Floral Milk Baths- Making, Soaking, & Relaxing

Good evening! (Or at least it’s evening for me).

In our previous post about Ostara we touched on one of my absolute favorite things to do: Take a floral milk bath. They are relaxing, fun, and a great way to give yourself some classy spa time on a budget. Self-care is important, especially in finding balance. Remember: you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking a little bit of time every week to decompress and recharge yourself is so important to your overall health and effectiveness. There are all sorts of tiny things you can do to fulfill this need for yourself, but if I’m taking extra care with myself, or at certain time of the year (i.e. Ostara) this is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. It is ridiculously easy to do, and a relaxing way to add mindfulness to your life. 

Managing stress is one of the best ways to support your immune system. Stress can also lead to higher risk of stroke and heart attack. It may not seem like a cool or dramatic way to take care of yourself, but stress management is more important now than ever in today’s perpetually fast paced world. Baths in general to me are a good way to help me slow down because it’s all about the process, the soak; the whole point is to slow down and focus on doing nothing except being.  

A few quick tips to add to the experience: 

• Get yourself some candles: Even the dingiest room looks like a palace in candlelight. Turn your lights off and light some candles. If you have scented ones, great. But scentless dollar tree ones work just fine. If you are going the scented route, I try to stay on season. It helps focus your energy (i.e. Ostara= florals like primrose or jasmine, dogwood, rosewood, and vervain. Incense works great too to add to your ambiance if you go the dollar store unscented candle route.  
• Grab a glass: of something, anything. Some ladies like wine, and that works. Honestly for me though, I like my water really hot so I tend to stick to cold beverages to avoid light-headedness and accidents. If I really need to relax, then sure, a glass of red will do. But nothing is worse than putting all this prep work in, getting in the tub, and deciding you’re thirsty. Water, Juice, whatever it may be- you’ll thank me later. 
• Music: this is a tip especially if you live with roommates or in a loud place. It’s hard to relax, unwind, or meditate when you can hear your roommate’s comedy tv show, or the dryer thumping down the hall, or your siblings or spouse shouting. Again, this comes down to personal musical preference but some of my favorite ambiance music includes Celtic instrumentals & nature soundtracks if I want things that have no words. Another personal favorite is to turn on some Etta James or Andrea Bocelli if I’m feeling up to vocals.  
• Find a space heater: This one isn’t a necessity at all, just a preference. It can still very much be chilly in March, and while the bath feels great, eventually I must get out… to a frigid bathroom. The best way to avoid this is to turn an oscillating space heater on to a low setting. Helps take the edge off.  

Let’s Begin.

To make this floral soaking milk bath you will need: 

To make:  

1. Clear your workspace, focusing on your intentions as you do so. Try to stay relaxed and comfortable. 

2. In a medium bowl combine Sea Salt and Oats. 

3. In a separate small bowl, combine essential oils with carrier oil. Add this to the oat/salt mixture. It is important to mix this thoroughly to avoid the risk of skin irritation. 

4. Add your remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.  

5. Fill clean cotton bags and cinch tightly.  

To use:  

1. Let your cotton bag soak in hot bathwater for 5 minutes. Remember, this is all about the process. Take your time drawing your bath and getting the temperature where you want it.  

2. Squeeze gently to release oat milk and essential oils more effectively.  

3. The cotton, potpourri filled bag can also be used as an exfoliating scrub. Focus on dry ares for extra moisture. 

4. Bags can be emptied, washed, dryed and reused.  

Twist your hair up out of the way, grab a hand towel as a pillow & Soak. Enjoy the aromas, breathe deep, meditate and just let it all go. Whatever is bothering you, whatever bad thing happened today, however hard the winter was- let it go. Take a few minutes genuinely for yourself, get out when you feel like it, and not before. Wrap up in a soft robe or big fluffy towel. Take the time to treat your body by applying lotion or an oil, you deserve it. Flush the negative and the weight down the drain with your bathwater and close your ceremony by rinsing your tub and blowing out your candles.  

You just completed a mindful self-care ritual. Super simple. Not nearly as hocus-pocus as a lot of people will try to make it sound. You can also always play with the florals/ oils as well (try cedarwood or tonka bean in the winter- you’ll thank me later).  

The hardest thing with this is to be intentional. To slow down, focus on what you are doing, let nothing rush you, and don’t multi-task. Put down your phone. You can live without instagram or facebook or even a paper book for forty-five minutes. You are focusing on you. I get it, I love to read too, but that’s not the purpose here.  

All the best,  

Mikaela