Are you feeling depleted and exhausted from the holiday season, but having that dopamine rush and running on overdrive ready to hit the ground running in 2024?
Are you starting to make lists and lists of all the goals and new years resolutions for next year?
Well as business owners we are right there with you, but as lavender lovers, we know how important is to practice self-care and give yourself the necessary downtime to rejuvenate yourself to be the best version of yourself. This is why we love making our self-care products, and as part of our passion is to encourage women to add self-care to their everyday routines.
So I wanted to start the new year, sharing with you one of my favorite self-care routines or rather rituals that I have created in my life. I encourage everyone, especially women with young children to embrace…it is the Art of the Bath.
What is the Art of the Bath?
If you google Art of the Bath, you will find several books and articles devoted solely to taking a bath. Yes! I own 2 of them! My journey and love of the bath started truly as an escape for me when my three children were very young. I made it a ritual to take 20 minutes for myself a few nights a week and take a bath to unwind and savor that precious alone time. I am sure many of you can relate! The kids knew that this was my time and I was not to be interrupted. My husband was very supportive of this ritual and kept the kids at bay until I was done with my bath, except on occasions, for an emergency when they would indulge me with a small bowl of ice cream to enjoy while I soaked. Who would turn that down? I am sure you would agree that a bowl of ice cream is truly an emergency!
And even though the kids are grown and gone, to this day I still look forward to my bath and sometimes downright crave it. So while you are writing out your resolutions for the year, consider adding a bath ritual to your self-care practice, right along with losing weight. Doesn’t everyone have that on their New Years’ resolution list?
Did you know that taking a bath can actually help you lose weight?
Did you know though, that taking a bath can actually help you lose weight. Say what? Yes you read that right. The ritual of adding a bath to your self-care practice can help you make those New Year’s resolutions a reality. Taking a bath for 1 hour burns the same number of calories as a 30 minute walk, but you can still get the benefits if you soak for only 10-20 minutes. How is this possible you ask?
First, it eases sore muscles. With so many of us making New Year's resolutions to hit the gym, we are destined to overdo it at some point or another and find our muscles achy and sore. To get back to the gym sooner, try soaking in epsom salts or lavender bath salts.
Secondly it relieves stress. Studies have shown that the stress hormone cortisol, which is the “fight or flight” response of stress, is directly linked to weight gain. This “fight or flight” response is hard wired into us to release cortisol which triggers our bodies to automatically replenish our nutrition stores. Ever wonder why you find yourself mindlessly reaching for a candy bar or snack the minute you get upset or mad? Yep it’s the cortisol talking. And not only does it make you eat mindlessly, but it also makes sure those calories are stored as body fat to make sure they stick, and oh boy do they stick! So, reduce stress and you reduce cortisol. Baths can help by reducing stress. Add a few drops of essential oils to your bath and get two bangs for the buck.
And lastly, it can help you get a restful night’s sleep. Any weight loss book will tell you that a good night's sleep is critical to weight loss. Here’s the reason: while you are sleeping your body is repairing and building lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass then metabolizes the food you eat more effectively, and ultimately increases your metabolism.
So here are a few of my favorite Rituals to “Burn those Calories” without all the “Sweat and Tears”!
The first one I call the INDULGENCE (or Double Bubbles). Turn down the lights, put on your favorite classical music, and light a candle. Fill your bath with warm water (the ideal bath is 110 to 112 F, 102 F if bathing for longer periods). Add your favorite bubble bath to your water and enjoy some of your own bubbles with a nice glass of Champagne, Prosecco or favorite wine.
Yes I hate to admit it… but yes I do have a special holder in my bath to hold my wine glass…what can I say it was a gift!
The next one I call the BOOK NOOK. For this one, I will either listen to a podcast or read a few chapters from a book while bathing. Just be sure it’s not a library book, sometimes the pages do get a little damp!
Again, draw your bath water to your desired temperature, and add a quarter cup of your favorite bath salts - of course I prefer our own Mt Airy Lavender bath salts – and just soak in and enjoy a good read. I try to add a few fiction books to the mix, but I must say the majority of the books I read are self-help books. My son-in-law laughs at how many “de-clutter” books I have among all my clutter!
And the last one I call THE ESCAPE. Again dim the lights and light a candle. While the water is running add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils. Lavender essential oil is a great choice if you want a good night sleep. Then I usually put on a face mask to make it a spa-like experience (I always get a new one in my Christmas stocking each year) and listen to some zen-like music or listen to one of my meditation apps, like Insight Timer.
I listen to some zen-like music or listen to one of my meditation apps, like Insight Timer.
Make sure you drink a glass of water to help you re-hydrate before going to bed. For some added night-time benefit, spritz yourself with some of our Calming Spray or slather yourself with one of our face creams, lotions or body butter before heading to bed and dream of those pounds shedding away (wink, wink).
We hope you will treat yourself and indulge yourself and take a much-needed and deserved relaxation experience as part of your self-care practice for the upcoming year.
Happy Holidays1
Amy & Joanne