With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, some time alone is much needed. We have always been big on taking care of ourselves first, and amidst any big Valentine's Day plans (read: it's Covid, who are we kidding?) we hope you can take some 1-on-1 time with just yourself this week. So, why not carve out 30 minutes from your day (or night) for this therapeutic bath?

Prep time: 5 minutes

Duration: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Epsom salt (1 cup)
• Choose your therapeutic additive, and feel free to mix and match (20 drops):
• Chamomile: sedative, used for insomnia, anxiety
• Rosemary: mild stimulant effect useful in fatigue or depression
• Melissa: sedative, antidepressant, decreases blood pressure (relaxant for peripheral blood vessels)
• Lavender: relaxant, promotes bile flow
• Dried lavender buds (optional)

Process:

• While filling your tub with water, pour in your epsom salts, sprinkling salts over the bottom of your tub
• Temperature of water: 34.4-36 degrees Celsius for a neutral bath, or 38-40 degrees Celsius for a hot bath
• Ensure you have a glass of water stationed close by: Heat will cause your body to sweat but since the body is immersed in water, no evaporation can take place (other than from the head). Be sure to hydrate! As an added bonus, wet a towel with cold water to keep wrapped around your head throughout the duration of the bath

Alternatives: No bath in your home? No sweat. Create a foot bath with a large bowl of water. Use only 1/3 cup of epsom salts with 10 drops of essential oil in water. Soak for 20 minutes, and ensure to keep drinking water close by.

Benefits:

• A sympathetic response in the body from the immersion in heat
• Decreases blood pressure
• Epsom salt is alkaline and speeds recovery from over-training or mild muscle strains
• Hydrotherapy is relaxing, soothing and stress-reducing
• Hot hydrotherapy stimulates the skin and relaxes the skeletal muscles, especially important for those in isolation (*cough* all of us)

The Spell:

When laying in your bath (or foot soak), focus in on your breath. Telling yourself to relax isn't going to aid in unwinding, no. You will focus on your inhale-exhale cycle. You will begin at your toes and contract your muscles for 5 seconds, and then release. Move on to your calves, your quads, your buttock, your core, your arms, your fingers, your shoulder, your neck, and finally your eyes. Throughout the entirety of these contractions, keep your focus on your breath.

Happy unwinding,

Summer