The way you start your day can make a huge difference in how you feel throughout it. If done right, your shower can be your palace for mindfulness.
There are small ways—even on hectic mornings—to get back to feeling seriously good about showering instead of just seeing it as the thing you have to do after a sweaty gym session or in preparation for the day ahead. Scent can help settle your mind, and essential oils can help you feel refreshed and restored. While showering isn’t something we can get rid of, it’s definitely something we can get more use out of. Here are seven steps for re-invigorating your shower time.
- Before showering, choose an essential oil and rub it in between your fingers and toes (we love Lavender for this). Because your skin is thinner here, the oil is more easily absorbed. Essential oils work best when they are absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin.
- Once in the shower, massage an essential oil into your wrists and inhale the steam as the hot water trickles onto them—try Eucalyptus.
- Spend one minute inhaling. You can also add a few drops of essential oil onto the bottom of your shower and inhale the calming scent as it rises around you.
- Go about your normal shower, but do it actively. Instead of thinking about your day ahead, focus on your breathing. Pretty soon, your shower will be doubling as your meditation.
- Turn off the water and wipe it away from your limbs in a fast, pressured, downwards movement and feel the flow of your blood intensify.
- Once you are out of the shower, rub an essential oil (maybe Geranium?) behind your ears in a circular motion and then onto your temples in a similar fashion.
- Turn your diffuser on in the bathroom and continue to breathe in the essential oil-filled air; Sweet Orange would be a great choice. Scent is a clear way of creating a relaxing space, no matter how busy you get.