Start a Luxury Bath Ritual

I was well into adulthood before it occurred to me that the very simple act of taking a bath could be so pleasant. Before that, in the rush-rush world, the whole business of climbing into a tub full of water seemed like a hassle. But then I entered a very stressful stretch of time. As I talked with other women about it, they suggested I block out a little portion of time -- for a bath, of all things -- where I could block out the entire world and let my entire mind and body relax in a way that was so badly needed.

Eventually, I succumbed. It all seemed a little bit 'wooh-wooh' to me. I ran the tub full of hot water, stripped down to nothing, set a bath towel by the tub and climbed in. It felt awkward at first. I didn't even have any bubble bath to make it look like I was doing anything particularly wanton or frivolous. Yet within 10 minutes, I understood!  I got it!   I could see how this bath ritual could become like therapy for the body, soul and mind.

That weekend I went out and got a couple of candles and a long-handled bath brush. If I was going to do this thing, I reckoned I'd better get the bath gear to go with it. From that point onward, taking a luxurious, quiet bath on a weekend evening became a ritual that carried me through the rough times.