Step 3:
On a Saturday morning, round up your kiddo(s) and head to the gym. Yes, you will want to just lazy around the house before you have to rally for basketball practice or that classmate’s birthday party, but actually you will just end up stressing out that the laundry basket is overfilled and there are no matching socks left and the only wrapping paper you have is holiday-themed on one side, and will the birthday kid notice? Forget about all of that for right now and get your butt out the door! Even if you only have one hour that will do.
What to pack? Give your kid some Cheerios in a bag and a juice box. Bring a change of clothes, whatever you usually use post-shower, your aforementioned supplies and anything you want to read in hard copy (books, newspapers, magazines — electronics aren’t allowed in the sauna, and don’t sneak it in or you will spend the whole time checking your email). And be sure to call ahead to make sure you don’t have to reserve babysitting — nothing is worse than arriving only to find the child care center is full.
Drop your little one(s) off at childcare and head to the main workout area. You know the one with all of the trainers and the weird equipment that looks like a hardware store. Just do whatever they are doing! I’m only sort-of kidding. Do some push-ups, some weights, whatever works for your body and feels good. I do a combo of these things and some yoga asanas. Workout for 20 minutes max and then head to locker room. Don’t worry it’s not time to go yet! We’re just getting started!
Head to the locker room with your supplies and snag some magazines if you didn’t pack a book. Take off your clothes and wrap yourself in a towel (or two). Wash your face with the scrub and towel it off. Fill your spritzer with some water and drop a few drops of the oil into the spray bottle and maybe put sone on your wrists, temples and forehead too. Bring the spritzer into the sauna and have at it. Spritz your face, shoulders, back, everywhere!
Read or just close your eyes and sit in the silence. If you get bored or start thinking of your to-do list, listen to what Oprah told us and turn that frown upside-down by creating a gratitude list.
Soak it in (literally spend some time in the hot tub if there is one) and when there’s 15 minutes left to your hour (that’s right math nerds, I’ve allocated 20 minutes to working out and 25 minutes to relaxing), then shower and get dressed.
Your pores will be open having just sweat out whatever it is that happens when you sweat so use that opportunity to purge it all out with a second round of exfoliation and then fill your skin with whatever lotions or potions you regularly use. Except they will feel so much better because you just moved your body and relaxed it.
Pick up your kid(s) feeling so fresh and so clean. You will go home and still hate doing the laundry but you won’t resent your kid for going through so many clothes and you’ll have a peaceful glow at that kid’s birthday party (at least for the first few minutes, pre-piñata).
Step 4:
Rinse and repeat! Every morning of every weekend just do it! Continue increasing your number of push-ups — soon you’ll be doing half pull-ups on the monkey bars. You will get to know the (hopefully) wonderful people who work in the childcare center. You will get to know the frequent flyers of the sauna. They will appreciate your lovely scent and be inspired to invest in their own essential oils!
You can do this. Print it out if you must. Share it with your friends and commit to heading to low-budget saunas (I mean, gyms!) in your respective cities. Because lavender oil rocks and you do too.
See more at The New York Times
