Ritual Baths & Teas: A History

Ritual bathing is nothing new. It is something that can be done for specific reasons or incorporated into regular routines and practices. There are multiple different physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits to Herbal bath teas.

From ancient times through the Middle Ages, different nations of the Mediterranean and Near East used aromatic herbal baths widely for medical purposes. Over time this practice, which began in Ancient Egypt and Babylon. It was further developed by famous Greek scholars and practitioners, spread throughout Southern Europe and the Near East and, later, influenced medical practices in Western Europe.

Herbal baths, which were highly valued by the ancients, are not completely forgotten today. Modern science proves that bathing can relieve muscle tension, dilate blood vessels, and slow the heart rate. Herbs can contribute to these benefits. Bathing with infusions of fragrant herbs is used traditionally to treat many diseases, may eliminate physical and mental tiredness, and is beneficial for the skin and hair.

Inspired by the herbal bath practices of the Ancient Egyptians, the Greek physician Hippocrates, revered as the Father of Medicine (460-377 B.C.E.), extensively studied the benefits of bathing as a treatment protocol for illnesses. He was the first to coin the term “hydropathy,” which later led to the more commonly known term hydrotherapy, or water cure. Scholars recommended tea baths for reproductive, urinary, and intestinal disorders, skin diseases and allergies, poisonous animal stings, as well as nervous and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, tea baths were known to treat stress, anxiety, colds, bad moods, and fatigue, invigorating the circulatory system and putting both the mind and body at ease