Life-Saving Baths

When I began to vision for finding a home for my family, one thing was clear - I needed an outdoor bath. Luckily I found a home with a deck off of  my bedroom that was the perfect fit for an antique tub overlooking the garden. My daughter and I can pick herbs and flowers from the garden and infuse our soaking time with the magic of the plants that surround us.  At times, when she was still a baby, taking baths was the only thing I could muster energy to do with her. The simple act of cuddling, breastfeeding, and soaking with her has brought us both so much joy and relaxation.  Now, she knows which plants to pick for our baths and she does the selection process. Our favorite plants to include are Ruda, White Sage, Rose Geranium, and Rose Petals.

In my evolving path of self-care, I’ve learned of some special bath recipes that I find helpful. Here are a few:

SITZ BATHS

This was a saving grace for me in my postpartum window. Having 15 minutes of being behind a closed door myself was so helpful.  Besides the mental benefit of a little time and space, sitz baths are essential in healing the delicate tissues after birth and help prevent hemorrhoids.

Recommended herbs are: comfrey leaf, rosemary, urva ursi leaf, shepherd’s purse, calendula, lavender, yarrow blossoms

Add herbs to boiling salted water. Cover and let steep for about 30 minutes or until cool enough to use without burning.  Strain and place the tea in the bathtub or into a sitz bath insert. A sitz bath insert allows for a more concentrated tea and also supports a mama staying as dry and as warm as possible. Soak your tender parts for 20 minutes.

EMF & RADIATION CLEARING BATH

This detoxifying bath is recommended by Sally Fallon Morell & Thomas Cowan, MD, authors of The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care. They recommend this bath weekly to balance our energetic fields from the steady stream of EMFs our body receives. This is especially good after any X-rays or plane trips.

Combine 1 box (1 lb.) baking soda with 2 cups (about 1 lb) magnesium salt in a hot bath. Steep in the bath for at least 20 minutes.

“CHANGE YOUR REALITY” BATH

A wise woman friend recommended this bath to me, saying “if you want to change your reality, this will do it”. This mother of two does it weekly and insists that it helps her find a much needed energy reset and moment of refuge.

Dump an ENTIRE 4 lb. container of Ancient Minerals in a warm, not super hot bath and soak for 30 minutes. Continue to add warm water so that you can maintain a cozy temperature. Because these salts contain trace minerals and magnesium chloride from the Zechstein seabed, also known as the European Permian Basin, we want to make sure our body’s are in absorption mode rather than detox mode. Warm, rather than hot water will help the body accommodate the full potential of this bath.

Happy soaking!