Benefits of a Bath

 

When the body is fully immersed in warm water, a sense of tranquility naturally arises.

Our bodily knowledge of being in the safety of the womb is recalled, and we feel at ease. We remember we have everything we need.

We can be held by the water. We can find comfort in just this.

Do you remember those unrelentingly hot summer days, when it’s obvious that you must find a swimming pool to cool down in, now! Luckily neighborhood swimming pools are not just a thing of our childhood and still exist alongside the pools at rec centers and beaches.

You dive into the impossibly blue water, all sounds disappear, your body is weightless and you twirl around. When you come up for air you inevitably have a smile on your face. Why? Because you are giving your body what it needs. It’s not just a way to cool down, it’s the feeling of being held by the water. It’s a way for the body to fully relax and move freely. It’s bliss!

This feeling is particularly noticeable when you first dive into the water – stillness, silence. Problems that we create in our minds temporarily dissolve and we can just be in our bodies. We can relax, we can smile, we can move in ways that are not possible when gravity holds us upright on the earth. Do you want to go swimming right now? I do!

Popular culture also hones in on this feeling. Think of how many movies you have seen when a character floats on their back in a pool. The feeling conveyed is usually a contemplative one, as the mind can find stillness while the body is supported. (This of course does not include any movie with a shark…)

We can give ourselves this gift of comfort and ease in another way too: a bath. A simple, 30 minute bath.

What I love about taking a bath is that you are creating a space that can be free from distractions. Free from text messages and to-do lists. Free to just be in the body, to notice what the senses sense. To feast your eyes on the flickering flame from the candle; to notice the smell of lavender as you breathe in and the emptiness of smell when you breathe out; to feel held in the warm water; to taste the sweetness of honey in your tea; to listen to the bubbles popping on the surface of the water.

As my friends can attest to, I have spoken about how much I love baths regularly for the past 15 years. It is a simple, inexpensive, and gentle way we can take care of ourselves!

I’ve lounged in them all: deep claw-foot bathtubs, shallow 80s tubs that seem like they are designed for children, and most recently in the ingeniously designed bathtubs in Japan. Frankly, it does not matter what kind of bathtub you have, they all support the same practice. So I don’t want to hear an excuse, “my tub isn’t deep enough, isn’t long enough…” Nope, just excuses! All bathtubs work.

Although I can say that my preferred bathroom setups are Japanese. As my fiancé and I traveled throughout Japan this past spring, we became increasingly more excited when we went into a new accommodation to see what kind of bathroom they would have. I know, it doesn’t get more exciting than this!

The Ritual of Bathing in Japan

The Japanese have mastered the art of taking a bath. Unlike our western counterparts, there is no toilet in the actual bathing space, which is segregated to its own separate room. Thus the bathroom consists only of a soaking tub, a separate space next to the tub with a showerhead, a bench for siting, and waterproof floors and walls. This is a room to be used only for cleaning oneself and soaking.

The ritual in Japan is to first shower in the separate space next to the tub, and once you are clean, to then ease yourself into the gloriously deep bathtub. Traditionally Japanese soaking tubs were built from fragrant cypress trees called Hinkoki, which is a wood that is also commonly used to build temples. These days, the tubs are deigned to be built for small spaces and can also be made out of stone, copper, and acrylic. We stayed in a 170 square foot micro apartment in Kyoto, but even in that tiny space, it still had a deep soaking tub! Priorities!

The Japanese design is typically much deeper and shorter than its western peer. It is designed primarily to support the body to be completely submerged while relaxing in a more upright position. Customarily the bath water is drawn once and used by the whole family, which is why you shower before entering the steamy water. It is also customary to bath in this way every day. Which I happily did while we were in Japan! Needless to say, this was the capstone to my obsession with the self-care practice of bathing.

The ritual of bathing is a staple in Japanese culture, both privately and publicly. Thousands of naturally occurring hot springs are found throughout Japan, and customarily onsen (public bathhouses) were built next to them. For many Japanese this is part of their every day lives: they leave work for the day and stop at the local onsen on their way home to cleanse and relax the body. How lovely is this! It seems to be a much more nourishing way to transition from work to home than what is woven into western culture.

Do not fret! We can also weave this simple ritual into our routines until it becomes a habit. It’s called a bath! Even if you do not have your ideal bathroom, it’s easy to create a luxurious bath experience with just a few simple things.

Bath Time Essentials:

My favorite time to take a bath is at the end of the day when the sun has already set. Bathing at the end of the day can facilitate the practice of dropping down from the busy thinking mind into the body, and create more openness to be present when interacting with loved ones during the evening.

• Soft lighting is essential – several beeswax or soy candles is usually all I use; other options are using a salt lamp, or just dimming the overhead light to a low setting.
• Bath Salts – I enjoy taking a salt bath once or twice a week, as I find it helps to ease tension in my muscles and feel more refreshed. These are so easy to make, no need to spend $4 on a pack at the store! Try making your own Lavender Bath Salt, I always have a stash of this on hand!
• Time – if you are using bath salts, it’s recommended to only be in the tub for about 20 minutes, as your body can start to reabsorb what it sweats out after that time. Equally important is to rinse off after using bath salts.
• Hydrating – taking a bath, particularly a salt bath, can be dehydrating as you sweat out toxins and thus it’s important to drink water while you are in the bath. I typically drink at least a quart of water during a 30-minute bath.
• Tea – before the body fully warms up, I enjoy sipping a cup of tea in the bath. Calming or detoxifying herbs are a nice choice – chamomile, rose, lavender, lemon ginger, peppermint, or hot water with lemon.
• Sound Space – being in a quiet environment is essential when bathing. If your home is full of activity when you take a bath, you could try using headphones (on airplane mode!) with relaxing instrumental music. My typical go to are Icelandic artists: Ólafur Arnalds and Jóhann Jóhannsson.
• Airplane Mode – when you give yourself the gift of taking a bath, turn off your cell phone and let your family, roommates, and small children know that you are unavailable for the next half hour or so. This simple but important act can help you to relax, knowing that you have uninterrupted time to yourself.
• Practice Ideas – this is an opportunity to bring your attention to your body, just like we do in meditation. A few ideas:
  • Bring attention to one part of your body at a time and send your breath there – could be your heart, right foot, lower belly, top of your mouth…
  • Notice where you feel tension in your body, and intentionally bring your attention to soften that part of your body.
  • Practice with one sense at a time, by isolating each sense and just noticing what you see, smell, taste, touch, or hear.

Post Bath:

After your bath, notice how you feel. Be specific. Do you still feel the constriction in your shoulders? Are you moving more slowly? Does your speech change when you talk with your partner? How active is your mind? What kind of activities do you want to engage in after your bath?

Continue cultivating the gentle mind that arose during your bath by using a hydrating homemade salve or putting on some soft flowing clothes (a linen robe is my fav!). Also remember to drink plenty of water.

By noticing concretely how we feel after we engage in a self-care ritual, we give ourselves encouragement to continue the practice. We empower ourselves by learning to listen to what our body needs and cultivating the awareness to be able to respond appropriately.

I would love to hear about what form your own bathing ritual takes! Let’s use the comments below to create a forum to inspire and support each other to take these Gentle Leaps.