This little piece of wood can raise the vibration of an army.

I burn Palo Santo wood (aka: Holy Wood) whenever I’m about to do energy work or meditate.  The wood is native to Central America, including Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, as well as Colombia, Ecuador, the Galapagos, and Peru.  The wood is considered sacred in these areas so harvesting can only be done by permit and under strict government supervision.  The oil from the trees are only collected once the tree dies.  The wood matures the longer it is dead, which yields a more potent essential oil.

Palo Santo trees Photograph by Peter v. Sengbusch

Creating a new scent for my Hamam Body bath salts requires some tools!  My most important tool is the plant Sage (in case you were wondering what that dried bundle of “huh” was on the right side of the photo).  I always cleanse my work area (aka: the dining room) by burning Sage, which is a native California shrub.  It’s considered sacred to Native Americans, and Shamans.  I use it to energetically purify the area and it helps getting me into my Om Zone.  I believe that what I put into the salts will be felt by the people who use them on some level.

Fresh white sage...note how fuzzy it is, it feels soft like a caterpillar.

So, I make sure that I’m feeling well, happy, and in a meditative state while I am creating- so good vibes are surrounding my work.  Even down to the music I listen to while working…I play classical or meditation music in the background.  I won’t touch the salts, oils, or containers if I’m having an off moment…Only the best for my friends, family and customers.

Imagine this joint filled with Men or Women who converge to socialize and to get away from it all.

A Hamam is a Turkish public bath house.  It is a place where people get together for social interaction, hold special rites of passage events, gossip, wash their bodies etc.

Step 1- People start by warming up in a warm steam room before moving to the hot room. After a session in the hot room, the bather dunks into a chilly plunge and then exfoliates with a rough mitt. People may get a massage, or rub themselves down with oils, shave, and perform other beauty tasks in the hamam.  Bath attendants are usually available to provide towels and other tools, along with massages.

Step 2-After the cold plunge and massage, bathers move into a cooling room to normalize their body temperatures before leaving the bath house. At all stages of the process, people interact with another and offer help with bathing tasks.  While in the hamam, many people wear traditional wooden sandals to keep their feet off the floor, and in some hamams people also wear wraps over their bodies.