I recently did a cleansing of myself because my aura was a jet black with dark blue. I used a bath with some nerbs in it and the herbs wilted in the warm water. They had black spots and were cracked. Is that supposed to happen?
You can prevent this by using dry herbs in a satchet at the foot of the bath, or by using essential oils instead if the wilting of the plants is bothersome for you. Usually the only herbs I let float around in the water with me are flower petals, mainly rose. But this is simply a personal preference.
The herbs in question might react differently depending on what type and if they are fresh.
Regarding your aura, the shape and colour can change depending on your health and emotions, so do not be too scared if it's a darker colour. A cleansing is a wise idea, but it does not necessarily mean you have a lot of bad energy clinging to you that needs to be cleansed. Of course cleanses never hurt anyone.
Usually it is a good idea to do some personal reflecting while performing a cleanse as well. The cleanse helps lift off that wet-blanket feeling so you have an opportunity to examine your thoughts, habits, and recent events which might reveal something about why the negativity is building up to begin with.
If you have a pendant or other stone of obsidian, onyx, jet, smokey quartz, or tourmaline tbey all help ground out unwanted energy as well. If you have citrine, amethyst, kyanite, or a herkimer diamond they can also help promote positive energies. Carrying one or two small stones might help.
Another option is adding a pinch of salt to your loufah/washcloth before scrubbing down. I don't think it would need to be done every time... but once in a while it gives a nice scrub to the process both physically and energetically. I find a larger grain salt, like ground sea-salt or kosher works well. Combining the scrub with the effects of salt and flowing water will send a lot of things down the drain for you. ^_^
