Bernie Siegel MDTaking time to relax is one of the best self-care methods I know. If you have trouble resting and relaxing, remember — you are doing something when you rest. You are restoring and healing yourself and your life. What helps you to relax and take care of yourself?
Throughout history, baths have been a universal means of renewal and cleansing. Set aside an afternoon or evening and create a warm, healing bath for yourself, and consider incorporating a soothing bath in your weekly routine.
Make it Special
Make this bath more than the usual scrub. Incorporate therapeutic herbs, minerals, and bath salts, which can remove your body’s impurities. Add soaps and oils with special scents and aromas to help you to relax. Candles and soft music are other ways to pamper your senses, and if you can, try an outdoor tub and add the healing sounds and scents of nature. Or, make this bath all about play — fill the tub with bubbles and give your inner child a squirt gun and some rubber ducks to play with. As every kid knows, bath time is play time.
Bestselling author Dr. Bernie Siegel is a well-known proponent of alternative approaches to healing not just for the body, but the mind and soul as well. In 101 Exercises for the Soul: Simple Practices for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Spirit, he offers simple exercises for the soul, a divine plan for healing yourself and transforming your life.
Excerpted with permission from 101 Exercises for the Soul: Simple Practices for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Spirit © 2010 Dr. Bernie Siegel. Printed with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. http://www.newworldlibrary.com or 800-972-6657 ext. 52.
Steve Taylor
Dr. Judith Orloff MD
Tom Ferguson MD