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| Photo by Basheer Tome |
What if I told you you could reduce stress, boost your immune system, ward off anxiety and depression, and even help your cardiovascular health without putting forth really any effort at all? I’m serious. No strenuous exercise. No expensive massage therapists. No doctors or drugs. All you have to do is sit in a tub for 20 minutes a day.
Last week, I wrote a piece for Rodale’s Organic Life about the healing benefits of soaking in a bathtub. I was amazed at the research I found. It only takes about 15-20 minutes out of your day, doing something that most people find enjoyable, to really boost your overall health and wellbeing. Seriously. Why are we not soaking in a bathtub this very second? “We think that we’re being lazy when we sit still because we’ve been taught that,” says Pat Halpern, an herbalist and the founder of the South Carolina Herbal Society. “We are human doings not human beings.”
Well, I, for one, am all about slowing down these days, and this just gives me a really good excuse—I mean, reason—to commit to a daily bath before bed. For about 2 weeks now, I’ve been sacrificing the time I usually spend staring at my computer screen in the evenings to do something good for myself instead. And you know what? Even though I’m spending less time trying to work, I’ve been a lot more productive because I’m calmer, more focused, and even more creative when I do sit down to write. Plus, my tub time is a great opportunity to daydream and come up with great new ideas to blog about. It’s a win-win-win!
As an added bonus, throwing in some herbs can help you address various health issues. There are two ways to up the ante by adding herbs to your bath, Halpern says. When she’s trying to knock out a cold or has a torn muscle, for example, she makes a gallon of strong herbal tea and lets the herbs steep for an hour or so, strains it, and pours it into her tub. But if it’s more to relieve stress and get some aromatherapy benefits, you can just toss some herbs into a hot bath (or in a muslin bag or tied off panty hose), wait until the water is cool enough, then hop in. I recommend lighting a few candles, playing some soothing music, and just soak it all in (pun intended).
So, my lovelies, what ails you? There’s a bath for that! Below are some expert herbal bath recipes that Halpern was kind enough to share with me. But if you’re not up to making your own mix, you can even head out to your nearest health food store and buy packaged herbal tea for all kinds of different ailments. Bottom line: Make it easy and fun for yourself so you’ll be more likely to do it often. I promise it makes a huge difference.
Herbal Bath Recipe for Stress Relief
1-2 Cups Epsom salt
1/4 Cup Dried Calendula Flower
1/4 Cup Dried Lavender
1/4 Cup Dried Rose Petals
Herbal Bath Recipe for Sore Muscles
2-2.5 Cups Epsom Salt
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Dried Calendula Flower
1/4 Cup Dried Rosemary
Optional: Comfrey (for bruises)
Herbal Bath Recipe to Fight a Cold
1-2 Cups Epsom Salt
1/4 Cup Dried Yarrow
1/4 Cup Elder Flowers
1/4 Cup Boneset
Small Handful Mint
Herbal Bath Recipe for Baby
1/4 Cup Calendula Flowers
1/4 Cup Dried Roses
1/4 Cup Dried Camomile
1/4 Cup Oat Tops
1/4 Cup Lavender
Do you take regular baths? If not, what’s stopping you?
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