Ritual Bathing
By Christine Owens
Since the beginning of civilization, people have understood the power that water has. It has been used to clean people both physically and spiritually. We see examples of this throughout history, from Roman bathhouses, which were built to cleanse the body, all the way to Baptism, which is a metaphorical way to cleanse the soul. The idea of using water as a bathing ritual for body, mind and soul dates back to antiquity.
Rituals are created to give a sense of importance and value to something. In this case, what you are giving value to is the act of taking care of yourself. Rituals can also create a feeling of control, allowing a person to take charge in an important process. They can also be fun and relaxing, allowing for peace and joy to be part of something usually thought of as a mundane task.
Ritual Bathing is a process that acknowledges and cleanses both the physical body and the mind, allowing a person to have more control and clarity over their energy.
Ritual Bathing is specifically designed to cleanse away any spiritual parasites or tag-a-longs that do nothing but drain your vital energy and lower your vibrations and frequency.
When you expand your mind, are an empath or engage in ritual magic, it is important to think about detoxifying yourself on a metaphysical level. It is important that you make sure you have a routine that can clear away any bad-vibe-barnacles from your energy!! So how is it done? Read on to learn what you need to do to have a squeaky-clean psyche!!
So, Here’s What You Need to Know About Ritual Bathing
When Should I Ritual Bathe?
Ritual bathing is something that should be done monthly, at least. You can use the Lunar calendar as a guide. There is a relationship between the moon, water, and energy. The gravity of the moon pulls on all of Earth’s water bodies, causing waves, ebbs, and tides. The same is true with the moon and psychic energy. Once a month, the moon disappears from our vision--a new moon. This is the time of month that the moon supports the beginning and ending of phases and cycles. New moon nights are excellent times for Ritual Bathing, as this is the time when the Lunar calendar supports cleansing and renewal. However, it is important that you are attuned to your own needs. Sometimes, things happen making it vital to cleanse your body, mind and soul immediately! During these times, you should not wait for the Lunar cycle to guide you. You should always listen to your own inner-self.
Here are some signs that it might be time for a Ritual Bath:
You find you are unusually depressed or anxious
You just ended a toxic relationship
You keep having intrusive thoughts, or negative self-talk that won’t stop
You keep having night terrors or nightmares
You find yourself losing motivation about things you've always cared about
You have had to spend a great deal of time around negative energy or low vibration-situations (due to work, school or family obligations)
You have been sick or are sick
You are trying to make a big change in your life that requires new thinking (a new diet, a new self-awareness program)
You did something you are ashamed of, have asked for and received forgiveness and are ready to move on
You are trying to learn the art of self-love
You have experienced something traumatic that you wish to separate from
You are making a personal transformation toward upgrading yourself
These are all times when engaging in the self-supportive act of Ritual Bathing can be crucial to maintaining or gaining your ability to reach your full potential.
How Do I Ritual Bathe?
Ritual Bathing will be different for everyone, as it is yours to design. It is great to take a long, ceremonious bath, but a simple shower can be just as potent. The most important part is making the statement of intention, of dedicating this process to the idea of cleansing your inner-self, and showing humility and gratitude to the Universe for giving you this opportunity.
Start by making sure the tub is clean and free of residuals, making sure that there is no hair in the drain. Make it as clean as you can.
Create Your Statement of Intention
On a piece of paper, write down your intention, the goal you have. Don’t use negative language, and don’t place it in the future, place it now. For example, you don’t want to say, “I am going to get rid of bad residual energy from my ex”. Instead, write something like, “My energy is positive and strong and mine”.Speaking about the negative subject only allows a place for it in your mind, and speaking of it in the future implies that it’ll happen some other time. It is much more powerful to own a positive statement in the here and now. Bring your slip of paper to the bath with you, and look at it a few more times.
Gather Your Bath Products
You can use your usual bath products, but it is best to include some special ingredients that are suited just for this purpose. The good news is, you can make your own! At the end of this article are several recipes that you can make for yourself. They are made of ingredients that are readily available and inexpensive, yet perfect for the job!
Fill the bathtub with water at a temperature that is comfortable to you, and add your formula.
Lower the Lights, Light Some Candles
Harsh lights have no place in the Ritual Bath. Turn off the overhead bathroom light, and set out some candles instead. Safety first, though! Always keep in mind the flame, making sure it isn’t near any towels or the shower curtain. Also, avoid candles in glass containers. Little tea lights set on the edge of the tub work best. Set them in places where there is no risk of contact with flammables. Simple, white candles are well-suited for this purpose and have the added benefit of being the easiest to find. And while you’re lighting the candles…
Light Some Incense or Sage
Native Americans burn dried sage during smudging, a ritual designed to cleanse people and places of negative or harmful spirits. Eastern cultures often use incense for the same purpose. An added aspect of burning incense is the idea that the smoke carries your message up to the gods. And, of course, incense smells good! Incense maintains itself as a capable tool in almost any ritual or rite.
Trying to find both pleasure and some symbolic action for all of your senses enriches and strengthens the rite you are performing. Make sure you smell the fragrance and visualize the smoke carrying your positive statement of intention up to the Universe. If you choose incense rather than sage, opt for a reputable brand that burns a natural product as opposed to harsh, artificial types. Meanwhile, make sure you have fresh air flow; bathrooms are often small spaces. You don’t want to over-expose yourself to smoke. Just use your common sense when burning incense.
Center Your Mind
Now that the tub is prepared and you have created an intention, you need to ready your mind. This is the time to take a final look at your slip of paper. Remember, no negativity! It is important to keep your thoughts positive. Don’t focus on the bad things, but rather, the good. It is important to have no judgement or bad feelings right now. Instead, focus on the positive experience of letting go of some things, accepting others. If you have trouble with guilt, anxiety or shame, this is the perfect opportunity to rid yourself of these harmful thoughts. Announce out loud or to yourself your new, stated intention. Hold the idea in your head, step into the water and...
...Just Take a Bath!
Take a moment to allow yourself to feel the warming comfort of the water on your body. Smell the aroma of your incense. Listen to the sound that the water makes as it splashes around. Keep your eyes open and focus on the beauty of the shadow play created by the candles, or better yet, find something beautiful about yourself. This can be very powerful. Just find something small and focused, such as the lovely ovals of your fingernails, the perfect arrangement of your toes, or the strength of your legs. The human body is a work of art. Everyone can find a place of beauty to focus on. Let your mind clear as you fill your senses with the moment. Stay this way as long as you comfortably can. If you find yourself thinking about work or what to make for dinner tomorrow, gently guide your mind back and focus again on your present senses.
Now that your mind is clear and your body is relaxed, think again about your intention. Feel the water, as it comes in contact with you, carrying away unwanted vibes. Notice how you are beginning to feel clean and light. Own your statement of intention as a fact.
Relax in the water for at least 15 minutes, longer if you want. It is important to remember that this is your design; you should never be uncomfortable. Your mind should stay positive, grateful and relaxed. This is the time that you have full permission to focus on YOU in a positive way. Outside problems have no place in this process.
When you have finished, drain away the water. After, stand in the tub and use a cup and fresh water from the spout or the showerhead and have a good rinse. As you do, imagine everything negative washing off of you. Don’t think of anything specifically; rather, imagine a colorless haze washing off of you. Watch the water and soap bubbles float away from you, pulling negativity away with them. Watch it all go down the drain, gone forever. Visualize golden or white light filling your head, throat, heart and hands. Feel the warm energy radiate through your body. Sense the clean, clear lightness of your body, mind and soul. It is important to OWN your intention now. Make strong, positive statements in the present tense, such as, “my mind is clean and clear’, or “I am strong and capable”, or one of the most powerful statements, “I am good”. And, believe it. As you go on, try to not think about the negativity that you washed down the drain; this only invites it back to your mind. If you catch yourself doing so, simply go back to your positive statement. Don’t become upset with yourself, this just lends negative fuel to the thought. Concentrate on positive affirmations. Visualize yourself feeling and knowing that your body and energy are cleansed and in a state of homeostasis. Realize that you are acting in the best interest of yourself, and that anything that no longer serves you is now gone. Know these ideas as a fact. Don’t underestimate the power that water can have; our ancestors knew it’s strength. This is why water has always been a symbol of purity, cleansing and fresh starts in almost every culture.
What Now?
After you dry off, put on fresh clean clothes that are comfortable but make you feel good. Avoid television, junk food, or other pollutants. Taking the rest of the day or evening to allow these thoughts to manifest before exposing yourself to harsh things like television can give you a real advantage towards raising your vibration. Now is a great time to think about new and positive phases you may be ready to embark upon. It is also a good time to sleep, journal or meditate.
As you learn to practice these positive life changes, you will find they start to replace all the old, negative patterns that once had you in a terrible rut. The most important aspect is to not go back to the thoughts you had before your Ritual Bath. Almost like a child playing pretend, you must know and own your new, cleansed mind.
Just like the moon renews itself, so must you. Taking the time to mindfully cleanse can support your mental, physical and spiritual self. Aside from that, it can give you an advantage when trying to upgrade to your best, super-optimised self. At the very least, it allows you some serious down-time, and helps you create a sense of love for yourself, body, mind and soul.
Don’t Forget
Whenever you perform a rite or a ritual, it is vital that you remember humility. Remember, no matter how bad it seems, you are in a position to make things better. The very ability of creating a ritual, and the fact that you even want to do it, are strong reasons to be grateful. There is no such thing as a coincidence, so if you are here, trying to better yourself, you have every reason to believe in yourself, and therefore, to be humble and grateful. The Universe has your back. So, bow low, and say “thank you”!
Recipes for Ritual-Bath
The ingredients for a Ritual Bath are not fancy; they are simple, from the Earth, and available to anyone. Only some cosmetic corporation would want you to think you need to pay big money for optimal health. Well, the Universe doesn’t want that!!! Below are a handful of simple ingredients. You can use them alone or with your fave bath products!! It’s all about what feels right to you!
Super-Cleansing Renewal
½ Cup kosher salt
½ Cup sea salt
10 drops of Essential oil (Lavender, sage, tea tree)
Measure both salts out into a bowl
Drop essential oil over salt, stir. Put aside and let absorb for a few minutes
Use by filling tub part way, then pouring in under spout of running water as tub fills the rest of the way
Super-Energy Renewal
¼ cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide
4 tablespoons of powder ginger
½ cup apple-cider vinegar
10 drops essential oil (lemongrass, clove, orange)
Do not mix ingredients! Pour separately into tub as it is filling up. Pour under spout of running water, agitate further with your hand
Gentle-Loving Renewal
½ cup baking soda
¼ cup sea or kosher salt
5 chamomile or mint tea bags
Mix salt and baking soda together in bowl
Drop tea bags into water, or tie to spout so water passes through them as it fills up the tub. Meanwhile, drop baking soda under spout of running water. Agitate further with your hand
Lunar-Maintenance Renewal
1 cup kosher or sea salt
10 drops essential oil (frankincense, sandalwood, patchouli)
Measure salt out into a bowl
Drop essential oil over salt, stir. Put aside and let absorb for a few minutes
Use by filling tub part way, then pouring in under spout of running water as tub fills the rest of the way
*If taking a shower rather than a bath, the dry ingredients from these recipes can simply be rubber banded into a square of cotton cloth (a wash rag or a cut-out square from an old cotton t-shirt) and used as a body buff
8
