Taking a hot bath is a “happiness ritual” for me and has been for over thirty-four years since my teenage years. There is something serene, soothing and cathartic about soaking in a tub full of hot water sometimes adding rosemary and/or lavender oil. Upon getting in the tub, in addition to adding scented oils, there are occasions when I make myself a hot cup of tea, light a candle, grab my bible, put on some gospel music, read an inspirational book and/or a magazine to make this “happiness ritual” all that more meaningful.
Soaking
in a tub full of hot water always allows me to decompress, unwind, refocus,
refuel, meditate and pray and simply just be “still.” During this time,
calmness, clarity of thought and creativity are inspired as well as my physical
body becomes less stressed which allows anxiety and/or depression to stay at
bay. In addition, a nice soothing bath is an aid that helps me to sleep better and
getting quality sleep is a necessity for my emotional, physical and spiritual
health.
In this
era of technology (internet, smartphones, iPads, numerous social media sites,
etc.), continuous multi-tasking and the mere demands of life, unwinding and
decompressing, seems to have become less of the norm. For example, I remember a
conversation I had one time with a former co-worker about the therapeutic
benefits for me of taking baths and that I took a bath one and sometimes two
(morning and evening) times a day to de-compress and simply relax. This
co-worker looked at me strangely and stated, “I don’t have time to take baths
and I cannot even think of the last time I even took one. Taking showers is
less time consuming.”
At that
moment, I was reassured just how my “happiness ritual” is a self-care necessity
that contributes to a boost in my spirits and reduction in stress and how
important it is to steal away from the busyness of life to refocus, refuel and replenish
to ensure that maintaining balance in my life remains a “top priority.”
Overall, the “happiness ritual” of soaking in a hot tub of water has become the relaxing
ritual that is a daily routine for me. This “happiness ritual” is something I refuse to live without!
© Carla
J. Curtis, August 2014
2 comments:
This is a great article.
First, let me apologize for this very late response. I didn't realize until just now that there was a comment after this article. Thank you very much for providing this comment. I really and truly appreciate you taking the time to read the article and share your thoughts.
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