Guest Blog Post: 10 Reasons Moms Need a Sacred Bath Break! by Paulette Kouffman Sherman
I’m a working mom of a 5 year old and 8 year old. I had my kids when I was 36 and 39 years old. Maybe that’s why I’m often tired. I’m a psychologist and a writer, plus my commute to work is over an hour. I can’t tell you the feeling of relief I get when I climb into a sacred bath. It is the highlight of my day and my ‘me time.’ It transitions me into a state of love and grace.
A sacred bath is a bath for my spiritual and emotional hygiene. I pick an intention, light a candle, put in epsom salt and a few essential oils and a crystal to match my intention and I call in my Higher Self or the Goddess for guidance. This 25 minute process gives me mental clarity, relaxation, a sense of wellness, increased intuition and more.
As moms, we have so many responsibilities and we often function in ‘fight or flight’ mode. The adrenalin keeps us going, and we often serve our kids, husband, clients, etcetera from this multitasking mental mode. We are not as present and heart-centered in this space as we could be.
Also, often our own dreams, needs and self-care are the first thing to go. We tell ourselves that we don’t have the time, space or silence to focus on us. We become increasingly exhausted, irritated and resentful because we haven’t refueled our cup.
But here is my secret…most people (even pint sized ones) will leave you alone when you are in the bath, maybe even for 25 minutes! Now, if you’re like me, this idea will light you up, merely imagining escaping, relaxing and coming home to yourself. But, what if I told you that taking a sacred bath would do so much more for you than just that?
Ever since I’ve started this process I’ve been more relaxed, I’ve lost 25 pounds, I’ve many creative ideas that have improved my career, I’ve made great progress on my goals, improved my relationship with my husband and more. I wanted to share this process of sacred bathing with other moms so it could improve their lives too. Below are 10 ways that taking sacred baths helps moms:
- To relax and re-center: Your sacred bath is the time to relax, rebalance yourself and to reenergize. Sometimes when I’ve had 3 hours sleep and I take a sacred bath, I feel like I’ve slept 7 hours and I make it through the day with clarity.
- To have some uninterrupted ‘me-time!’-It is very important to set aside time for yourself. Just taking 25 minutes in the morning or right before bed reminds you that you are the Source of all you do. It allows you to reconnect with your needs, feelings, intuition and desires.
- To Connect with Your Spirit and guidance- We run around much of the day multitasking, interacting with others and fielding various distractions. It is easy to feel we cannot hear ourselves think much less connect with our Higher Self. Taking a sacred bath helps you get still, ask a question and to connect to your Higher Self for guidance. This will guide you to answers that serve your highest good, instead of coming from a place of ego.
- To Work on Your Own Goals- Moms are always solving other people’s problems and improving their lives but sometimes we forget to set aside time for our own. You can take a sacred bath and visualize the goal that you want to achieve and ask your Higher Self for some steps that you can take to manifest it. Don’t forget to journal about any messages you received afterwards.
- To Fill With Unconditional Love So that you can Spread Love- As a mom, we are about giving love, so it’s critical to begin with self-love. We can imagine bathing in that unconditional love and spend 25 minutes remembering why we are loved and loveable. Then we reemerge from those sacred waters feeling unconditional and overflowing with positivity.
- To Release Any Tension, Stress or Anger- We all experience anger, irritation, stress , sadness and other lower emotions. In a sacred bath we can let any negativity go down the drain so it no longer drains us. We can acknowledge it and release it so we emerge from the sacred waters feeling wellness and peace.
- To Get Direction On A Particular Issue- Perhaps you are being challenged by a tantruming 7 year old who hits his sister or a coworker who is giving you all their work. Take a sacred bath, connect to your Higher Self and ask for guidance about the best way to proceed. This will help you feel less alone and it will put you back into a peaceful place so you can come up with the best way to handle the challenge.
- To Inspire Your Creativity– I have gotten so many book and article ideas during a sacred bath. The next time you want to do a creative project with your kids, at work or around the house, ask the question and listen for creative inspiration in your sacred bath.
- To Increase Your Patience & Your Ability to Focus- Part of taking a sacred bath is to have an intention or focus for 25 minutes. Then you get peaceful and still and allow any distracting thoughts or negative emotions to float away. This helps you to practice doing this in your everyday life as well, which is a powerful way to be present and intentional.
- To Improve Your Marriage- If you want to improve your passion, communication or shared vision with your spouse, there are a number of sacred baths that you can take-together to attune to one another or you can take your bath alone-to improve the relationship.
Try a sacred bath and see how you feel. Pick one intent or life area and do some deep breathing. Pray to your Higher Self or to the Goddess for guidance. Afterwards, journal about any ideas you receive. This can take you from irritable mom to magnetically loving mom…at least until your next sacred bath.
Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman is a psychologist and writer. She wrote the upcoming, The Book of Sacred Baths,’ being published by Llewellyn Worldwide here: The Book of Sacred Baths: 52 Bathing Rituals to Revitalize Your Spirit is being published by Llewellyn Worldwide in August 2016 and is available here: http://amzn.to/1KbnMwb. She is also the author of “Dating from the Inside Out” published by Atria Books and 19 others. She has a private practice in Manhattan for psychotherapy and does life coaching by phone. Learn more at www.Dr.PauletteSherman.com or www.sacredbathing.com
Tags: having a family, later motherhood, paulette kouffman sherman, raising kids, self-care, taking a sacred bath
