Tuesday 15 June 2010

Zen Soaping


Zen Soaping & Not-So-Zen Soaping

This soap all began on a wonderfully relaxing no-plan Sunday morning. My darlings were sleeping. I was inspired... An adaptation to my Aloe Green Clay soap... with Tea Tree & Eucalyptus EO blend this time as a friend of mine wanted a one of my facial soaps but with Tea Tree and Becky at http://thesoapsister.blogspot.com/ was making something similar… we may do a swap! It was all going so smoothly until...

The Not-So-Zen Part
• The phone rang as I was pouring the Castor oil into the liquid oil mixture and I poured too much!!! Scooped out some oils to compensate, but it wouldn’t have just been the castor oil!!
• Got on my computer when waiting for the lye to cool, completely forgot about it and the oils were heating and got left cooking on the stove for ½ hour!!!
• The scale cut out on me (batteries went!) when I was measuring the Aloe Vera, so the first bit was measured correctly, the last bit was a guestimate??!!
• Mixed all the at trace ingredients together (Aloe Vera squeeze out from my plant, Green Clay & Avocado Oil) and tried to blend but it all just got stuck in one big glop in the hand mixer… so I added the Eos and they were too watery and wouldn’t blend well... Big gloppy mess.

The Zen Part
Then the evening, as I was catching up on some of the blogs I follow, I came across a brilliant tutorial by Sergio from http://enjaboname.blogspot.com/. He stressed the importance of putting on music through the process and being relaxed, even right through to the cutting. So... for the next part of this soap, the cutting, I though I would try it. For some reason, I guess it is our busy lives, I am usually rushed through the process. My darlings were out.. my honey at the driving range.. my daughter at Ballet... So instead of doing a quick cut so that I could have the finished product right away... I put on some of my favourite music. Sergio suggested classical music. I actually put on Dave Matthews “One Sweet World” and “Crash Into Me” and just settled in, sat down in a comfy chair, and took ages to cut the soap. I got so into it that it was the most pleasurable experience cutting a soap I have ever had. They came out very nicely cut and I love this soap specially now. Each soap is a memory, isn’t it?

I would like to continue this new part of my process... the music… the being in the moment and thoroughly loving each second... Here’s to Zen soaping!

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Jennifer, pues el jabón a pesar de todas las dificultades, te ha quedado genial.

Mónica said...

Hola guapa, creo que tu jabón salió precioso. Tiene una textura maravillosa, me encanta su aspecto tan natural.
Besos

Ambra said...

Love your story! Isn' live just like that at times? The soap looks great.

Michelle said...

That part about getting on the net and forgetting is the story of my life :( I do that waaaaaaaay too much. I've also had the batteries go out on my scale at just the WRONG time. LOL! Maybe I should just say I can totally relate to your not so zen moments.

Cheers to zen soaping, I love it!

BTW/Your soap looks beautiful, the textured top is perfect!

Polly McNamara said...

Your soap was meant to be - it is gorgeous. You do such lovely textured tops and all your soaps have lovely colours. Love the background history of this soap too xx

Splurge Sisters said...

Lovely soap, I usually listen to music when I soap as it helps me get into the groove.

Teresa said...

Well done!

Sergio said...

Me alegra saber que tu experiencia fuera tan satisfactoria. Si es que cada dia estoy mas convencido de que lo mas importante no es el fin sino el medio.Disfrutar haciendo cosas, y si el resultado nos complace, entonces es perfecto.El jabón Zen es precioso, transmite armonia.