Tips For The Perfect Hot Bath

This evening, nourish yourself with some much needed quiet time in warm, soothing, cleansing water. Allow the steam and heat to banish deep winter chill and clear the airways. Light candles and add 15 drops of lavender essential oil for a note of decadent luxury. This is a bath that will nourish both body and mind.

A hot bath can help you relax. Submerging in water helps you go with the flow, transition smoothly, and release your resistance to healthy changes. As you ease your body out of an evening bath, you may notice improvement in your sleep. More efficient sleep means you will be more energized in the day, and less likely to fall into habitual patterns.

As you take your bath, notice how your hunger levels change before and after. And your energy levels as well? Do you feel drowsy or alert?

By the red glow of your skin after a bath, you know that it has stimulated your circulation, raised your heart rate, and revitalized your skin. A bath gets your blood moving, especially in the skin which can be lifeless and dull in cold winter months.

You may notice a light sweat. This is your body purging stagnation, excess water, maybe even toxicity.

Hot Bath Tip: For additional circulatory stimulation, add 1/3c ginger powder and 1/3c baking soda to the bath. The result will be a penetrating spa experience!

As a hot bath also improves circulation in stagnant areas like the joints. It eases joint pain. As it detoxifies, warms and relaxes muscles, it also provides relief to muscle pain. Add 1 cup of epsom salts to deeply relax your muscles and mind. Exercise, and stretching seems much more accessible when your muscles have been loosened up after a hot bath. As it eases tension in the lower abdomen, warm bath also encourages healthy elimination of the bowels.

Relaxation also improves your metabolism. On a systemic level, when you settle into 'rest and digest' mode, your body efficiently burns fat. When you are stressed out and running on the 'fight or flight' mode, burning fats gets put on the back burner.

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, nurturing activities like a hot bath often slip the mind, somewhat innocuously. With so many distractions, it's hard to remember the things that feel good. Your mind can simply blank out on supportive practices for your health. Whenever you feel like you've lost your way, you'll need a goto, a reset button, something to help you remember. A hot bath is a great way to jog your memory in those moments.