I don't believe in creating crazy change that we can't stick with. I believe in creating small, simple action items and rituals each day that we can lean into. These easy as pie changes will not only help us create beautiful flow in our lives but also allow us to receive ideas for self-care of our own.
We’re diving into PART I with a fun and simple way to gently cleanse out all of those extras in our body that we just don't need - a Detox Bath! Mmm, so yummy.
We can use this ritual in 2 effective ways:
- Draw yourself a beautiful bath - at night after the kiddos go to bed, or maybe in the middle of the day while they're at school - and soak your muscles and body as a way to gently purify all your systems and get them moving.
- Because I know that not all of us have 30 minutes to an hour every day to spend in the bath, this ritual can also simply be done as part of your daily cleaning routine in the shower. I wish I could soak every day! And I can usually sneak it in two to three times a week, but I know that’s not realistic for everyone.
Remember, the point of detoxing is to just create flow where there is stagnation in our lives. So the first thing I love to do is to get some movement in before I actually settle into the bath. Why? Because energy is essentially just emotions in motion. [E-motions = Energy in motion]. Movement is one of the fastest ways to bring ourselves alive, get our bloodstream flowing, and our body saying, "Hello, I just did a dance of happiness!"
So let's break down our detox bath into 4 special steps:
Step 1 - MOVEMENT
Part of my daily morning ritual includes MOVEMENT. (If you want to learn more about my beneficial daily practices, grab the Five Sacred Rituals Guide!) ← insert link This could be as simple as a couple of yoga poses before you hop into the shower. It could be putting on your favorite song and dancing it out like nobody's watching. Or maybe you're going to full-on go for a hike or a run or workout with your trainer. Whatever it looks like for you, just move your body. Don't make it complicated, do something that fits into YOUR life.
Step 2 - DRY BRUSHING
DRY BRUSHING! (I won’t go into too much detail here about all the amazing benefits of dry brushing, but you can read my blog on it here!) Dry brushing invigorates our filtering organs, sloughs off extra dead skin, and helps get our lymphatic system moving. When our lymphatic system is moving, our cells are thriving. That is where we can really, really dive in and get those toxins out of our muscles. They're ready to be released, okay?
So before we're even sitting down in that tub to soak, or showering, or putting beautiful oils on our body, we're preparing the stage to get ready for the dance of ourselves by dry brushing.
I love incorporating some very specific oils into my dry brushing ritual if my intention is to detox. A couple of my favorites are:
- Pink Pepper oil
- supports healthy immune, digestive and respiratory systems
- relaxes the nervous system
- promotes feelings of alertness
- Slim n Sassy oil
- Promotes healthy metabolism when used internally
- Helps manage hunger cravings when taken with water
- Diuretic-, stimulant-, and calorie-free
- Rosemary oil
- soothes muscle aches and pains
- helps reduce nervous tension and fatigue
- uplifting to the senses
All three of these oils are really good at getting our lymphatic system going, and our liver and our kidneys moving.
Ooh, juicy, juicy dance-off time!
All right, so it’s time to dry brush. Again, you can do this before a long soak or before a quick shower. Make it part of your routine. I believe in a concept called habit savvy. That's where we take an existing habit that we already have, and we add something new into it. It doesn't have to be a lot, it’s just a small addition. In this case, you just need to add 2 to 3 minutes of dry brushing before you cleanse. It does not have to take a long time.
Step 3 - OILS
Now it’s time to settle into that detox bath. If you're doing this as a longer soak - my ultimate favorite yumminess - you want to add in a looooot of Epsom salts. When I say a lot, I mean at least 2 cups of Epsom salts! Then add in some oils that will specifically promote the removal of toxins from your body.
Here's a list of some of my favorites: (I've linked them to their product information pages for additional resources on each one so that you can really explore the beauty of these oils):
😉 Ooh, so much goodness. 🎉
I also like to add ¼ - ½ cup of baking soda into my bath. Baking soda will actually help your body absorb the magnesium in the Epsom salts a little bit more effectively.
Toss all of these ingredients into a tub full of comfortably warm water and let your whole body soak for at least 20 minutes - or longer if you like!
Now remember, when we're talking about transformation and spiraling up ↑ in our lives, we can’t only focus on the physical … We also have to give our energy some love. [I made a short video about the beautiful dance that our physical and energetic selves do together. Watch it here]
This detox bath is also going to work wonders on the emotional and the energetic side of things, too. All the oils I’ve highlighted have their physical benefits, but they're also amazing to get our energy flowing, and help us bring to the surface - and RELEASE - any trapped emotions.
So don't forget to light some candles, play some music, and most importantly RELAX … when your body is in a relaxed state, it's more likely to allow the release of all the stuff we're trying to pull out. You can even burn a little bit of sage or palo santo to give yourself some extra cleansing.
Step 4 - HYDRATION
Staying HYDRATED is crucial to detoxing. When we’re releasing toxins, we need to make sure to flush them completely out of our system. (We'll talk more about this in Part II of this month’s detox series).
When I'm in the bath or just gently trying to detox. I like to sip on herbal teas. But plain old water is always the best hydrator. Add a little bit of lemon oil for extra cleansing, purifying and invigorating benefits.
🚿 If you’re practicing your detox ritual in the shower, simply skip the Epsom salts and the 20-minute soak, but make sure to dry brush right before to cleanse the energy off of you. And then you’ll want to apply the beautiful essential oils to your body when you get out.
This whole ritual is meant to DETOX us, so it's super important that you're not putting toxic products right back onto your skin after you’ve already done the work of releasing.
Ladies, do not use anything from popular chain stores that have a lot of fragrances. We've been told that we’ll smell great if we douse our bodies with these “every day” products, but the truth is that many contain a lot of chemicals that are disrupting our hormones and making us sick. 😲 So stop with the toxic products, grab some unscented hand lotion from doTERRA, add in your favorite oils, and love on your body all day long.
Phew! That was a lot of goodness.
If you can, sneak the full bath routine into your week once or twice. But remember, this is also beneficial as part of your daily shower experience. You're not going to believe how much better you feel!
You might start to notice a reduction of swelling in your joints, less inflammation, reduced water retention … the list goes on. You can even keep a journal to track your progress.
I'm here to help you.
I'm here to love on you.
And I cannot wait to hear what happens to your body when you say yes to this fun little daily ritual of a detox bath.