We all deal with adrenal fatigue, whether it is stress from work or the excitement and enthusiasm behind new projects. Adrenal fatigue is not something that should be taken lightly. It ages us and leaves us susceptible to disease. Reducing adrenal overload depends on how we react to the stressors of daily life. Habits we create, such as good nutrition and exercise are key, but meditation is just as important when it comes to overall health. We can’t go full throttle all the time. There need to be moments throughout the day where we can turn it off. Slowing things down, being in the moment, and being grounded has done wonders for reducing my own adrenal fatigue. However, this habit takes practice and isn’t accomplished overnight.
With a meditative bath (page 60), you can ease your mind and just be, and that is very powerful. Think back to when you had your last relaxing bath. How did you feel before you got in? What was on your mind? Were you stressed thinking about all of the things you needed to do or didn’t get done that day? Now how did you feel when you got out? I bet you felt completely at ease and were no longer thinking about your to-do list. The benefits of bath soaks would have worked their magic, and your body would have thanked you for the healing and rejuvenation.
My frame of mind is to treat your body as a temple every day. Healing baths are special, and yes, they feel like a luxury. Baths alone, without an emphasis on well-being through nutrition and lifestyle, are not nearly as powerful. I urge you to use this book as either an addition to your healthy lifestyle or a starting point for an overall balanced way of life. Trust me, it works!
To help make bath salt soaks a regular part of your routine, here are four categories of salts used in the recipes of this book, along with their cleansing qualities:
Coarse Sea Salts Sea salts have been used for thousands of years for therapeutic baths. Filled with minerals, these salts are used to detoxify the skin and increase circulation while leaving skin soft. Sea salts can come in either fine or coarse grinds. I added coarse sea salts in recipes throughout the books for more texture; however, feel free to switch them out for the fine grind if you prefer.
Dead Sea Salts Dead Sea salts come directly from the Dead Sea and have a higher salt content than other salts. They are abundant with minerals as well. The healing properties of Dead Sea salts reduce insomnia and anxiety, soothe the skin, relieve muscle ailments, regulate water retention, and detoxify the skin, along with many other therapeutic benefits.
Himalayan Salts With over 84 minerals, Himalayan salts are among the purest around, known for their beautifying benefits such as combating dry skin, skin ailments, and aging. They also contain some of the same benefits as Dead Sea salts, such as regulating water retention, reducing sleep disorders, and calming nerves.
Epsom Salts Containing mainly magnesium sulfate, Epsom salts are known for easing muscle soreness and joint pain. Their cleansing properties combat oily skin. If you’re on a budget, switch the Dead Sea or Himalayan varieties for Epsom salts, the most reasonably priced of the three.