By Denise Everheart
Want a spa day for your mind? Here are some sound baths and mental bubble baths to get your mind and body ahh’s, without running water!
Did you know that January 8th in any year is National Bubble Bath Day!?! It was news to me too! Since I had previously led mental bubble bath meditations for groups of women, I thought today was the perfect day to share how you too can enjoy various mental bubble baths for the ultimate self-care experience and give your mind some TLC as well as your body!
Types of mental bubble baths
What if you could give your mind a mental bubble bath with all of the relaxing qualities of a real bubble bath without running a tub full of water and bubbles?!? Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it!? Here are 4 types of mental bubble baths for you to try:
1. Sound Baths
What is the sound you make when you first immerse yourself in a warm bubble bath? Ahhhhhhhh! Stress just starts to melt away! Then comes Uuuuuuuuu! Your body begins to relax! And after that comes Mmmmmm! Welcome to the present moment!
The sounds of ahhhhhh, uuuuuu, and mmmmm are also the individual sounds that when blended together become Om (Aum)! Om is the perfect vehicle for setting up a meditative mental bubble bath.
The most powerful sound bath I have ever experienced is a combination of Om and two other Sanskrit words- Namah and Shivaya. These sounds correlate with the 5 elements. Na= Earth, Ma= Water, Shi= Fire, Va= Air, and Ya= Space. Om Namah Shivaya is a powerful mantra for both the mind and the environment. Here’s a recording to enjoy a unique sound bath, sing along or just sit back and chill. It will leave you feeling like you’re floating in the sky!
Another favorite sound bath is Philip Fraser’s Dissolve, check it out here and immerse yourself in beautiful flute music perfect for relaxing and gaining a calm meditative mind.
2. Guided Meditations
One of the nicest aspects of a warm bubble bath is that there is nothing to do, just soak and let go. A guided meditation can do that for you too! Just let the voice guiding the meditation do all the work. Before you know it, stress will be melting away.
Try out The Top 22 Online Guided Meditations for Stress, Anger, Sleep and More.
You can also try this meditation app, the Art of Living Journey app for guided meditations, and more.
3. Breathwork
Breathing techniques are more than just a self-care trend! They give us a wide range of mental and physical health benefits. Using breathwork is an especially easy way to have a ‘virtual’ mental bubble bath anywhere you are, and soothe your tired mind. If your goal is relaxation try these breathing exercises:
A. Alternate nostril breath is a popular breathing technique in yoga studios. Alternate nostril breath (ANB) leaves you feeling light, airy, and refreshed. You can use ANB anytime, but it is most often used before and after meditation. To learn how to do ANB watch this video.
B. Bee breath is the perfect breath tool for reducing frustration in the moment. It might also make you laugh! Find yourself a private place to practice and watch this video to learn how to do bee breath.
C. Ocean breath has many names and is also commonly used in yoga studios during asanas (yoga postures). The reason this pranayama is often referred to as ocean breath is that the sound you make during this breathing exercise is similar to the sound of the ocean.
Think back to a hot summer day when you were able to enjoy an ice-cold lemonade. What was the sound you made after taking a big drink? Ahhhhhh. Make the sound now- ahhhhhh. Did you feel it in the back of your throat? Now close your mouth and make the same sound inhaling and exhaling. This is ocean breath!
D. For more breathwork check out, Stock Your Survival Kit with these 7 Relaxing Breathing Exercises.
4. Breath-based Meditation
Just like with a bubble bath, we come out squeaky clean- we can use a more powerful breath-based meditation for a mind and body inner cleanse. SKY Breath Meditation is that perfect blend of mental hygiene, physical health benefits, and that deep sigh of relaxation that we all seek! SKY is the ultimate mental bubble bath!
Here are just some of the benefits of a SKY Breath Meditation practice:
52% reduction in stress hormones
Greater mental focus
21% increase in life satisfaction
Significant decrease in both clinical and non-clinical depression and anxiety
Enhanced deep sleep
33% increase in immune cell count
Reduced addictive behaviors
Healthier blood pressure
Increased optimism and joy
And more...
All these amazing benefits aside, one of the main reasons I practice SKY every day because of how it FEELS! You really must experience this ultimate mental bubble bath! It’s better than a spa day!
Before your next real bubble bath or mental bubble bath, sign up for a Beyond Breath online session to learn more about SKY Breath Meditation! A trained instructor will teach you a breathing technique and led you through a guided meditation, all for free. Wanna dive right into your SKY mental bubble bath? Click here to sign up now!
Denise Everheart is a freelance writer, breath meditation coach, party planner, and recipe designer. Follow her @everheartstudio4meditation and @celeplateyourlife on Instagram.
