This is a layman's guide to the preparation necessary before visiting the Jewish ritual baths or mikvah for the first time. If you are a little apprehensive about trying this Jewish tradition which is an integral part of a religious Jewish marriage, then here are some tips to make you feel more prepared for the experience.

If you have decided to go to the mikvah for the first time this is how to go about preparing yourself for your first visit to the Jewish ritual baths. The preparation begins even before you leave the house. In fact you can make the day one of pampering and physical self cleansing culminating in the spiritual cleansing of the ritual baths. Don't be intimidated or scared of the unknown, as keeping Nida, or family purity, is an integral part of being Jewish.

Research on line to find your nearest Jewish community, mikvah or synagogue. Most mikvahs are attached to or close to a synagogue and to get more information about your local mikvah call up the synagogue. You will probably be put threw to the Rabbi's wife or a female from the synagogue. If the Jewish community is small there may be only one mikvah and it may only be open on request, so you need to ask if you should book the mikvah; what the opening hours are and how much it costs.

Who goes to the mikvah

Only married women, not single women, even if they are in a sexual relationship and not divorced women. Only married Jewish women. Young girls and women obviously do not go to the mikvah as their menstrual cycle has not yet begun, but in case you were in any doubt, only women who have started getting periods and are married and Jewish are required to go to the mikvah. In some communities it is traditional to go to the mikvah in the last month of pregnancy but otherwise pregnant women do not go to the mikvah as they do not have periods. A bride goes to the mikvah before her wedding, and a convert to Judaism is ritually cleansed in the mikvah symbolizing the end of the conversion process.

Preparation before going to the mikvah

To be ritually cleansed you start by cleaning yourself physically, and this you can do in the comfort of your own home, and then just have a brief wash when you get to the mikvah. To clean yourself from head to toe start by washing your hair. Clean inside your ears, your nose and belly button. Brush and floss your teeth. There is no need to shave but if you wish go ahead. Cut your nails down to a couple of millimeters long, both on your hands and feet, then clean your nails of all nail polish and dirt. Orthodox religious women also check internally for signs of blood using special squares of cloth, but for you first time a thorough cleaning of your body is enough.

What to take with you to the mikvah

If you are going to do all your washing and cleaning at the mikvah then pack a bag with a towel, hair brush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, nail scissors, ear buds, toothbrush, toothpaste, bath robe, flip flops, tooth floss and any other bathroom items you may need to thoroughly clean yourself. If you have washed thoroughly at home then you would need just the towel, bathrobe, flip flops, soap and hair brush. Don't forget money to pay which some mikvah may require. You will not need skin creams, lotions or hair products before your ritual submersion in the mikvah, but you should take along any items you may want to use after you have completed the submersion. Most mikvahs have a supply of bathroom products (shampoo, soap, towels etc.) in case anyone forgets theirs.

When to go to the mikvah

There are many rules governing the time of your visit to the mikvah and you should learn about these, but put very simply you count 5 days from when your period starts, and only when the bleeding stops (even if it takes more than 5 days) then you count 7 clean days. On the evening of the seventh day, after sundown you go to the mikvah. It is important to look more thoroughly into all of the exceptions to these rules. The mikvah will be open half an hour after the time when candles would be lit on a Friday night and remain open for a few hours. Each location will have different opening hours depending on the time the sun goes down in that part of the world so verify with your local mikvah. The one day that the mikvah is closed is Yom Kippur; otherwise it should be available all year round. As I mentioned before, in smaller communities you may have to request to have the mikvah made available to you. To find out more about when to time your mikvah visit read here about Traditional Jewish Laws of Sexual Intercourse.

The next step is to get yourself to the mikvah and experience this ancient religious tradition and later that evening renewed intimacy with your spouse. To find out what happens once you reach the mikvah and how the actual ritual submersion is done read my article " What happens at the Jewish Ritual Baths".