10-Minute Spa Meditation Guide for Mental Health Awareness Week

The past 12 months have been a particularly difficult and stressful time for many across the globe. If you’re experiencing heightened feelings of anxiousness or sadness, then you’re not alone. Data from nationally representative surveys show the percentage of people experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety has surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Source: Office for National Statistics (UK data); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US data).

But how can we go about managing these feelings in a healthy way? There’s certainly no instant cure to any mental health issue, but gradually instilling healthy habits into your daily routine will certainly help. Regularly soaking in a hot tub has tonnes of physical health benefits, for example, it reduces muscle tension and promotes a better sleeping pattern, but it can also hugely benefit your mental health. Combine a spa with meditation, and you’re likely to have one of the most calming and beneficial experiences of your life. 

This year, mental Health Awareness Week takes place from the 10th to the 16th of May. To help join the fight for mental health, we’re inviting you to immerse yourself in our 10-minute Hot Tub Meditation Guide. Every step is beginner-friendly, so even if you’ve never meditated before, you won’t have any problems giving it a go. (Practise makes perfect!) 

Step One: Get Comfortable 

Find a comfortable position in your spa. (We recommend sitting cross-legged with your spine nice and straight.) Don’t worry too much about this, the beauty of hot tub meditation is that the natural buoyancy of your body will make any position even more comfortable than outside of the water. 

Step Two: Focus on Your Breathing 

Close your eyes and take a couple of very deep and slow breaths. (Most people find it helpful to count from 1-5. However, you may not be able to reach 5 at first.) Let your breaths flow deep down into your stomach as is comfortable but don’t force anything. As you exhale, focus on relaxing your body. Repeat this for 5 minutes. 

Top Tip: Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

Step Three: Imagine Your Favourite Place / A Relaxing Scene 

Imagine the most relaxing scene you can think of. This may be a real place, for example, your favourite beach, or it could be completely made up. We find that imagining yourself near a peaceful lake or in a lazy river works well as you’re already floating in water! 

Step Four: Work Through Your Senses 

Once you can fully picture yourself in your relaxing scene, begin to focus on your other senses. What can you hear? Are there any scents in the air? Can you feel anything? Is there anyone else with you? Take 10 minutes to enjoy your beautiful, relaxing place. Soak up every detail and find your inner peace! 

Step Five: Slowly Open Your Eyes 

Once you feel totally relaxed and ready to get out of your spa, gradually open your eyes and adjust yourself to your surroundings. Whenever you feel anxious or stressed, you can always return to your relaxing place. 

Although meditating in your hot tub won’t completely solve a problem, it can certainly help you regulate any negative emotions you’re feeling. If you have a hot tub (or even a bath), hop in the warm water and give this a go!