Spa rituals are one of my favourite steps to take wellbeing to the next level.

Why? Because they benefit skin, mind AND body!

It’s amazing how even just one hour of self-care can change the way you feel.

In today’s Step 5 I’ll share:

1. The transformative power of spa rituals.

2. How to create a spa ritual to match your needs.

3. My simple trick to include spa rituals into my wellbeing regime each week
to boost energy, lower stress and even regulate hormones.

Why are home spa rituals beneficial for wellbeing?

In addition to the obvious benefits of caring for your skin to boost its health, home spa rituals also play a key part in balancing your nervous system. Regardless of our gender, we all have a masculine and feminine side, each which adjusts our release of hormones.

Our masculine side is what we connect with when we are working hard, being strong or undergoing stress (fight or flight mode).

Our feminine side is the opposite- we let go and connect with softness. Connecting with our feminine side helps reset our nervous system. It’s amazing how different we can feel in a short time after some self-care.

DID YOU KNOW STRESS AFFECTS WOMEN DIFFERENTLY?

One of the effects of stress is it robs us of our connection with our soft side and makes us sacrifice self-care. Stress connects us with our strong side, so we can fight through- and the more we do this, the more disconnected we become to feeling radiant, feminine beauty.  And as women particularly, we give so much to others that we often forget to leave time to care for ourselves. Women have a special stress response that overrides “Fight or Flight”.. it’s called "Tend and Befriend”. It's prompted by a hormone called “oxytocin” (often called the “Hug Hormone”.) 

Women release more oxytocin than men, and the higher the levels we have in our bodies, the less stress affects us. The great news is- oxytocin is released in rituals of self-care! And even more interestingly, did you know we release oxytocin even just planning and anticipating self-care?

Commit to a regular spa day each week:

At iKOU we encourage a movement called “Sunday Spa Day” where we each choose a day of the week to incorporate a home spa ritual into your week.

My day is Sunday- and I give my spa day a name- “Sunday Spa Day” as a reminder of this appointment with myself.

Sunday afternoon is the perfect time for me to make an hour for myself. I have the washing done, the house organised and meal prep on track for the week ahead, and it’s my reward to switch off and relax.

Having a regular pattern of choosing a day you can find even just one hour for a spa ritual ensures you have consistency. You might choose a home facial, a hot bath and body scrub or warm a deep conditioner for a relaxing scalp massage. Even better still- combine all of the above!

*Remember- consistency of all the 5 Steps to commit to your wellbeing is where you get the results- and even just anticipating an appointment you have for self-care releases feel good hormones!
Customise your spa ritual to your needs - skin and mind:
iKOU spa rituals aren’t simply for beauty and skin health- we also incorporate aromatherapy benefits
for mind health as an integral part of our product creation.

To start- Ask yourself how you are feeling right now?
Next- Ask yourself how you want to feel?

HOW YOU FEEL --> HOW YOU WANT TO FEEL

Stressed and Overwhelmed --> Calm and Grounded
Tired and Unfocused --> Energised and Clear
Low Self Esteem --> Radiant and Vibrant

iKOU Spa Rituals begin by choosing the products that match your intention to create the way you would like to feel.

The ritual may be as simple as a single product applied with a series of
sacred techniques, through to a full spa experience with a collection of products and candles.

Each ritual incorporates aromatherapy to shift your mood. The techniques used also match your mood,
they may be invigorating and energising for example, or invite you to slow down and relax.

We’ve included “Rituals” pages on our website where you can learn tips and tools to create rituals for the
most common wellbeing needs of skin, mind and body. Dive into our website regularly to find ways to match your needs -
we cover spa and wellbeing rituals for sleep, stress, energy and more!

Make your commitment to including spa rituals in your week.
What day will you choose?
This is the last of the 5 STEPS to commit to your wellbeing.

Don’t be hard on yourself if you lose track of any steps. Remind yourself that consistency counts.

Start with the small steps consistently, and each will give you energy for the next.

I am cheering you on to make a commitment to your wellbeing to be the healthiest and happiest version of “YOU” that you can, no matter what your circumstances in life.

This is your journey- don’t wait for the perfect time to start.

The perfect time is now!

x Naomi
MAKE YOUR WELLBEING COMMITMENT FOR 2023

About Naomi Whitfeld

Naomi Whitfeld is the Founder of iKOU and author of the book "Energise your life".

Her passion for inspiring others to live a life of wellness & joy shines through in everything she does.

As an intuitive Aromatherapist, Naomi incorporates mind & body benefits into all she creates, believing we respond best when we treat as a 'whole".

Winner of the Telstra Business Women's Award for "Entrepreneur of the Year", and "Wellness Warrior of the Year" in the Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Awards, Naomi has a particular interest in supporting busy women to enjoy rituals of self-care on a daily basis.