Dakota Hills - Moon bath : bathing rituals + recipes for relaxation + vitality

For you,
wild moon child.

Text copyright 2020 by Dakota Hills + Sierra Brashear.
Photographs copyright 2020 by Emily Nathan.
Photographs pages copyright 2020 by Erica Thompson.
Illustrations copyright 2020 by Real Fun, Wow!

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-8477-7 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-7972-0037-8 (epub, mobi)

Design by Lizzie Vaughan.
Prop styling by Stephanie Eburah.
Photography assisting by Daniel Dent.
Ceramics in recipe photography by Beau Rush.
Typeset in Europa and Lulo.

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Consider this an open invitation to mindfully connect with yourself and the Earth. Whether you enjoy a bath every day or consider it an occasional luxury, we hope to inspire you to carve out time in your life for youbecause who couldnt use a little more of that? When you create space to immerse yourself in a Moon Bath, you engage in a radical act of lovelove for your divine self and for the natural world.

Think of this book as a map that offers guidance and inspiration, but ultimately it is your journeythere is no wrong way to spend time with yourself. Theres a lot of juicy wisdom packed into these pages, and our desire is that you slowly savor each ritual, allowing them to gently permeate your being. But before we dive in, let us share a little about ourselves and how we came to discover moon bathing.

We werent always such believers in the power of ritual bathing. We were first inspired by a friend whose ornate baths seemed to transport her to other realms, and she came back glowing. We needed to know everythingwe wondered, Can bathing actually connect us to the cosmos? Then we tried it. And who knew?! Turns out that tuning in to the guiding force of the moon, setting an aligned intention, and immersing ourselves in warm, herbaceous waters was the medicine we never knew we needed.

Dakota was on her yoga mat during the height of a Scorpio Full Moon when it struck herfor her next mission, she would inspire others to create space for these epic bathing rituals, and the name Moon Bath was beamed in from the stars. Meanwhile, Sierra was on a weekend getaway at her childhood home in the Rocky Mountains, having a bath, and blissing out. She recalled an Ayurvedic teaching that hailed the benefits of immersing yourself in water, salt, and intention, and she thought, The modern world needs to know about this ancient magic!

Our company, Moon Bath, was created out of a desire to connect more deeply with ourselves and the planet, and we set out on a shared mission to help ignite the modern bathing renaissance. With our desire to absorb the vast healing benefits of plants through our skin, we loved the idea of turning our bathtub into a warm tea, adding a little milk and honey, and then steeping ourselves to drink in the earthly goodness. Combining the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with modern intuitive alchemy, we created Earth-integrated bathing rituals that inspire us to tune inward and reconnect.

Despite the allure of the modern world, with all its shiny toys and digital distractions, we are collectively craving a reconnection with the divine influence of the natural world. When we take a moment to pause, we recognize that magic is alive in the places we sometimes forget to lookin the rhythms and elements of nature. The rising and setting of the sun each day, the waxing and waning of the moon each month, and the yearly cycle of the seasons are all an invitation to remember the cosmic clock that guides our existence. The qualities of the five elementsether, air, fire, water, and earthare present both within us and in the cycles of the natural world around us.

Ayurveda, Indias ancient healing science, reminds us that when we harmonize our internal rhythms and elements with the cycles of the Earth, our intrinsic wellness arises. With this awareness, the rhythms of the lunar and seasonal cycles become a powerful road map for our well-being, helping to guide us on our journey.

The four phases of the lunar cycleNew, Waxing, Full, and Waningcorrelate to each of the Earths four seasons and the elements that influence them. The seasons are a palpable shift we witness as the planet cycles through the process of life and death. Often we feel the effects of the change in moon cycle and season in our energy level, desire to be social, or instinct to go inward. Remember that time you were out and the vibe was a little low? You might be able to blame it on the introspective new moonnext time, stay home and get cozy! Our bodies and minds are affected by the cycles of the moon, and when we listen, we live our best lives.

The collective desire to heal and reconnect with the planet has catalyzed the arrival of the modern bathing renaissance. In our pursuit, we are invited to explore our intuition as a connection to natures guidance through moon bathing: the concept of bathing with botanicals in alignment with the Earths rhythms, using the lunar cycle as a guide.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how you can create a beautiful Moon Bath ritual, lets first go back in time and honor the water element. Revisiting the age-old wisdom that has guided our ancestors for centuries empowers us to return to our roots and journey onward with reverence.