Decide the kind of bath you want. If you intend to use the tub instead of the shower, choose the right bath to suit your moods and fill the tub with warm or cold water. Then add a few drops of fragrant oils. Be sure to test the temperature of the water before slowly lowering yourself in. After you have finished and thoroughly dried yourself, massage your body from head to toe with a rich body cream to moisturize your skin. That finishing touch ought to make you feel wonderful and ready to face the day.

Generally, baths are classified as those that invigorate and those that sooth.

Invigorating

• For energy – keep water just above the body temperature to increase your circulation and your energy level. Top the bath up with cold water after five minutes. A drop or two of aromatic oils will revitalize and help get the circulation going.

• To focus – a cool bath will give your body a boost and increase the blood flow to the center of the body and the brain. Four to five minutes will do to get your adrenalin going.

• To cleanse and purify – Soak in a warm bath for 15 to 30 minutes to unclog those pores.

• To lift your mood – for an emotional pick-up, stick to tepid baths and stay put until you feel better. This brings serenity back to your life. Citrus or mint oil will clear your head and open your breathing passages.

• Add spice to your sex life – soak in a moderately warm bath for about 15 minutes. A few drops of ylang-ylang added to your bath make a fragrant aphrodisiac.

Soothing baths

• To treat stress – A close-to-body temperature bath for 15 to 30 minutes will help relieve stress.

• To ease muscle pain – No more than 10 minutes in a bath that is just under hot-tub temperature is best. Epsom salt and sea water are wonderful for soothing muscles and a few drops of peppermint will also help.

• For headaches – Soak a cool bath for just 5 minutes to constrict blood vessels. One or two drops of peppermint oil will have a cooling effect on the skin, while lavender has an analgesic effect and chamomile will reduce tension.

• To induce sleep – Relax and soak in a very warm bath – not too hot or you will strip your body of its natural oil. Sleep will come easily with the help of a few drops of ylang-ylang, lavender or rose oils. While the bath was considered a luxury by people of old, it has become a necessity to modern man. Despite the pressures of the times people will take time out to discover its sensuous and restorative powers.

Filed under: Healthy Tips by Don