Eighteen months ago, burnout turned my life upside down.
I had to step away from the high-intensity corporate job I’d built over a decade and start over. I took a remote HR role—one that gave me more flexibility to focus on myself, my family, and my sanity. My husband Paul works as a private pilot. So with my new-found flexibility we realised that, for the first time in years, we could work from anywhere.
After 12 years in the US, we packed up our lives, and after weeks of searching for a place that felt like “home” we landed in Spain. My family is from Madrid, so it’s close, and Spain is only a two-hour flight from the UK, where Paul’s family lives.
It was perfect.
A year ago in November we moved to Altea, a beautiful coastal town I’d visited every summer as a child. I still remember the white-washed streets of the old town, wandering under a baking sun with the scent of the sea in the air. Altea is the kind of place that conjures up memories of endless summers—the sound of waves, the warmth of family, and total relaxation.
And the sea! It’s a shade of blue I call “paradise blue”. It’s the colour I have redecorated my home spa to match (I’ll get to that in another blog).
Now, we live in a lovely villa nestled in the Altea Hills, where the Mediterranean sparkles in the distance and the hills bloom with wild thyme, rosemary, and lavender.
My Herbal Scents Ritual for My Spa
When I first set up my home spa, I was overwhelmed with choice. I wanted calming scents, but there were so many essential oils out there: lavender, eucalyptus, bergamot, ylang-ylang… I don’t like a lot of choice.
Then I thought, why not start with what’s around me?
On the hills near our home, wild thyme, rosemary and lavender grow in abundance. In our garden, we have a lemon tree that fills the air with citrus when the wind hits just right. Surely I could make use of this?
That’s when I took to Google to discover the simple, beautiful process of creating herbal incense bundles.
How to Make a Homemade Herbal Incense Bundle
Here’s how I do it:
- Gather a handful of fresh herbs—lavender for relaxation, rosemary for clarity, and thyme for calm. If you have citrus leaves or lemon peel, add that for a bright note.
- Tie the herbs together tightly with twine or natural thread. Create a small, manageable bundle—too loose and it won’t burn properly.
- Hang the bundle upside down in a dry, shaded place for 1-2 weeks to dry completely.
- Once dried, light the tip of the bundle, let it burn for a few seconds, and gently blow it out so it smolders.
The smoke carries the calming, earthy scent of the herbs throughout the room. I light mine just before starting my hot-cold therapy ritual which I’ve described in another blog.
The Power of Gathering and Creating
You could buy incense sticks or oils, but there’s something special about gathering the materials yourself. Mindfulness has been a big part of my recovery journey, and I’ve realized that the act of foraging and crafting the bundles makes the ritual even more grounding.
It slows you down. It forces you to focus on the moment—on the smell of the herbs, the feeling of their leaves and the simple joy of creating something with your hands.
And when I light the bundle I’ve made myself, I feel completely present. The scent becomes a cue for my mind and body to relax, let go and prepare for rest.
If you live somewhere surrounded by nature I encourage you to try this. There’s a deep satisfaction in using what’s already around you, and you might just find it’s the perfect way to transform your home into your own personal spa.