How to Perform a Cleansing Ritual Bath for Renewal

Do you ever feel extra delicious after taking a shower?

All of your muscles, skin, bones, and fascia feel like they’re much more integrated with each other than when you first entered, no?

In fact, you may feel calmer, more level-headed, and your body may feel less tight.

When we shower or take a bath, it is to cleanse our body of impurities, and we often just perform this as a task to get ready for work or bed, or as a midday refresher post-workout.

However, water purification not only cleanses the Body, but depending on how we do it, it can also also clear the Mind, Spirit, and Heart, as well.

Since the dawn of time, cleansing ourselves has taken on many meanings.

And, it has become meaningful.

Water, in and of itself, is life.

Water brings growth and rebirth. And, humans, plants, and animals need it to live, thrive, and multiply. It also feeds our Earth Consciousness. It symbolizes life, growth, purity, flow, sensuality, emotion, and energy.

Without water, everything on on our planet dies.

That is why our bodies, at our most primal level, resonate with water. And, with cleansing.

In my previous post about why epsom salt baths are the sensitive person’s BFF, I talk about how epsom salt baths are instrumental, not only for sore muscles and oncoming colds, but also to clear our aura when we get too “clogged” up with other peoples’ energies (which is quite useful when it comes to working in toxic environments, when we interact with many people on a regular basis, or our energy is wide open and we haven’t yet learned how to create energetic boundaries).

Even going through the act of drawing yourself a bath is a ritual. #everydayritual

The following are some of the reasons why baths are so beneficial:

• To detox the body when you’re coming down with a cold
• To ease sore muscles
• To calm the mind
• To cleanse the body
• To cleanse the aura

However, when you create a cleansing ritual bath for renewal, you powerfully create some additional benefits:

• You intentionally carve out a space for yourself, at this time in your life, to mindfully cut ties with the past, or specific past hurts
• You have made a decision to no longer perpetuate old patterns that are no longer working for you, or serving you, and use the cleansing ritual bath to release this old energy, as well as call in new energy into your life
• Because we are unable to fully receive until we truly let go of our death grip on our fears, and our bodies know this
• You bring in plant energy, spirit energy, ancestral energy, and even angel, elemental, and other energy from those in your “Team of Light” who can help you manifest your cleansing intention
• You create a deeper connection to Spirit in a way that helps you let go of the old and welcome the new
• If it’s at the end of the year, it helps you let go of the energies of that year

The ingredients you’ll need for your cleansing ritual bath for renewal

You’ll need a few of the following (pick and choose what resonates most for you, as part of the power in a cleansing ritual bath is to listen to your intuition):

• Epsom salt, 1 cup – To cleanse and detoxify the aura, calm the muscles with its magnesium content that is transferred into the body through the water (magnesium is also calming for the mind and body), and helps you release bad juju!
• Baking soda, 1 cup – Increases the detoxification affects on the body and spirit
• Essential oils, 5 to 6 drops per oil – As I’d mentioned in a previous blog post on how to use essential oils, more doesn’t necessarily mean better, and the plant medicine of essential oils can be quite powerful to our energy and physical bodies
• Herbs, 1 sprig per herb – I have been working with fresh herbs in my medicineway apprenticeship, and have found them to be very potent during limpias (cleansings) on the dry body. However, it is also impactful in the bath. Use the full sprigs of the herbs when in the ritual bath. The following are some of my favorites:
  • Basil (Ocimum Basilicum): it is yang in energy, as it is a masculine herb, has Fire Element energy, and therefore can be used in love magic, abundance, and protection.
  • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): it is a strong cleansing and purifying herb, and is very protective. It purifies the air, attracts faerie magic, and the energy of Rosemary helps move the Liver Qi in Chinese Medicine (hint: that’s a VERY GOOD thing!) It also resonates with the Throat Chakra and Solar Plexus Chakra.
  • Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris): this herb purifies altars, cleanses the home, and when used in a bath, is helpful towards protection. Interesting tidbit: mugwort is also the herb used in moxibustion (moxa for short) in Chinese Medicine. In its dried form, it is used on or near specific acupuncture points to warm the channels, and to add Qi to strategic parts of the body. It does wonders for immuno-compromised, deficient diseases, where there is very little Yang energy in the body.
• Flower petals – Flowers are not only pretty to look at, but they can also serve as healing plant medicine. For bringing in love in a cleansing ritual bath, use the petals of yellow roses (roses resonate with the Heart Chakra.) For something more cleansing, or to heal energy, use the petals from three white carnations.
• Florida water, 5 drops to 3 ounces – Florida water may be known for its uses on the physical body, such as relieving muscle tightness/pain, headaches, sore feet, oncoming colds, softening the skin before and after shaving, and is even used as a personal cologne or to freshen up the house, due to essential oils such as lemon, orange, and lavender. However, many spiritual practices use Florida water for cleansings, good luck, and protection. It is a staple for many spiritual purposes, particularly cleansing the soul (as well as objects on your altar, and your home), to attract good luck, and to provide spiritual protection. The larger above dosing is for strongly getting rid of bad vibes.
• Your intention towards releasing what no longer serves you (this ingredient is not optional)

How to create a cleansing ritual bath for renewal

IMPORTANT: Pre-bath: shower or cleanse your body beforehand, since you don’t want to wash the medicine off your body for 24 hours after taking your bath.

1. Draw your bath.
2. Light some candles, so you may call forth your angels, guides, and other members of your Team of Light. When you are ready to release any negative energy or patterns during your time in the bath, direct the energy into the flame to burn it up.
3. If you chose epsom salt, baking soda, and/or essential oils as bath ingredients, mix them together first before dumping, and dissolving, the mixture in the tub.
4. Set your intention of what you want to release and welcome into your cleansing ritual bath, and ask for support towards that outcome. If you are a Reiki practitioner, now is the time to charge your bath with symbols.
5. Optional: charge the water with the healing sound of your voice (even if you can’t carry a tune). Our voices are powerful, the vibration from our Throat Chakras are healing. And, whenever we sound and tone from this chakra with intention, it sets the tone of your ceremony, and helps you vibrate more highly. Try starting with a, e, i, o, u sounds, chanting mantras, songs that make you happy, or tones that help you feel connected with yourself, Mother Gaia, and/or Spirit.
6. Finish drawing the bath, and dip your body into it.
7. Allow all levels of your physical and energy bodies to drink in the healing goodness for 20-30 minutes! If it feels right, and you are using sprigs of herbs, lightly stroke your skin with the herbs, going from top to bottom of head, face, arms, legs, etc.
8. Let your bath drain. Make sure you’re using a strainer to catch any herbs or flowers.
9. Do not rinse off! You want to keep the medicine on you for at least 24 hours. Pat down the body, but do not wipe off. Note: if your skin is sensitive, and needs a good rinse after using epsom salt, use less than the recommended amount in the bath. Either that, or opt for another ingredient to include in the bath.
10. If you have used any herbs and flowers, gather them and leave them in a bag outside your door, until you’re ready to dispose of them. When you do, dispose of them outside on soil.

Common sense precautions: Do not perform a cleansing bath if you have any open wounds, or unhealed stitches. If you are allergic to any of the items described above, don’t include them in your bath!

What are your favorite types of cleansing bath ingredients and rituals?
Please share them with us in the comments, below!

May you release, renew, and replenish with love,

P.S. Did you know that you can find me on social media? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

 

 

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