The root of disease or discomfort we experience on the physical level starts as a blockage or thought-form—a dis-ease—in our energy body. Around each of us is an aura containing our spiritual, mental, emotional selves, our blueprint and our physical body. When we reiki ourselves we fill our energy body with reiki’s universal energy. As we heal, our energy body uses the reiki to push our block or thought-form out of the system. This is why sometimes the body will suddenly change reactions to a disease when reiki is used. That sore neck of yours could suddenly become a release of your feelings of being overwhelmed, changing again to the thoughts that made it up, and then releasing into spirit as the lesson of not being so attached to the outcome so you don’t waste all your time worrying.
My first reiki teacher would say that as we healed with reiki, the complex or block that created it would move outward from our physical into the emotional, mental, and then spiritual body. To help it release she suggested a bath in traditionally cleansing additives. Bathing for spiritual cleansing is a part of many traditions. Some even have baths designed to bring about certain manifestations. In this blog I am only going to use the ones I have personally found very cleansing.
The one my reiki teacher suggested was to put a handful of epsom salts in the bath after it had been charged with reiki for cleansing and healing. I love this simple bath. Epsom salts are helpful for aches and pains as well. You can make a cleansing salt scrub with epsom salts and a little olive oil so you can do this process in the shower, just avoid any sensitive areas. Epsom salts can also be used in a foot bath for an ingrown toenail. It is a wonderfully spiritually cleansing bath. I will sometimes add a little reiki-charged sea salt which is also cleansing, and some baking soda which gives the water a great feel to it. This can be pretty drying to the skin, however, so drink lots of water and moisturize!
The other way she presented to do a healing bath is to use a cup of apple cider vinegar in the bath water. My mom used to say you could use apple cider vinegar “to clean a brick”. This is true on the spiritual level as well as the physical. An apple cider vinegar bath has a pleasant feeling on the skin and helps you get spiritually clean as well. You can combine the epsom salts with it, but it doesn’t need it.
I’ve picked up a few other spiritually cleansing baths over the years. Hyssop is said in the Bible and other traditions to make you “as pure as snow”. Put a tablespoon in about three cups of boiling water and let it steep for a couple of minutes. Strain the liquid from the herb. Put this into the water in your bath to get spiritually clean. Hyssop is said to help those who feel guilty, to bring forgiveness, and to make you spiritually cleansed.
Another way to help you cleanse is to put a little Florida water into the bath. This perfume has been used by multiple traditions to cleanse and also to bless. The citrus and floral scents bring out the energies of cleansing and blessing. You can get the manufactured one in a botanica or online. I like to make my own. There are many different recipes and ways to make it.
The most important part of doing any of these spiritual cleansing baths is to reiki charge the ingredients and set your intention to aid you to clear and cleanse yourself. I like to draw the symbols for empowerment, emotional healing, and distant healing over the bath. Then I will say something like “I charge this bath to cleanse me on all levels of anything harmful and fill in its place with healing universal energy for my highest healing good.” Then get in and relax and let the stress of the day just wash away!
