…unless, you know, you’re really into rubber ducks. No judgement.
The history of bathing
Bathing (especially alone and for the purposes of getting clean!) is a fairly recent thing. Historically, bathing was a communal activity – think Roman Baths – and even before that, it was much more closely associated with ritual and spiritual cleanliness, than washing away the dirt of the working day.
As bathing generally fell out of fashion after the fall of the Roman Empire, bathing – and especially communal bathing, in the West at least – was considered a breeding ground for disease; and ironically most people only felt the need to change their underwear every now and again to achieve the required level of cleanliness to remain healthy!
Things changed around the mid part of the 19th Century (thank goodness!) as private, at-home bathing became more accessible and affordable to more people.
Recently, bathing has become an essential part of our rituals for cleanliness and relaxation, as the self-care phenomenon has boomed. But is lighting a candle, dimming the lights, and trying to grab 10 minutes of peace the best we can hope from our bathing experience?
The benefits of adding a ritual to your bathing routine
Adding a ritual (as simple or as complicated as you like!) to any of our normal everyday activities helps us to tune in, focus and get really conscious about whatever it is we are doing. Adding that ritual to an already potentially relaxing, spiritual, and luxurious activity like a bath can elevate the whole experience.
Rituals help us connect. They add meaning and richness to our lives even when done alone and in private. They can prepare us for what’s to come – our bodies know what is coming when we start to prepare in a certain way, and it can lay the foundations for what we want to achieve from any activity. Think of bedtime routines and rituals – we already start getting sleepy as we go through the steps before bed.
Bath time and washing rituals are ancient and go back thousands of years. Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures all exalted bathing and cleanliness, and many religions – Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism for example – have rituals around washing.
Maybe it’s cultural muscle memory, but washing and bathing does seem ‘spiritual’ regardless of the ‘religious’ context. And that’s the way I choose to view my bathing rituals.
I connect my bathing rituals to cleansing my energetic as well as my physical body and use salt as the way to do that.
It is believed by many (including me!) that salt is purifying and can cleanse the body and the aura of any negative or unhelpful energy we inevitably pick up as we go about our lives. This energy may get trapped in our Chakras, so for me a salt bath is the perfect way to wipe the energetic slate clean, clean up any Chakras which might need it, and reconnect to my higher self.
Below is a list of the things I do to turn my bath from mundane to magical!
Top tips for the perfect bath
- You don’t have to have a huge claw foot bath, but it does help if your bath is clean and the immediate environment is tidy and calming. So, take a look at your bath – does it need some TLC? A quick scrub or touch-up with a grout pen could be all you need to create a more aligned, calming atmosphere.
- Switch off. I know, it’s so tempting to take your phone, tablet, or even laptop into the bath. Remember – electricity and water is always a bad combination. So, try to make this time all about you and connecting with yourself rather than the internet!
- Watch the temperature. I am a sucker for a hot, hot bath! But actually, it’s not the best for your body or mind. Too hot water will send your blood pressure soaring and get your blood pumping – not exactly the relaxing effect we’re looking for! You could also activate your fight or flight response which is no good for your mind either, especially if you’re already a little uptight. I’m not suggesting you go all Sheldon from Bing Bang and invest in a bath thermometer (if you do – go for it and aim for 40 degrees C), but try to stick to a temperature that feels comfortable and warm on your skin, not scalding!
- Light some candles and dim the lights if you can – but stay safe! Some relaxing music is always nice too.
- Once you have your bath lovely and clean, have drawn the perfect temperature of water, the lighting is just right, and your devices put away – you can start to focus on the ritual element of this bath…
My Ritual Bath
- This might sound weird, but the first thing I always do before an energy-cleansing ritual salt bath, is take a quick shower! Washing away the day both physically and metaphorically in preparation for a ritual bath is so important – remember this is a ‘ritual bath’ not a ‘washing bath’. This is where you can break out your Chakra Soap to cleanse and prepare your body and energy field – extra points if it matches the bath salts you are using, for full sensory immersion!
- A salt bath is such an easy way to cleanse any energy which may be stuck in your field, and wipe your ‘energetic slate clean’, so this is where I add my chosen bath salts.
- For an evening bath, I love to add a few spoons full of either Third Eye Chakra Ritual Bath Salts for Vision & Insight – perfect before bed to encourage insightful dreaming, visioning, and restful sleep. Or Crown Chakra Ritual Bath Salts for Spirit & Inspiration – so I can use the relaxing time to connect with my inner knowing, consciousness, and inspiration; again, this one is great for promoting restorative sleep afterwards. But any of our beautiful Chakra Ritual Bath Salts will work, so choose your favourite, or the one that aligns most with your intentions.
- As the bath salts mingle with the water, set your intention. What is your purpose for this bath? How do you want to feel during and after? Speak it out loud as the steam rises from the water.
- Ask the Universe or God to help you let go of any negativity in your body or energy field that does not serve you, replacing it with raised spiritual vibrations for the highest good of all.
- Relax and soak for at least 20 minutes. 20 minutes is the minimum amount of time I need to allow the warmth of the water and the minerals in the three different types of salt (soothing Epsom, purifying Dead Sea, and Chakra balancing Himalayan Pink Rock) to go to town on soothing your muscles, relaxing your body, and absorbing into your skin. It also gives the wonderful blends of essential oils and argan oil time to affect your mood, your mind, and your spirit – coming together in a wonderfully relaxing, connecting, beautiful, elevated bathing experience.
- Once you have relaxed for as long as you need to, dry naturally, wrapped in a fluffy warm towel.
- Don’t shower again for 24 hours to really let the salt do its work on your body, mind, and spirit.
Wow – I feel better already!
“What if I’m just not into baths?”
I get it – not everyone is into bathing. The amount of water, the amount of time required etc. make it unappealing to some. And that’s fine too. If you’re not into full-on baths, remember, just washing your hands, or showering with your Shine Body & Bath Chakra soaps presents the perfect opportunity to ground yourself, tune into your surroundings, focus on your breath, and feel great too. Create your own ritual around these things – intention setting and focus can be applied to hand and face washing and showering too!
Breathe in the supportive scents of the specially selected essential oils in your soap and let go of your thoughts for a few moments – your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.
And, even better than that, I had some feedback from one of my customers recently that she uses the Root Chakra Ritual Bath Salts for Grounding & Strength as a luxurious foot soak when she needs grounding, or her feet are achy or tired. What a great idea – go straight to the source!
So, there you have it…
My ideas for adding a little ritual to your life and amping up the power of your normal bath. Adding a cleansing ritual salt bath to your spiritual routine once a week could be the transformative difference your body, mind, and spirit have been looking for.
If you fancy going a little deeper into the Chakra element of all our products, download our Shine Soap Selector and find out which of our Chakra Soaps or Bath Salts is perfect for you – indulge in this unique and mindful way to support your energy from Root to Crown.
