Step by Step: A Bath with BellaDonna DeWolf
Feeling heavy?
Fed up?
Need a minute to yourself?
Overly stressed?
I’ve got good news!
First of all, you’ve got this.
I know it’s hard… All the bullshit is exhausting. People are difficult and have hurt you or made your life complicated. Sometimes it’s loss, stress, relationships, or simply nothing at all that’s causing you stress. It might be your own brain. You might be drained… Or a slew of other things. It’s hard being a person sometimes.
So here’s a pro-tip:
Take time for yourself. Disconnect for a little while. Dedicate some time to yourself.
I’m here to share with you one of my favorite ways to heal, charge, and have “me time”.
It’s time to take a bath!
You might be asking yourself, “But, what do I need to do?”
Get up! Yep, get up and start drawing yourself a bath.
Do you have a favorite candle or candles?
Light ’em in a safe spot, so by the time your bath is ready, it smells nicely in your bathroom. Treat yourself to some aromatherapy.
What about other things for my bath? If you do want something to make it magical, you can to go the store and grab some bath salts, bath bombs, bubble bath, biodegradable glitter, or other products. If you’re an avid bath taker, like me, consider finding a few small, local businesses that make products you like (and support them!). Don’t have the time or the energy to make your own fancy bath materials? That’s perfectly fine. You don’t need ’em. Water is really magical all by itself. Just like you!
Just do it!
Get it all steamy in the room.
Start to strip.
Yep!
That’s you. That beautiful, sexy, and powerful being. Look at you, all raw and amazing.
“Damn.”
Say it in the mirror if you want to… Sometimes it feels nice.
Or just climb into that nice warm bath and settle in.
Enjoy yourself.
Heal yourself. Notice how your body feels. Notice how your mind feels.
Check in with yourself, and gently let the water heal you. Let it give back to you.
Enjoy!
And then go about your day as the big, bad, powerful being that you are.
Or take a nap, naps are good too!
Now….
If you’re reading this in advance and wanna get more fancy. Here are some things I use in my baths.
What I Use:
Bath salts: I like the ones with muscle relaxing qualities because they makes my aches and pains melt away. You can make them yourself, or buy them.
Crystals of your choice! You have a favorite? Go ahead. Use it. Line your bathtub with it, or the floor around the tub. If you are going to put your stones in the water, make sure they won’t react with water of the other materials you are using. Some crystals will react badly, and may even be toxic when wet.
Candles: I use gray, purple, blue, and black candles. It’s always preferable if they smell nice. I tend to go for an odd number of candles, and an even number of stones. Of course you don’t have to do this, it’s just what works for me.
These are a few of my handmade herb candles!
Music:
Do you want music? Or is this gonna be a quiet time?
You pick!
Some people like music to help relax, and ease the mind. Some like silence. You do what you gotta do. If you want to check out what kind of music I tend to reach for, feel free to check out my Spotify playlists at this link.
Bonus tip: Make yourself a few playlists for different moods and activities you do frequently. It can be nice and help set a tone. Maybe it’s a chanting and drums night, or maybe you just need some rap, or heavy metal. Or maybe you wanna listen to country, or pop? Whatever, there’s no judgement here. This is your time.
Plants: If you like, you can add flowers to your bath. In the past, I’ve done with and without them. I usually add petals of dried flowers or pine needles that I’ve collected.
Some beautiful purple lupine from a recent foraging trip.
I’m not a big fan of lavender, but a lot of people are, and it has great energy and smell. Rose petals, chamomile flowers, jasmine, pine needles, or nice smelling tree bark works well. Go for it. Just do some research to make sure you are putting in safe botanicals. You can either let it float loose, tie it in a satchel or tea bag, and let it float in the water.
Speaking of tea bags, you can also use tea! For this, I tend to reach for green tea or an herbal. But, you’re the one taking the bath.
Do it up!
Colors: Want some more color in your bath? Make a colored bath bomb, or buy one. There are also bath liquids you can get that have awesome pigment. You can also play with color psychology with this! Keep in mind what your goals are, use cool tones to relax, warm to energize. Colors are capable of effecting our mood and perception. Use this to your advantage!
So you’ve got the stuff? Awesome!
Here’s what you do:
Arrange your candles and stones around the tub in a way that feels right to you.
Light your candles.
Run your bath and add your goodies.
You want it cool enough to not burn you, but hot enough to stay warm for a good while. Hotter water may help relax your muscles, colder will sooth aches.
Now climb into that tub. Close your eyes and let yourself relax. Mediate if you enjoy that, sing if that feels good. Reconnect with yourself and take a moment to have pride and joy in being the amazing person you are.
And this is the most important part… Don’t forget, to enjoy yourself.
I hope you enjoyed, and find this useful in your own magical, beautiful way.
~BellaDonna DeWolf
Awe, I really love this. Baths always lift a mood and help me sleep better. Also, I think it’s super cool you make candles. Do you have a shop?
Currently I only do small custom work for candles, and bath mixes. 🙂 Been hoping to open a shop soon but mostly focusing on doing my illustrations & photography as of late.
Oh very nice 🙂 nothing wrong with that, I love how many creative passions you have! If you ever do end up opening a shop definitely let me know 🙂 I kinda focus on different passions more so in phases as well, sometimes it’s just resin, sometimes more so creative photo shoots and focusing on modeling ect.
I love this I get to have a real, actual bath like….once a year maybe. I want more!
I tgave a small tub, but I’ve made it a ritual to take a bath at least once a week. Helps me to feel better overall 🙂 mostly they are not the full works, but it gives a good marker to allow for a moments pause and healing for my brain.
That’s a really good idea
I enjoy that I have a soaking tub, but sad that it not used enough. I am curious about the stones and the water that you mentioned; would like to learn more about that. I love the smell of eucalyptus so that’s usually my go-to scent while soaking. Very detailed article!! Time for a soak!!
I am limited to the small tub in my apartment but I would be happy to talk with you about bath additives and crystals! I make some and collect others. Mostly I use them as a form of energy healing, but it is also nice to just have good smells, and things that make you feel good and happy.
This is a lovely share, thank you! I do love a hood bath twice a week myself
This is making me want a bath lol. Love the positive vibes.
Thank you! A good soak always resets me in the best way possible.
I love this! Thank you for sharing.
This is perfect for today