Once upon a time, a home spa was considered a luxury, an indulgence for the rich and famous. That is no longer the case. A home spa can now be considered, along with natural supplements, good nutrition and exercise, an important strategy for maintaining good health, reducing stress and living a long and healthy life. How could a home spa contribute to your good health?

In a Newsweek article entitled ?The Good Heart?, Anne Underwood writes that ?mounting evidence suggests that your psychological outlook is just as important? to maintaining cardiovascular health as is diet and exercise (October 17, 2005, p 35). Deepak Chopra has long taught about the mind/body connection and that ?if the forces inside us are kept in harmony and balance with the surrounding environment, we can be immune to illness?. He writes that ?In Ayurveda we rely on the basic principle that any disorder can be prevented as long as balance is maintained not just in the body, but in the mind and spirit as well? (Perfect Health: The Complete Mind Body Guide, p 17).

Thus, it appears that science is catching up to ancient wisdom as researchers attempt to quantify the effects the mind has on the body as it relates to heart patients. In fact, writes Underwood, ?doctors are finding that psychosocial factors pose far greater risks than they previously realized. Depression at least doubles an otherwise healthy person?s heart attack risk? (37).

So, why not make time for yourself on a regular basis to indulge in a personal care routine that can help maintain a healthy mindset, reduce stress and keep your skin and hair healthy and glowing? Such a routine, that consistently contributes to an overall better balance between your mind, body and life overall?

You might ask, ?Do I have to pay a lot of money to make a home spa in my house?? The answer is a resounding, ?No?. It is not necessary to tear out the old bathroom and spend thousands of dollars to install a new one with a whirlpool bath, fancy fixtures and a sauna or bidet.

Even if your home boasts only one teeny bathroom, you have just the right space to begin. It is possible to transform the smallest bathroom into one with a spa feeling; one that pampers your senses and creates a calm refuge from the outside world.

First you?ll want to create the environment by making your space special. Get rid of clutter; master it, corral it into interesting containers or reorganize closet space to hold yet more. Try to keep this room ?white glove? clean. Add pictures of a loved one or of a treasured scene from a favorite trip. Find a spot for a flower arrangement or some Lucky Bamboo. Do you have a favorite piece of pottery or crystal? Let it hold your make-up, wash clothes or a selection of soaps. Get a book about Feng Shui to mine for ideas.

Color is important. Light, soft colors tend to calm. If necessary, grab a brush and repaint your bathroom in a color that reduces stress and blood pressure, but first spend some time researching color therapy and decide which colors work best for you. Can?t paint? Then put candles in the color you desire into your favorite candle holders and place in safe spots around your home spa.

Do you have favorite music that you play because it soothes your soul? Find a way to bring this music into your home spa. Perhaps you have a small radio/CD player? Or a portable CD player with headset that you wear while running? Either will work so long as they are placed in a dry area. Think serene music, soft orchestral music, nature sounds such as ocean waves and rain or spiritual chants. You could even stop by a local yoga studio to check out the music they?re playing.

Don?t forget aromatherapy to enhance your senses and relieve stress. Think lavender for its healing powers, vanilla for its soothing and calming powers or select from scents that soothe your soul. If your light switch is on a rheostat, remember to turn it down until the light reaches a relaxing intensity.

Collect items you already have for your moments of indulgence; a favorite cozy bathrobe, neck pillow, fluffy slippers. Then how about some plush new towels in your chosen spa color, a small whirlpool foot bath, or even massage rollers for your back and feet. Don?t forget some spa accessories; loofah, pumice stone, and more.

Even if you don?t have time for a long, leisurely soak in the tub followed by a facial mask and slathering your body with a body lotion or butter, the atmosphere you have created will turn the simple act of brushing your teeth into a spa experience! Make it a habit to indulge yourself on a consistent basis, regardless if you have just fifteen uninterrupted minutes or two hours.

Other possibilities? How about taking a steaming mug of your favorite herbal tea into your home spa? Or the novel you just can?t wait to get back to? Maybe even your favorite magazine to enjoy while soaking in your favorite scent of Dead Sea bath salts?

Think of your home spa as a way to make consistent deposits into your ?good health savings account? so that you will be more likely to become immune to illness, or at the very least, less likely to be a candidate for heart disease. The only limitation to creating an enticing home spa that contributes to your overall good health is your imagination.