The Home Spa Session

Taking care of your mind and body means making time for yourself. I combine both ayurvedic practices and my oils resulting in a wonderful array of different, aromatic, soothing preparations with which to treat myself. 

For a home spa session, I start by making the bed and laying what I will wear afterwards so there are no distractions during the pampering. First decision is whether to include my hair in the treatment. If not up it goes and around goes the towelling headband. I look the part for a spa event now! Layout your fluffly face cloth, dampen your face and start with the sugar scrub on your face. Look at yourself in the mirror while you do this part and say kind words to yourself. In your head is good, out loud is better - it’s magic to hear the affirmations. You’ve given yourself this time to show appreciation and love for your body, be happy.

Sugar scrub - simply white sugar and Ylang Ylang essential oil - 36 drops.  I made this up at a Christmas Make and Take hosted by Lisa Matthews. I ignored it for a couple of months then - wow - tried it out and fell in love. The sugar has been totally infused by the oil so you feel a delighful scrubbiness on your skin that is smooth and easy to spread. Instead of the expected dryness once the sugar crystals have dissolved you discover soft, supple and moisturised skin. In the shower it’s a great way to prepare your body for the self massage you will go onto afterwards. By exfoliating your arms and legs with the sugar scrub and your hands, you’ll understand which parts of your body will need that extra love during the massage.

Oil mix for body - After the shower, gently pat yourself dry. During the colder months, I heat the oil a little in a little set up I bought from my local Indian food store using a tea light candle. The base of the mix is cold pressed organic sesame oil. I couldn’t find a source for it in New Zealand so bought 5 litres of it from Banyan Botanicals, Australia. I was originally introduced to this wonderful oil after a consultation and dosha reading in Sydney by the Ayurvedic Medicine Man, Benjamin Haynes. The Sanskrit word “sneha” can mean both love and oil - embracing the concept that you are wrapping yourself up in love with an oil self massage. There are several descriptions available for self massage and they often describe them taking place before a shower. Personally I like to wear my oils all day; my skin absorbs the sesame oil base making me the “well oiled machine” embracing the new day.

I start with my tummy, large clockwise circles. This area becomes my ‘oil source’ so to speak - my loading platform for enough oil on my hands to then bend forward consciously and rub the backs of my thighs, enjoying the yoga forward fold as you do this. More oil from the source for circles around the knees. Send love to your knee joints and spend time thanking them for all the work they do for you - mobility is a gift to cherish. Spread the oil to your calves now and deepen your forward bend. Your muscles are warm from the shower, and the oiled backs of your legs are happy to stretch a little more for you. I extend the oil to the tops of my feet and say hello to my toes. ( I do the soles of my feet as a night time ritual - feels funny all day otherwise.) Rolling gently upwards, bending at the knees, run your hands along the front of your thighs - add more oil if needed - masage these powerful muscles with long strokes full of strength and love. Spread the oil to your buttocks in upward strokes. You’ll end up back at your stomach by way of these uplifting long strokes. Keep the upward flow as you oil your breasts. Take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror now as you massage your chest and neck area. I start my arms by loading the oil firstly onto the backs of my arms. This is a dryer area for me - long circular strokes encompass my shoulders and elbows and underams. Forearms and hands are last but by no means forgotten. I love my hands - they are so important for my whole life, I’m so grateful to have them. The essential oils I have added to the sesame oil base change as the mood takes me. Currently I have ginger, grapefruit, juniper berry and (always) frankinscence.

Vicco Tumeric Cream This Ayurvedic formula comes out of the handy orange tube like a creamy golden mousse. It’s all natural, chemical free and absorbs rapidly. I dot it onto my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, then load my fingertips with my oil blend for the face and spread the combination around my face and neck. It blends beautifully. On its own I feel a little face tightening which can be a desired sensation on occasion, but I prefer to lessen this feeling with the addition of the oils.

VLCC Liquorice Cold Cream This delighful cream is enriched with rose petals and liquorice extracts to nourish, heal, and soften even the roughest and dryest skin. I use this as my night cream. It absorbs beautifully and is a great carrier for a drop or two of frankinscence essential oil. “Sweet dreams are made of this” - classic lyrics, thanks Eurythmics.

The oil blends I make up using recyled glass bottles and doppers. The body blend is in an old glass maple sugar bottle which was too cute to just throw out. The blend includes cold pressed organic sesame oil as my base due to my strong Vata (Ayurvedic dosha), which creates dryness and cold. The sesame oil is easily absorbed and brings heat to my neglected extremities. Coconut oil which is more cooling, is recommended for those who are Pitta or Kapha.

For more information regarding which essential oil to add to your mixes, please take a look at my Doterra website:

https://www.mydoterra.com/helenasims/#/