A Herbal Bath to release all external expectations

Or a 3-minute alternative to come back to the here and now

💌 Today’s dispatch gives you two choices

1. A 3-minute practice to tap into the here and now (yes, really, that short!).

2. Experiment with Red Coral, Brahmi and Rose for a herbal moon bath. The energy of these botanicals is in flux with today’s waxing Moon in Aries (Pitta Dosha).

P.S.: for you gem lovers, the best stone for today’s Moon is Red Coral 💎 

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The reality of a new baby, as with countless other IRL-realities, took me miles away from the meditation practise I had fine-tuned to be my daily soother for years. I’ll be upfront: this felt like taking ten steps back from what I thought was my spiritual nutrition. I feared spiritual regression.

Today’s Moon has come along to prove my fear wrong. Playful, productivity-loving Aries comes with the Uttara-Bhādrapadā Nakshatra (Life Lesson). The verse encourages you to tap into the *essence* of each and every moment, the here and now.

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3-minute practice to tap into the here and now

Set your timer for three minutes. Find a comfortable seat or grounded stance. If you wish, you may close your eyes and place your hands on your womb space. Send your awareness to your breath stream. Feel how it enters your nostrils, and follow it through the 3rd eye, down to your throat, lungs, and belly. Stay there for 1 or 2 beats, and follow the breath on its way up and out. Five of these breaths are all you need to reset your nervous system. No need for any attributes, or ancient routines. Prana (oxygen) is life force in itself. Witnessing it with simplicity (re-)connects you to one of your most valuable, ancient assets - breath - to sense the sanctity of the here and now.

Lots of air in your lungs, but not so much in your stomach? Undo any tight buttons or zippers, get a Yoga block and place it horizontally under your hips. You want the narrow side of the block to kiss your skin. With your hips gently elevated, you will find yourself in a supported bridge pose. Now, rather than placing your hands on your womb space, I’d like to invite you to lift both arms up and over your head (to touch the floor behind you) on an inhalation. Follow the guidelines for breath awareness as described for the seated practice. On an exhalation, move your arms back down, to rest on either side of your hips. Repeat this cycle five times. This combination of the decompressed hips, gentle backbend and arm movements “unlock” a tensed diaphragm, which supports your breath to freely flow into your stomach.

Cooling Herbal Moon Bath

Waxing moon in Aries ♈

If you’re looking forward to some Ayurvedic alchemy fun, this bath is for you. The energy of the botanicals below is in flux with today’s waxing Moon in Aries (Pitta Dosha). This bath is of great support to release external expectations, so you can come back to the here and now, and experience its powerful, sacred essence that is so close to you it’s not even visible.

Ingredients

• 6 litres of spring water

• 3 cups with dried Brahmi (Gotu Kola)

• 1 cup with dried Rose Petals

• A few fresh roses

• Optional: essential oil of Rose, Sandalwood and Frankincense.

Prepare

Fill a large pot with the spring water and the dried herbs. Set your intention, thank your fresh Roses for helping you connect with the Here and Now today, and gently take their petals. Keep a few petals apart, and add the others to your “herbal broth”.

I personally like to sing a mantra, or chant “Ohm” while preparing the pot, but this is totally up to you.

Next, use a wooden spoon to stir the water whilst you bring it to a low simmer. Keep the fire low for another 30 minutes, with the lit on the pot. When it’s time to take the pot off the fire, you can either close the lit and let the water extract all the healing plant essence for another four hours. Or, if you are in a rush, you may add this directly to your bathwater.

If you want to use the essential oil, drip 18 drops of each oil onto one of the petals you kept apart. Repeat your intention, and release the petals into the bathwater.

If you have red coral at home, or another red-tinted gemstone, you can add these to your bath as well. Alternatively, you can burn a candle and place it on a piece of paper, together with your stone. You may write your intention on the paper before you join your medicinal plants to roam in the Here & Now.

The Here and the Now are “palpable expressions of the spiritual realities that generate them. It is only by seeing the sanctity of such objects that we perceive the deeper realities of life.” — Vic DiCara in Nakshatra, the Authentic Heart of Vedic Astrology.

🌹🌿

Love,

Deborah Rose