Bathing has always been a ritualistic practice for me. The sound of the water, the warmth and the steam drown out my anxious thoughts and help me ground myself back in my body.
The shower is also a great place to think, and the action of washing is a wonderful way to symbolically (and physically) slough off the cares of the day before bed, or refresh myself, ready to face a new day. Even when the world seems to be collapsing around my ears, the simple act of washing can be a life raft in turbulent waters.
My bathroom is already a (very small) haven: with art, scented candles and plants to help create a calming atmosphere. While I may dream of a claw-foot tub, I make do with a shower unit in the corner. Despite its size, I’ve made some important decisions in my shower, cried, laughed, sung (badly) and, on particularly difficult days, meditated.
I never intended to make my bathroom a special place, but I think many of us end up retreating to our water closets when we feel overwhelmed, upset or shaken up by something. There’s a built-in expectation of privacy—sometimes a lock on the door and the sound of water to help us calm down.
I’ve often practiced simple breathwork and mindfulness in the shower, but when I came across this five-minute guided meditation from Kelly Smith, the voice behind Mindful in Minutes, I decided to give it a go.
How to do the shower meditation
What I found
It helped me ground myself in my body
Listeners are encouraged to plant their feet on the shower floor and take some deep breaths. For me, this was a very grounding exercise that helped me feel more aware of my body.
The sensation of water on the skin is very soothing, and when combined with deep breathing, I felt more present and less caught up in my thoughts.
The meditation draws attention to each part of the body from top to bottom as the water flows, allowing you to mentally probe and check in with yourself.
It encouraged me to mindfully observe my surroundings
I held the sound of the water in my mind throughout the exercise, noticing how it felt on my skin as invited by Smith.
She suggests taking a moment to feel grateful for the running water, the warmth, something so many of us take for granted that is nevertheless marvelous.
I’ve found that incorporating similar nibbles of mindfulness and gratitude into my day, starting with my morning shower, has helped me to feel a little less bleak, particularly when the winter blues come knocking.
It allowed me to approach my day with clarity
Smith encourages the listener to set their intention for the meditation. To me, this meant visualizing what I wanted to achieve in a day and picturing myself having done so already.
I’m quite an easily overwhelmed person, and often thinking about all the things I have to do in a single day can make me feel worse, but this way of positively viewing my goals for the day helps me to reframe that negativity into something more optimistic.
This is exactly what I need in the mornings before I open my laptop or try to do anything intellectually challenging.
Listeners are also asked to picture the water washing away lingering sleepiness and fatigue, an exercise that I find helpful in preparing me for my day. I have an energy-limiting illness, so fatigue is ever-present, but taking the time in the shower to transition between sleep mode and doing-things mode is a helpful way to switch on my mind.
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