Madeleine Ryan Takes A Bath
by Madeleine Ryan
A bath is a magical and miraculous thing.
It can cleanse, it can replenish, it can relax, it can energize. It can be perfect before a big event, or to soak in after an overwhelming day. Yes, my prescription for most states of tension, burnout, ache, fatigue and nervousness is: bath. Big bath. Now.
And, over the years, I’ve developed very particular and very idiosyncratic preferences when it comes to drawing the perfect bath, and making the most decadent ritual out of it. Obviously, cultivating a bathing ritual is a deeply individual thing. It is by no means a cut-and-dried process. No, no.
It involves trial and error, and it’s hugely dependent upon the space the and time that you have to dedicate to it. So, take what works for you and leave the rest. Then, soak. Enjoy. Love yourself. Love your life. You’re amazing, and this is your sacred time in the tub.
I’ve discovered the perfect bath for me. It goes as follows:
1. I use heaps of bath salts.
Epsom salts and/or Himalayan Pink Salts are a staple in every bath I run.
They’re full of magnesium, so they’re wonderfully detoxifying, and they’re brilliant for calming inflammation of all kinds: mental, emotional, and physical.
I buy in big quantities. I go wholesale. I have a 25KG bag in the cupboard. Yep. When I go Epsom, I go hard. You can never dissolve too much salt in that tub.
2. I must have good reading and/or listening materials.
Books, magazines, music, audiobooks, YouTube talks and meditations are a defining feature of any bathing ritual.
Sound shapes a bath. So, depending on what I feel drawn to, I might do guided meditations from YouTube, or listen to Meditative Mind’s healing hertz music tracks. I read or listen to anything by Louise Hay. It really depends upon my mood.
3. I adjust the lighting.
Say goodbye to fluorescent lights, and that dreary, overcast day.
If you’re bathing at night, definitely turn off the main lights, and burn some candles. Or at least dim the lights. If you’re bathing during the day, it doesn’t matter so much. Natural light can be nice.
When I’m feeling really strung out, I opt for pitch black darkness. However, I’ve also invested in salt lamps. They omit such a comforting glow. They ooze a soothing energy, too, which purifies the air, and are said to protect the body from EMFs and radiation.
4. Essential oils are everything.
Essential oils can go in the bath, or in an oil burner beside the bath.
I adore using rose geranium, occasionally lavender, cedar wood around the time of my period, and orange-based blends when I want some energy.
Just don’t get too carried away putting lemon-y, eucalyptus-y, peppermint-y essences in the bath because, as refreshing as they might be to smell, your vagina, penis, and/or butt crack won’t be thanking you.
5. I raid my kitchen.
The kitchen can be your BFF when it comes to taking your bath to the next level.
I learned this from Deborah Hanekamp’s amazing and luxurious book, Ritual Baths: Be Your Own Healer. Sometimes I add two cans of coconut milk to the tub when I want a super creamy texture. I’m not opposed to pouring in some olive oil, either. It’s really nourishing for the skin, even if it can mean that the tub needs a better clean afterwards.
Having a big bottle of water by your side is always a good idea. I get so thirsty in the bath. And if I want a good sweat while in the tub — or just something to warm me inside and out — I sip a hot tea. Herbal, or oat-milky. Whatever.
Plus, a bit of carob, chocolate, or fruit to nibble on can’t hurt, either.
6. I soak in vitamins and minerals.
I’m really into adding vitamins to the bath. Our skin is our biggest organ, and it soaks up everything.
So I might let some Vitamin C, Zinc and/or silica tablets dissolve in the water. I might pour in some olive leaf extract, colloidal silver, or chlorophyll. I might sprinkle in some activated charcoal, or diatomaceous earth.
Vitamin E oil can be amazing, too, even if it’s super sticky.
7. I also raid my garden or local flower shop.
Rose petals! Sprigs of rosemary! Lillies! Lavender! Daisies! Mint leaves! Hell, why not some basil? Whatever!
The options in this department are endless.
But. A big but: if you’re going to use dried flower petals, or super tiny flowers, or herbs, make a tub tea. Tie those litter suckers up in some muslin, or in a handkerchief. Don’t pour them in loose. They go everywhere and what was going to be a luxurious hour in the tub becomes a slightly tense 45 minutes envisioning the cleaning-up process that is to follow.
Yep. I learned that one the hard way.
8. I add these decadent extras.
So there’s always the possibility of sipping wine or champagne, or adding body washes or bubbles to your bath.
However, my most decadent addition (if raiding the kitchen, the local health food store, a wholesale retailer selling epsom salts, the florist, and the medicine cabinet isn’t enough) is flower essences. I’m obsessed with flower essences.
I follow the work of flower alchemist Katie Hess, and I’ve been researching Australian flowers and their healing properties. I add five to ten drops of whatever I feel drawn to. I think it was Eckhart Tolle who said flowers are the enlightened beings of the plant world…Cheers to that.
Madeleine Ryan is an Australian writer, author and director. Her debut literary novel A Room Called Earth is to be published on August 18th, 2020.
