Luxury at Home
By Kathy Gruver - LMT, RM, NHC, MS in Natural Health &  Doctorate in Traditional Naturopathy 

Nothing beats a day at the spa. Relaxing environment, facial, pedicure, good deep tissue massage, a tinkling fountain, and ambient music. But in this economic environment, an expensive day out might not be on the top of your list. What can you do at home to keep your health and relaxation at its peak? Here are a few suggestions.

Soak Your Cares Away - Nothing says relaxation like a hot bath and a good book. For achy muscles, use inexpensive Epsom salts available at most drug and health food stores. These are mainly the mineral magnesium which has been shown to relax muscles and flush toxins. Add a scented bath oil or bubble bath for aromatherapy enhancement. Using natural products will benefit your body and your skin more. Inhaling chemicals from the steam and soaking in bi-products shouldn’t be included with your bath time. If you don’t have a tub, some gyms and YMCAs will offer day passes, most of which include a Jacuzzi or hot tub. An affordable way to “take the waters”. 

Table Talk - Just because it’s dinner at home for you and your spouse, or you alone, doesn’t mean it has to be paper napkins and the “everyday” plates. Light some candles, use the good silver and crystal, and enjoy your meal at home like it was a five-star dinner out. Try a new recipe, make up a menu and serve it professionally. It can be fun to try out new foods and make it feel like luxury dining in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Pamper Party - Invite a few girlfriends over and take turns treating each other to manicures and pedicures. It’s a great way to relax and bond, and try out new shades of polish. You can also do the same thing with mini-facials. Beauty supply stores and most drug stores sell home face scrubs, masks and toners. I personally love Burt’s Bees products. Have everyone bring their favorite product and make it a pot luck lunch. Experiment with what you like and treat your gal-pals to an affordable day of beauty at your place.

Rub Me the Right Way - There are plenty of massage tools on the market that are specifically for self-care. When in doubt, roll around on a golf or tennis ball. When working with massage tools, use care in trying them out on other people though. Since you can’t feel the tissue, you have a greater chance of hurting them.  If you want to do a full body massage on your partner, light some candles, put on some soft music and rub away! If you’re not sure what to do or are afraid of hurting yourself or them, I have a new instructional DVD that can teach you a basic massage at home that’s safe and effective. It can be found on my website: www.healingcirclemassage.com/instructional_dvd and will be available in time for Mother’s Day. The perfect gift!

Work Those Muscles - Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated to exercise, especially at home and not in the normal “gym” environment. This is a good time to turn your housework into fitness. Do lunges while you vacuum and curls with your groceries. Then when you’re relaxing for the night in front of the TV, sit on the floor and stretch. See if you can make it through a whole block of commercials doing sit ups or crunches. Sometimes these little tricks can keep us going. It’s so important to use our bodies, take this little bit of time everyday for your health.

Tea’d Off - How about organizing a high tea for your friends? Have everyone wear an outrageous hat, cut the crusts off some cucumber sandwiches and balance little plates on your lap. Make everyone try out a British accent. Give a prize for the craziest hat or best/worst accent. Organizing theme parties like this at home can be a great way to reconnect with friends or meet new friends of friends. Parties don’t have to cost a lot of money and you don’t have to leave the house to have a good time.

Playing Around - Invite everyone you know for a game night. Have your guests bring their favorite board game, have a few card tables set up, and play the night away. A great to way cut loose, relax and pretend you’re a kid again. Why shouldn’t grown ups have play dates too?

Whatever you choose to do at home, make your relaxation frequent and your health a priority!


Kathy Gruver on Blend Radio
Kathy was a featured guest on Ultimate Living quality of life radio which aired on March 23, 2009. To meet the rest of the guests and listen to the entire show, please click here. To listen to her interview about ‘self-care’ please double click on the play button below.