Cleanliness is close to godliness.
This age-old saying may sound like an exaggeration. But from the first-known ritual baths of the Indus River Valley in 2500BC – to the Ancient Egyptian and Roman social bathhouses – to the present-day Turkish hammams – baths are an integral part of human existence.
More than a hygienic practice, they bring one closer to the Divine. Cleanliness is godliness.
Purification is at the heart of bathing in many traditions. Before baths were built, they took place in sacred rivers, like the Ganges, the Jordan, and the Nile. Like a daily baptism, cleansing waters are still believed to purify one’s body and mind of any toxic spirits and physical dirt. The result: a clear vessel for health, wealth, and divine blessing.
Water is sacred. Salt is a sacrament. Together, they heal.
According to the Ebers Papyrus, the oldest known medical text found in Ancient Egypt, it’s best to bath with alkaline salts. Obsessed with cleanliness, the Ancient Egyptians bathed several times a day with scented oils and in devotion to the gods.
Over in the neighboring Fertile Crescent, one of the most healing bodies of water is the Dead Sea (ים המלח – Yam HaMelach – The Salt Sea). With its astounding salt pillars and mud pools, this natural wonder contains minerals with awesome healing benefits for skin. Visitors even report phenomenal relief to muscle + joint pain and dermatological allergies.
Not only did my trip here clear up my acne, but it cleared up my Third Eye. I left feeling happier, healthier, and inspired to create a sacred at-home practice.
You don’t need to take a holy pilgrimage or visit a fancy bathhouse to immerse yourself in this ritual. Epsom salts are incredibly healing and widely accessible.
Epsom salts were miraculously discovered in 1618 by English cowherd Henry Wicker in the hotsprings of Epsom. Formed by pure magnesium and sulfate (MgSO4), they...
- stimulate detoxification
- relieve constipation
- boost nerve function
- strengthen circulation
- encourage wound healing
- promote sound sleep
- reduce inflammation
- soothe the nervous system
The list goes on! When incorporated into your bathing practice, they transcend routine and become ritual.
So let’s take a dive into how to set up this Sacred Everyday Ritual.
Your Routine
How often you take an Epsom salt bath is up to you!
We recommend at least once a week, either at the beginning or end of your week. But even just at the Full and New Moons can be powerful. This cleanses our bodies (physical, emotional, mental, and astral) of any energetic junk we’ve accumulated.
These are also best taken at night, as they promote deep relaxation (hello good night’s sleep!). This is a great way to rid yourself of any energetic charge from a stressful day.
Family, friends, work, and our environment are all sources of stressors entering our bodies and energetic fields. A sacred ritual bath enables us to clear these and come back to our authentic self.
It’s not that a ritual bath will solve all of our worries, but it can allow us the space to regather strength and serenity, so that we may better show up in our lives.
Your Ritual
When we transform bathing from a mere daily hygiene practice to a purification ritual, we step more fully into the present moment.
So, we might think of setting up our bath like setting up a sacred altar – an altar for which our bodies are the shrine.
What surrounds a shrine? Let’s look to the 4 Elements!
The Fire Element
- Candles (such as our non-toxic soy Australian Journey Intention Candle)
- Fairy lights and salt lamps
The Earth Element
- Stones and crystals
- Flowers and plants
- Incense
The Air Element
- Soft music
- Nature sounds
The Water Element
- Water and salt, of course!
Your Intention
Water is the most prominent element here. And we can work with this element to set an intention.
Why is the intention important? H2O is a potent molecule that absorbs the vibration of words. This has been proven time and again by Dr. Masaru Emoto’s famous Hidden Messages in Water research, which tracks the molecular response of water to words and music. Infusing your bath with words of love, peace, and relaxation will amplify the water and allow you to surrender more deeply.
And, as our tissues are made up of 65-75% water, our cells might be said to resonate with the vibration of this intention-infused water.
This awareness inspires Hindu tradition to prescribe holy mantras during bathing.
Many indigenous cultures recite chants of devotion while cleansing.
What intention would you like to absorb?
- I allow the healing salt to cleanse me of any stress
- I intend to be fully present
- I infuse this water with love for myself
- I purify my mind, body, and spirit
- I open myself to receive divine blessings
Try on any of these, or make up your own and see what feels right!
Drawing Your Bath
Self-love will always be at the heart of this practice. But maybe you want to tailor it to something more specific going on? This is where intention, essential oils, and herbs work together to amplify your bath even further.
You might also add some extra Botanical Trader self-care essentials to your bath:
- Natural Sisal Face + Body Brush
- Botanical Trader Body Brush
- Luxe Micro Fibre Hair Wrap
- Alpine Botanical Hair and Body Kit
- Natural Organic Face + Body Sugar Scrub
- Alpine Body Wash & Lotion Duo
See our five favourite healing formulas. Or feel free to get creative and go with your intuition!
*We suggest sticking with organic essential oils and flowers (either fresh or dried) as these will come into direct contact with your skin.
**If you don’t have access to a bathtub, a foot bath will have a soothingly similar effect. Just reduce the ingredients by half.
Sleep Aid
- 2 cups Epsom salts
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops vetiver, rosemary, or sage essential oil
- 1⁄2 cup lavender buds
- 1⁄2 cup chamomile buds
*Intention: I surrender into relaxation and invite sleep into my field
Menstruation~PMS
- 2 cups Epsom salts
- 5 drops lavender essential
- 5 drops ylang ylang, rose, rosemary, or ginger essential oil
- 1⁄2 cup rosebuds
- 1⁄2 cup lavender buds
*Intention: I honour the natural rhythm of my cycle as I listen to my body’s need for rest
Skin Health
- 2 cups Epsom salts
- 5 drops tea tree oil
- 5 drops neroli, frankincense, rosemary, or clary sage essential oil
- 1⁄2 cup calendula flower
- 1⁄2 cup thyme leaves
*Intention: I allow my skin to detoxify negativity as I care for my largest organ
Alleviate Body Pains
- 2 cups Epsom salts
- 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- 5 drops ginger, lavender, Roman chamomile, or marjoram essential oil
- 1⁄2 cup chamomile buds
- 1⁄2 cup lavender buds
*Intention: I release any tension from my muscles as I rest my bones
Heart Healing ~ Transforming Grief, Anger, or Anxiety into Self-Love
- 2 cups Epsom salts
- 5 drops rose essential oil (geranium and patchouli are also great substitutes)
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 1⁄2 handful rosebuds
- 1⁄2 handful your all-time favourite flower
*Intention: I choose to be fully present with these emotions. Change me into one who fully forgives, accepts, and loves myself as I am in this moment.
As you dip your toes into the water and immerse your being, take a moment to visualise the intention of the Epsom salts, plant magic, and sacred waters informing your cells and spirit.
Take deep breaths. When your mind starts to wander, bring it back. Linger for as long as you like or until your skin starts to wrinkle.
Continue to breath deeply and feel the shifts as you go to sleep or go about the rest of your day.
~Rest and Restore in Ritual~
Reach out to us at Botanical Trader to let us know what this practice means to you, or if you have any inspiring bath rituals of your own!
With love Botanical Trader