Founders of the Ayurvedic lunar aligned bathing brand Moon Bath Dakota Hills and Sierra Brashear shared with us in 5 quick questions about their business and how they stay balanced and why self care is so vital in todays world.
What are the benefits of using your products compared to others?
We are a small batch business, which means we are not cutting the same corners big companies need to cut to make margins work. The bread and butter of our business is small, independent shops and direct to consumers sales. When you are inquiring about our products, you will speak directly to our small team that is very much connected to the innovation, creation, design and intention of the products, so the level of care that we are able to give is above and beyond anything you would receive from a big brand.
How do you stay balanced as business owners in a busy world?
DAKOTA: I feel most balanced when I have not overloaded my schedule. Creating space in my day and week offers opportunities to be more present with what I’m doing and to embrace the spaciousness where the subtle energies and breakthroughs can occur. I can relate to the temptation to fill my schedule and run around from one thing to the next, but I’ve realized that value in slowing down, be open to the void and maintaining curiosity around what will come through.
SIERRA: For me the key to feeling balanced is having a daily and weekly routine. As an Ayurvedic practitioner, this is something that I am consistently recommending to my clients and students, because I have truly seen the difference it makes in my life. I find that all of my systems operate better when I do things at regular times of the day — ideally when the aligned energies are at play. For example, I love to rise early and get my body moving right away, eat a hearty lunch when the sun is highest in the sky, have meetings in the afternoons when my independent focus begins to wane, and focus on self care rituals like oil massage and bathing as the sun begins to set. When I am in this regular flow, I experience the best, most balanced version of myself.
Why is self care crucial during these uncertain times?
DAKOTA: Caring for self is always crucial and it is the lack of this awareness that can result in finding ourselves in a state of discomfort. Right now we’re being forced to take a global exhale, almost a “time out” of sorts, where we have an opportunity to really slow down and reconnect to what matters most. In the increasingly overstimulated world in which we live, it’s easy to be distracted and forget the influences of the natural world around us, and we hope that the moon bathing movement inspires folks to reconnect with nature’s rhythms and ultimately more with themselves.
SIERRA: We are inviting people to truly embrace this global exhale as an opportunity to turn inward, reflect and reconnect with what is important to them, and to humanity as a whole. It is from this rooted and connected place that we can show up as the best version of ourselves during this challenging time in the world, and our intrinsic wellness (and immunity!) is given space to arise. In lieu of what had become a wildly chaotic and over-stimulating world, we are now being given space to align and connect — so that we can emerge on the other side of this as better stewards of our precious planet and our fellow citizens. We invite those who feel called to allow this to become a practice — to remain committed to self-care, reflection, and action, even after we’re through the fire.
What was it like to write a book together?
Writing a book with your bestie and business partner is no small feat. While we share many things in common, including our fiery Pitta constitution, we have different personalities and “voices,” if you will. Merging our perspectives into one cohesive approach was a challenge and also a bonding experience. We wanted to be authentic to both of us — and the crux was to merge the voice of ancient wisdom with the girl sharing juicy tidbits with her friends. We would both work on different sections of the book and then trade and edit each other’s contributions. We would sit together (sometimes with a little champagne) and do a final run through of each section — this may be where some of our more silly jokes came from! Blame it on the bubbles. For real though, if you’re ever offered an opportunity to co-author a book with someone you really look up to and love working with, JUMP ON IT. It’s challenging and FUN and rewarding... and a snapshot in time that will live on forever.
What are you reading or listening to these days?
Conspirituality (podcast)
NPR (news)
Grandmothers Hands (book)
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (book)
Wind-up Bird Chronicle (book)
How to Survive the End of the World (podcast)
Pleasure Activism (book)
Unlocking Us (podcast)