Creating Tranquility Right at Home

Escape the winter blues by creating a sanctuary of peace and rejuvenation in your very own home. Discover how the art of self-care can transform the darkest, coldest months into a season of light and joy. In this episode of the Create Harmony podcast, I guide you through the magical process of crafting an at-home spa experience that nurtures your mind, body, and spirit. This is not just about facials and bath bombs; it's about embracing stillness and gratitude amid the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced world. From selecting the perfect spot in your home to curating a personal plan filled with your favorite wellness practices, you’ll learn practical steps to create a space that radiates calm and serenity.

Get ready to elevate your winter well-being with actionable tips on setting the ideal mood with lighting, choosing self-care rituals like aromatherapy and yoga, and gathering all the necessary supplies. 

To learn more, go to mycreateharmony.com

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Welcome back to the Create Harmony podcast. This is a place where we are all about setting an intentional rhythm, and we really like to savor life's blessings and learn how to use imagination as a tool for listening to God. So if you want to learn more about stillness and gratitude and how you can have that in your life, you'll probably find a lot here that you love, and if you're a creative and fun person, there's a place for you here as well. In this place, we'll take a few minutes to celebrate everyday joys and remind ourselves how to notice goodness all around us. So this is episode 109, and I'm your host, host Sally Burlington.

Speaker 1: 0:47

We are working our way through a series that we call Winter Well-Being. We do this every winter, and here's the idea Winter's filled with darker, shorter days and sometimes weather that makes it hard to get outside and really connect with nature, and sometimes it's easy to get sort of in the doldrums during this time. So during this season, we really seek to shift our focus to things that will lift our spirits and places that we can see light through these darker days. So in today's episode, we're going to revisit a concept that we've talked about each year during winter well-being it is creating a spa in your own home. So if you've been around a while, you might have tried this before, but it bears repeating. And if you're new here, you are in for a treat, because this year for winter well-being, we're not just going to talk about spa things. We're going to expand the idea to include some personal wellness and some self-care. So just stick with us and we'll get to it.

Speaker 1: 1:50

So in today's fast-paced world, really finding this time to do self-care and to do relaxation is essential. It's difficult, but it is essential. Our culture is filled with lots of noise and self-care is usually not the top of everyone's to-do list. It's usually something that you want to do, but you don't always prioritize. So we're going to talk about how you can do it, how you can create an experience right at home, and it's pretty inexpensive. What you need is just a little preparation and a little time. So creating a spa in your own home allows you to escape those stresses of daily life and indulge in personal wellness practices. This can rejuvenate your mind, it rejuvenates your body, it rejuvenates your spirit, with just a few simple steps and some thoughtful planning.

Speaker 1: 2:45

So the first thing you want to do is choose the space that you want to have your spa time. You might want to select a quiet, comfortable area in your home, a place that you feel like you can unwind and you won't get a lot of disturbances. This could be your bathroom, your bedroom. Maybe you're lucky enough to have a relaxation room in your house and, in order to promote the most healing experience, you probably want to tidy up that space, just clear out any clutter that might be distracting. I've said this in past years when we did creating a spa. You don't have to clean out every single drawer. You do not have to have everything in perfect order to make this process successful, because what we don't want to do is add a long list of things to your already full to-do list, but think about how you want to feel in your space and make sure to lean into that vibe, something that's relaxing.

Speaker 1: 3:40

So next, you want to create a plan for your spa time. What types of self-care are most important to you? Some spa treatments like aromatherapy or bath rituals. You might want to catch up on some personal grooming. That might be a good fit. You could also include things like yoga or meditation. That would add to your calming experience, and maybe you want to take some time for journaling or personal reflection. And as you think through all these details, you can begin gathering your supplies. Maybe you want to try a new face mask, or you want to look up a video or yoga video on YouTube. Just make sure you have what you need ready before you officially begin your spa experience ready before you officially begin your spa experience.

Speaker 1: 4:27

Now, one thing I want you to think about is lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood. You will be surprised if you choose soft, warm lighting. That's going to be really soothing for your senses. You could use candles, you could use fairy lights, you could dim your lights, just anything that kind of creates a calming. Think about when you go to an actual spa. The lighting in there is subtle and soft and calming, and that's the type of atmosphere that you're trying to create in your at-home spa. You could also use aromatherapy. This is like think about your different senses. You want to, you know, have calming light, but you also want to smell things that help you relax. So your candle that you light that has a nice scent, or you could use essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus. Sometimes chamomile is helpful for creating a calming atmosphere. You can either diffuse these oils in a diffuser or you could add a few drops to a warm bath. If you don't have a bathtub, you could just sprinkle a few drops on the bottom of your shower so that when you're taking a hot shower, you could add that into the mix.

Speaker 1: 5:36

I'm a big bath person, so if you have a bathtub and want to take a bath, this is a great time for you to meditate. A luxurious bath could be the cornerstone of any home spa experience. Just fill the bath with warm water, put in some Epsom salts or use a bath bomb, some scented oils. You could play some soft music or nature sounds to immerse yourself in a relaxation mode. Take that time to soak, to unwind, let that warm water soothe your muscles and just melt away your stress. If you're not a bath person, you could always do the same thing in a shower, or you could create a foot soak, but you get the idea. You might also consider pampering your skin with a variety of treatments that can leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated. You might start with some gentle exfoliation with a body scrub, or you could put a new face mask on. Hydrate your skin with some moisturizer or body butter. Don't forget to get your hands and feet into the mix. That could really make you feel cared for and just reset in many, many ways.

Speaker 1: 6:51

Now another option as I mentioned earlier, you might want to add in some mindfulness or meditation into this experience. Not just taking the time to relax in the tub, but actually meditating or doing some breathing exercises. You can get lots of guided meditations on an app or on YouTube. You can do lots of breath work. You can find meditations on YouTube. So use those tools throughout. You don't want your phone to be a distraction to your quiet experience, but you know, use all the tools.

Speaker 1: 7:27

Now. Journaling can be a really therapeutic way for you to express your thoughts and emotions. It really works best if you do it regularly, but for your special self-care time, you could set aside a few minutes to write down. Just make some lists. Write down your good things that are happening to you, write down some achievements, write down things that you think are going well and help your mind reset into a more positive place, things you're thankful for. All of that could foster a more positive mindset.

Speaker 1: 7:57

Now I mentioned yoga earlier. You might want to take some time for yoga or stretching If you don't want to go into the whole yoga routine which you can find. You can stream yoga on YouTube, but if you don't want to do that, you could just turn on some quiet, calming music and just stretch your body. Just give your body a chance to stretch. This might be especially nice after you've had a hot bath, when your body is already warm. Just stretch and relax. It'll be very calming for your nervous system. Don't forget to stay hydrated. Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining your health, and you can prepare a pitcher of infused water or herbal tea, maybe some coconut water the types of things that you might find in a regular spa. You can incorporate right there at home and give yourself a little boost.

Speaker 1: 8:48

Another angle for your self-care time. I mentioned this at the beginning. If you are not a bath person, if you're not a really like a, I don't want to do a face mask. That's not what's most restorative to me. Maybe you want to think of your self-care as time that you do something creative. Maybe you want to paint, or you want to do a craft, or you want to grow some house plants, or even cooking. Sometimes people like the creation of a healthy and nourishing meal. That's a labor of love. So that might be you. So setting up your self-care day might involve gathering craft supplies or planning some time in your kitchen, but now the same concepts apply here too. You're going to ask your family for some time and some space. You're going to do some light preparation ahead of time so you're not running around feeling stressed about, oh gosh, that's not coming together. You might also add some music or lighting lighting a candle, some calming effects, so that this really is a time that restores you.

Speaker 1: 9:56

Creating a spa in your own home is a wonderful way to prioritize your self-care and to incorporate some wellness practices into your daily life. By setting the scene, you can transform your home into a serene haven and you can really promote your own relaxation and rejuvenation. So for our closing today, now that we've given you a whole overview of how to create a spa in your own home, I'm going to read a short excerpt from a little book called the Little Book of Self-Love, and it goes like this book of self-love, and it goes like this Imagine living in a world where everyone hated themselves in the workplace, in your apartment, in your neighborhood, the strangers on your street. It would be a nightmare. Self-love is essential, not only for the benefit of the one doing the self-loving, but for all of those who share their space. She who loves herself does not wait to be treated to a fancy meal. She who loves herself will assemble the ingredients herself and feed her own soul, not just with food, but with nourishing ideas and loving thoughts too. So thanks so much for joining us in our self-love fest here, creating a spa or creating some self-love practice for you. Hopefully that gave you lots of inspiration and you can apply this to your own life.

Speaker 1: 11:42

We're going to continue through winter well-being. We're going to continue the concept with a different angle next week, and we hope you'll be back to join us then too. And also speaking of love, if you are enjoying what you hear on this podcast, would you take a few minutes to just leave us a review? You can leave that on Apple or Spotify, wherever you find your podcasts, and giving us a little bit of that love can help more people find us and and we really, really appreciate it. So if you would just take a few seconds to do that, that would be great, and we hope you'll be back next week. Until next time, peace, thank you.