One of my favorite ways to connect with my inner self & grow in myself is through the use of a ritual bath. A ritual bath can sound super intimidating especially in our world of Instagram aesthetics. As a new mom, my ritual baths have most times turned into intentional showers during baby nap times but that doesn't make them any less meaningful.
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A ritual, put simply, is a "ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order." (definition here). A ritual is anything you do in a certain order and, believe it or not, creating your own ritual bath is as simple as following 5 simple steps. These steps can be followed each time you'd like to dive deeper and connect with yourself, your purpose, and your deeper growth. Here is how to get started:
Choose an intention
This can be anything from 'I choose to feel relaxed' to 'I choose to embrace my femininity' to 'I choose to release the burden of the day'. You can align your intentions with what you're currently going through, with the phase of the moon, with the current zodiac sign the moon or the sun falls under, with any spell work or meditations you're currently working with. You can even base your intention around a mantra or quote you've been drawn to. An intention for a ritual bath just means you choose what you're intending to mull over while your in the bath.
Choose corresponding oils, candles, crystals
Adding in this step can help to solidify your intentions by associating your thoughts with tangible things. Looking for self love and relaxation? Choose something like rose quartz and feminine oils like lavender, neroli, frankincense, or rose. Looking to ground yourself? Choose smoky quartz or jasper along with a woodsy oil like cedarwood or black spruce. Scent has a powerful memory association effect so choosing an scent to associate with your desired feeling can enhance your ability to enter that state of mind when you smell the scent later. Don't have essential oils? Scented candles work perfectly too. And candle colors can help you to solidify your intentions by helping you to visualize the state you'd like to be in. Check out this post on some essential oil pairings you may like and then read this post on candle magic. My favorite book on emotions & essential oils is called Essential Emotions and you can find it here on Amazon. (There is even a Kindle version!)
Set the mood
Turn down the lights, turn off the distractions, and take just this time for yourself. Take a few deep breaths to clear your mind from any interruptions. Take a the time to focus on the present moment. Draw your bath deliberately. Prepare your space with reverence. Create a scared space for yourself and your intention by respecting this area for yourself, in this time. Run the water and as the bath fills add in some Epsom salts and your essential oils focusing on your intention. Light your candles focusing on your intention. Grab your tea or your wine and lower yourself in for a soak.
Relax, focus, meditate
Now that you're in the tub, relax. Meditate on your intention. Repeat a mantra that you may have chosen or thought of as you prepared your bath. You can also speak your intentions to the universe or speak your feelings. Use this time to contemplate on how you'll move forward to manifest your intentions. What can you do daily to manifest you intentions? What can you do daily to feel the way you'd like to feel. Relax. Be in the present moment.
Give thanks
As you decide your bath (or shower #momlife) is ending, give thanks for this time you've allotted for yourself. Give thanks to the universe for what you've received so far. A simple thank you spoken out loud can suffice but it's up to you and how you feel in that moment as to what type of thanks you can give. Take the time to clean up your space as an offer of thanks, too. Return the crystals and oils to their cabinets, wash any cup or wine glass you've had. Thank yourself as well by wrapping yourself in your favorite robe, or pajamas, or outfit for the day. Giving thanks is showing respect for the process.
A ritual bath doesn't need to be too complicated. When you're taking time to connect with yourself or with your intentions you only need to take the time to create & hold space for yourself. Creating that space and continuing to hold that space means you're respecting yourself and your need for self care. We often rush through a lot of things in the day - shove the toast in our mouth while we grab the coffee and head out the door. A ritual bath is a time to do things with reverence, to be present in the hear and now, and to listen & honor ourselves.
Sometime we can get caught up in the fluff of self care. We hear that we need bath bombs and spa days and girls nights out but what we really need is the time and the space to honor ourselves. If you need more simple ideas for self care, check out this post with 6 more ideas for self care at home. You can also read more about mindfulness in your daily life through these posts.
What do you do that honors your current state? How do you prep for a nice relaxing bath?
xoxo, Moe
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