Shower Thoughts…Part Two-Conditioner
Stuck on the thought of why we (women mainly) cry in the shower, I kept digging into the reason that is a place we felt safe enough to let it all out. I did some research and took a few extra showers to see what I was feeling and experiencing that was unconsciously impacting me when I wasn’t really thinking about what was going on in there.
It was hard work but I took one (or six) for the team. You are welcome but I encourage you to try it out and see what you experience.
Remember before when I said, “Going further down the rabbit hole, I explored the mental and physical aspects of renewal while in the shower?” Well, time to move along to the next hole in the heather-covered hillside (yes, I looked up where rabbit holes were located and what the technical term was - it is burrow in case you were wondering).
Said in a scholarly voice “Physical effects on the body from the shower are mostly based on the temperature of the water. The heat on the skin helps aches and pains, the heat and sound of the water can calm anxiety, all while the soap and water magically wash tiny cells off your body that you can’t even see” Professor Patton.
I mean, how good does it feel on your skin when you go swimming? Low resistance in the water helps the body MOVE and get rid of the stiffness it had before.
It helps it HEAL and STRENGTHEN the body!!!
Touch is a powerful, a VERY powerful sense. A simple touch can totally change your mood (from lifting your spirits to shifting your feeling of security). Massage can relieve stress and release what Dr. Tiffany Field calls “killer cells” to help with your immune system. With the right shower head, you can probably release some of those “killer cells” without a professional.
The pressure of the touch can also play into the effects of this touch.
We’ve all had a shitty shower in a motel on one of those trips with friends where we tried to save as much as possible on the lodging. We’ve also been in an A-MAZING shower in that one hotel.
After the shower, we do a mini pampering session.
In the morning, we wake up in the shower and come to life by adding lotion to make our skin soft and smooth.
A shower at the end of the day is the perfect nightcap. You have the warmth of the water, the same lotion ritual feels so different as it calms your skin and tells you it’s time to relax.
You utilize almost all, if not all of, your senses.
Sight: what you can see is very limited and with out many distractions. You don’t have anything that is going to distract you from the task at hand. This is a very unique setting compared to other areas we are in during the day.
Touch: the water on your skin, the loofah or wash cloth as it moves across the body. Some areas will feel better than others...I LOVE a good loofah on the soles of my feet!
Hearing: the sound of the water fills the room and not many other sounds are able to creep in. As mentioned before, the sound doesn’t seem loud but muffles all other outside noise.
Smell: the air is WAY different in the shower! It smells clean...there is no real way to explain what “clean” smells like but we all know it. Then there is your soap or shampoo fragrance. Mmmmmmmmmm!
Maybe you even experience taste: the water as you lick your lips or it sneaks into the corner of your mouth. The accidental soap bubble popping or sliding in while trying not to inhale water when washing your face is never pleasant. It sure beats getting dirt in your mouth like that time when you were digging in the garden.
It’s just me? Oh, ok then. I own my clumsiness as it makes me laugh a lot!
A shower truly is a sensual activity for your body and soul.
So...in my research, I learned that one of my favorite escapes is SO good for me that I’ll be spending more time there for sure. A good shower, with or without the cry, will cleanse my body and mind. It can boost my mood and wake me up or it can calm me down and allow rest to heal from the day.
What does a shower do for you? Comment below to let me know what you think.
Peace and love,
Teresea
Photo credit: Unsplash
