My last day off was a TRUE day off! These types of days don't come around often. I literally did nothing (except a load of laundry and a load of dishes through the dishwasher). It was amazing! So, after a day of glorious nothingness, I decided to pamper myself a little (or a lot) before I went to bed. Here is what my "spa evening" consisted of:
* Relaxing Yoga
* Detox Bath
* Coconut Oil Hair Mask
* Exfoliating Facial
* Aroma Therapy
Jealous??? You should be. This would cost you like a billion dollars in a spa! Here's how the night when down.
6:15pm - 30 minute gentle yoga sesh with extra time at the end spent in Savasana (corpse pose). This is my favorite pose EVER! It's the easiest pose physically, you basically lay on the ground like a dead body, hence to name. But I think it's one of the tougher poses mentally. For me, anyway, it's hard to REALLY and HONESTLY clear my head. I've been able to do this more and more by practicing Savasana.
7:00pm - Mixed together my detox bath. The recipe for this was:
- 2 Cups Epsom Salts
- 1 Cup Baking Soda
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Ginger
- 25 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
- Lots of Hot Water
7:10pm - While my bath was filling, I applied my coconut oil hair mask. It is just as it sounds! Coconut oil, in a liquid state, slathered allllllll over my hair. I paid special attention to my ends. I dye my hair like crazy and have been since 8th grade (stop doing the math!!) so my hair just soaked up the oil. It was very thirsty. After it was applied everywhere and combed through, I wrapped my whole head with saran wrap. Don't laugh, I don't own a shower cap so I had to improvise. I let this sit in my hair throughout my whole bath.
7:20pm - My bath was ready! First, I lit some candles. Then I sloshed everything around, making sure it was nice and mixed. The recommendations for soaking was 40 minutes. This initially sounded like an eternity. Apparently the first 20 minutes is to detox and the second 20 minutes is for your body to really absorb all of the minerals. So, I turned Pandora on to a Meditation station and just sat. 40 minutes flew by! The Meditation station was amazing. I was able to return to my meditative (possibly vegetative) state. It was ineffable! I've never been so clear minded. My only complaint was the very intrusive commercials on Pandora. That really killed the mood. Luckily I was able to slip back in quickly once they were over.
The lavender oil was so yummy to my olfactory and relaxing to my soul.
** Note to self - Next time, pick something more appropriate to break out of meditation than the Marimba ring tone on your phone.
8:00pm - Times up! I slowly got out of my bath, hopped in the shower for a quick rinse off and washed the coconut oil out of my hair.
8:10pm - Put on some super comfy clothes and did a little facial exfoliation. This one, you're going to love: baking soda and water. Yup, that's it! Nothing too fancy but it makes your skin feel so soft. You just use a tablespoon or two of baking soda and just enough water to make a thick paste. Lightly rub it on your face using circular motion and rinse off. So quick, so easy.
9:30pm - Sprayed my pillows with some Lemongrass and Cardamon pillow mist in preparation for a wonderful, peaceful sleep. I slept like a rock, FYI.
I wish this could be a nightly thing (yeah RIGHT) or even a weekly ritual, but alas, this isn't realistic in my world. But, I enjoy it immensely when I get to squeeze it in.
If you decide to try this detox bath, or any detox bath for that matter, please remember to drink LOTS of cold water. And if you start feeling too hot, let some cold water run into the bath. The last thing I want is any of you passing out.
Also, try not to get your hair in the water. The salts are very drying.
Now go pamper yourself!
