The Many Practices of Wellness Bathing


Bathing by definition is 'to cover something in a way that causes a pleasant feeling or appearance.'

To immerse our physical bodies into nature is to engage in a complete healing and rejuvenating practice, for nature is our source and our giver of life. To honour the body is to honour the self. 

In our apothecary, we create bath soaks that combine bathing in water with bathing in minerals, herbs and essential oils for a complete wellness experience. We bottle nature and charge it with light so that you can honour your body in your own sanctuary. 

Wellness bathing can also be free and readily available should you like to seek it out. Here are a few of our favourite ways to bathe. 


Water bathing 

Bathing water is the most common form of bathing. Submerging our body in water is similar to that of being in the foetus, it naturally induces calm and serenity on the body. A familiar state of safety and being held. Warm water in particular is amazing for overall health as it boosts circulation and blood flow to all organs in the body. Enhanced blood flow improves breathing, reduces inflammation and assists with any tension or stagnancy in the body. Bathing with the addition of minerals, either from natural mineral springs or a bath soak is a true healing experience. When we remineralise the body through the subdermal layer of our skin our body we return our body back to its natural state of balance.

A 2018 Japanese study found that bathing for just 10 minutes per day in 40ºC water significantly reduced stress, anxiety, fatigue and pain as well as improved skin conditions. They also found that bathing had a greater benefit than showering. 

 

Light Bathing

Bathing in light, particularly in sunlight is a beautiful way to nourish the body. Sun in conjunction with water is the giver of life; without it nothing would live. Like plants who require sun for the process of photosynthesis, our human bodies require sunlight to convert nutrients in the body. Sunlight, as is commonly known, is essential for 90-95% of vitamin D production which is important for regulating the immune system, calcium uptake, and strong bones. Giver of life and joy, sunlight boosts serotonin which in turn boosts mood and makes us resonate on a higher level. The morning time is the best time to bathe in the rays of the sun. 



Forest Bathing

An immersion for grounding and connecting to source energy. Forest bathing involves being completely present and connected within nature. The natural earth resonates at a frequency most compatible with life, thus when we surrender and open ourselves up to the natural world our mind, body and spirit readjust to a state of balance. We are calm, centred and present.  

As opposed to technology which emits a positive charge and creates inflammation within our bodies, nature exudes a negative charge which helps to negate the effects of our modern lives. Studies in Japan, the home of Forest bathing, found that certain trees also emit anti-microbial and anti-pathogenic oils and compounds to prevent disease. These molecules boost the level of natural killer cells in our blood, and enhance immune system function. 

A nature immersion also provides a mental fertiliser for our creativity. A 2012 study showed that creativity capacity was boosted by 47% in hikers that spent four days on a hike as compared to a control group who were waiting to go on the same hike. Mother gaia is our original source, so no wonder she has the power to bring us back to our most attuned selves. 

 

Rainbow Bathing

When you see a rainbow it is said to be a bridge between heaven and earth, or a physical reminder that magic is true. And a double rainbow signifies spiritual evolution in one's life. Bathing in a rainbow seems to us the most luxurious and magical way to bathe of them all. For us bathing in rainbows is bathing in magic, charging up our own powers to bring magic to this physical world. If you’re lucky enough to find a space or a place where a rainbow reflects in just the right light so that you can bathe in its aura, consider yourself lucky. Rainbow bathing is more spiritual than physical, and likely something we’ve just made up ourselves. Regardless, connecting to the rainbow light is a beautiful practice to reconnect ourselves to the joys of life and remind us of the magic that exists within us all. A potent way to bathe yourself in rainbows is through meditation. Imagine each colour of the rainbow pouring into your crown and down through your feet, filling the body up with magic. 

 

What are your favourite ways to bathe your body, mind and spirit?