Moon Bath: Bathing Rituals and Recipes for Relaxation and Vitality Hardcover – September 15, 2020

What a great book for my guest bathroom. Bathing rituals and recipes for relaxation.

I have a few sacred bathing books because this concept intrigued me and I am a geek who loves to read every book I can find on a topic before experimenting. This is hands down the easiest, comprehensive, moon bath ritual book I have found. Some others have interesting but very complex rituals that create a huge mess and require heaps of expensive ingredients... or just way too many options leaving me feel a bit overwhelmed. This one is simple but lavish. I can easily assemble these "recipes" without breaking the bank or feeling like too much work is involved. I love how each ritual involves some journal prompts and a pampering activity, like suggested yoga practice or massage to try. The book is also small and beautifully bound, with tasteful photography, well written prose. I love how this book has helped me look forward to each weekly moon phase in a way that has helped me better connect with the rhythms of nature and reflect on how my own body responds and syncs to those cycles. I highly recommend this as a gift to someone you care about (especially if you were to throw in some of the ingredients for the recipes or journal for the prompts!)

I have been a “shower child” for most of my life, but this book, or guide, from Dakota Hills and Sierra Brashear provides a new perspective beyond just soaking in the tub: Bathing Rituals & Recipes for Relaxation & Vitality. This modern bathing renaissance is a journey I thought fascinating to experience uses the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, Sanskrit for “the sacred knowledge of life,” with modern healing benefits of the cycles of the moon and earthly plants. The journey’s sixteen affirmations are divided into four sections connected to the phases of the moon: New Moon, Waxing Moon, Full Moon, and Waning Moon. Each ritual has an affirmation, bath recipe using a variety of natural ingredients, journal prompts, ritual supplies, and breathing exercises, movements, and meditations to develop clarity, vitality, and balance.So, I evicted my husband from the hall bathroom and used the information from “Preparing for Your Moon Bath” to gather supplies (botanicals, essential oils, milk products, etc), create a space (clean tub, have a robe, towel, and slippers available), brew a botanical bath tea (French press is a perfect receptacle), set the mood (candles, music, no phone), check water temperature (comfort...not too hot, not too cold, just right), and then for 20-30 minutes i-m-m-e-r-s-e! No bath tub? There are suggestions for that situation, but I didn’t tell my husband...It’s always best to start one’s spiritual journey at the beginning...New Moon. Each phase of the moon is divided into Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, so start in whatever season you’re in. I found a journal book to chronicle my experience in which I wrote the date, moon phase and season, affirmation statement, alternative ingredients, if needed, and key thoughts before and after. I started with the ritual for Summer New Moon.Each moon phase within its season is organized well with an introduction to the “Intention” and “Benefits,” then a list of what items to gather, a bath recipe to brew with easy-to-follow directions. There is a “Self-Care Practice” describing stretches and poses (I started with this although in some rituals they suggest after the soak.) and suggestions to “Enhance Your Experience” like plants to remind one of nature. Last, to “Reflect” select one of the four writing prompts to include in your journal. Aaah!The hardbound book is beautiful with photos of luscious landscapes, creative tubs and bathing spaces, and several photos of the botanicals illustrating the bath recipe. The new moon was two weeks from when I started which gave me plenty of time to read the book’s introduction and the bath rituals I planned to experience. That prep made sure my ritual was a positive experience. I had a difficult time finding all the different flowers and essential oils; that could be a problem. I might have to find alternative ingredients to use for their fragrance, highlighting the season, and focusing more on the relaxation and inner meditation. The new and full moons occur on a particular day, easily managed, but the waxing and waning moon are several days. I chose the quarter waxing and quarter waning moon as my bath ritual. This gave me four bath rituals ever 28 days, then repeating each month or so. I didn’t complete the first four rituals in one moon cycle. It took two months to do them, but it was enjoyable, and I plan to continue.Disclosure: I received an ARC from Chronicle Books thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.

I ordered this as a gift for my sister’s birthday, and she loved it. The content is beautiful and special, and it makes a gorgeous addition to any coffee table, dresser or night stand. There was slight wear and tear when it arrived (it was in a large box with no wrapping) so I’m knocking off a star for that. Amazon customer service responded well, though, and gave me a 20 percent discount when I told them what happened.

I loved Moon Bath by Dakota Hills and Sierra Brashear. I was able to download a free ARC of this and I am so excited for its release in September! This is a copy that I will be proud to add to my collection. It is filled with beautiful art and positive affirmations that are sure to lift anyone’s spirits! Not only that, but the advice is practical and helpful. I like that bathing is ritualized in this book and I am so excited to put this book to practice! As a Cancer I feel really connected to the moon, and this book makes it really easy to connect to the moon while at the same time practicing self-care. I really love that the mind-body connection is being focused on in this book, connecting nature to the self in one swoop. It covers everything from the moon phase and season to the importance of the water and oils you use, breaking it down and making it really easy and fun to understand and personalize your moon bathing experience!

This book was perfect for my inner witch, I wrote down so many things I want to try and implement in my bathing rituals. I love how it focuses on self-care and I cannot wait to try some of these rituals :)

I LOVE the idea of ritual bathing and using herbs and natural ingredients - but unless you own an apothecary, you’ll never be able to make all or even most of the recipes in this book. I would come close some times and even bought an herbalist started kit on Etsy but I still never had most of the ingredients for each moon cycle. I wish the authors would put together a kit to make each bath tincture. Otherwise it actually feels like toxic consumerism where unless I go out and buy something you can’t have the prescribed spiritual experience… which is supposed to be the antithesis of this book.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed the recipes in here and how simple it was for me to be able to put some of them together. There were also prompts for journaling which I enjoyed. I am not really a bath person, but this was a nice way to maybe get back into the habit of slowing down and relaxing a little more. It was a way for me to get out of my own head for a moment or two.