A lovely way to wind down at the end of a day is to create for yourself this lovely ayurvedic footbath and include it into your evening ritual each night before bedtime. By drawing the circulation to the feet, we draw restless thoughts and stress out of the head and the aromas of herbs and bath salts provide relaxation through the sense of smell.
- Boil some water and pour into your bowl with a small pouch of any of the following herbs: lavender, sage, rosemary. (You can also use essential oils if you like and flower petals for visual indulgence).
- Leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
- Add cold water, if necessary, to reach a comfortable temperature but this should ideally be as hot as you can take it.
- Soak your feet for at least 5–10 minutes until your feet feel warm all the way through. Ideally stay for 20minutes for optimum relaxation. No books, phones or other activities here, just relax.
Dry your feet thoroughly before tucking yourself up in bed. Lying on your right side can help open your left nostril for increased airflow, which is believed to activate the right side of the brain and promote feelings of safety, ease, and sleepiness.