I come from a long line of bathers. My maternal grandmother had an afternoon ritual of soaking in a hot bath and then air drying as she listened to her favorite classical music show on public radio. Though I never got into the afternoon bath ritual I did pick up on the idea of a good soak.
My mother loved baths on cool autumn and winter nights and the pool on hot summer afternoons. Together we would sit in tidal pools by the shore and have long conversations. Sometimes we would visit hot springs together. This connection with water has stayed with me and I still love a good long soak in a great tub or mineral pool.
Over the years some of my favorite potions to add to my bathing ritual are Lavender, Patchouli, Rose, Sage, Lemongrass, Clove, Melissa essential oils. Sometimes I use them singularly and other times in blends.
When I was a young teenager my primary health care practitioner was a homeopath. Many of the tipsh e gave to me over the years have stuck with me as the best health practices I know. Now I want to share one of my favorites with you that keeps me healthy and feeling great!
I was in my twenties playing music in a band. Our late-night gigs would have me home just before the sun rose. Often I was so exhausted when I arrived that I just wanted to unload my music equipment and flop into bed. I was suffering from sore throats on a regular basis back then and my brilliant doctor suggested a couple things for me to try.
First was to always make an effort to wash my hair — no matter how tired I was — and if I had to get into my bed for some sleep to keep my head wrapped in a towel. He said that the smoke from the places where I was playing was in my hair, getting into my pillow, and irritating my sinuses. As soon as I started practicing this I didn’t have any more sore throats!
He also recommended that when I started feeling tired or like I really needed to clean off — not just my hair but my skin — to take a bath for at least 20 minutes in tepid to very warm water with one pound of Epsom salts which is magnesium sulfate, and one pint of at least 2% food grade hydrogen peroxide.
I mix my own hydrogen peroxide as I keep 35% food grade on hand for cleaning vegetables, cleaning things around the house, and of course these detox baths.
Just the Epsom salt and hydrogen peroxide on their own are a great detoxification and incredibly supportive for any kind of internal cleansing. It is important for us to realize that our skin is part of a system mothered by the lungs which is vital for helping us to detoxify our bodies and to keep them in harmony.
You could add an essential oil or even a blend to this bath. A great way to get the essential oil to disperse into water is to place it in a handful of Epsom salt and squish it into the salt before placing it in the water. This way the oil disperses more readily and won’t just cling to the sides of the tub.
Give yourself the gift of a few days of this detoxifying bathing ritual and I am sure you will find yourself sleeping more deeply, feeling more rested, having better digestion, and experiencing a higher level of happiness!
Ambika Devi
Ambika Devi is an international award winning best-selling author, expert astrologer, meditation Jedi, speaker and storyteller on a peace mission to help you step out of the churning river of thoughts and activity of the mind, stop wearing insane schedules like badges of honor, and begin your days reinforced with the calmness a meditation practice brings. Visit her at:
AmbikasCoaching.com
