Author Topic: Cold Showers! (Read 4466 times)

anthony574 · « **on:** July 04, 2007, 07:22:41 AM »

http://www.anahatabalance.com/yogalifestyle_daily_cleansing_practice.html

Check out this site on cold showers. There are many, but this one is specifically for yoga. Has some other useful cleansing methods as well.

I was somewhat of a wuss about it at first, but once you start you don't wanna stop!

Yoda · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2007, 06:10:34 AM »

I've never been able to make this into a long term practice. It's a good one, though. Clears the mind, the aura, helps ground energy, etc. Good to do multiple times a day imo. Good luck sticking with it!

anthony574 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2007, 11:41:28 AM »

Oh, I absolutely love it. In fact, I look forward to it as it has become one of my favorite times of the day.

Etherfish · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2007, 11:47:49 AM »

Years ago I had a job in hawaii for a few months, and I decided instead of renting an apartment I would live in a tent on the beach! They had cold showers there, and I always felt invigorated in the morning.

cosmic_troll · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2007, 03:54:47 PM »

I've been doing this for the past few days (thanks to this post, actually), and I dig it so far. It makes me feel all toasty afterwards, while drying off and getting ready for the day. The warmth feels loving, like being dried by a parent as a child, after the bath. Thanks for posting this!

emc · « **Reply #5 on:** July 13, 2007, 10:42:40 PM »

A Chinese way to do it is to switch between warm and cold water 6 times. That will increase the effect and awaken the chi quite vigorously.

Etherfish · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2007, 11:57:44 PM »

Seems like almost everything invented by man tends to drag us in the wrong direction. No wonder people become ascetics!

emc,
do you know the procedure? i mean just quick changes, or maybe change the temp and turn around and let it penetrate, then change it again?

anthony574 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2007, 01:58:02 AM »

the ayurvedic method is to step in and out of the water 4 times.

i have found sometimes if i do the temp change it makes my skin itchy during the transition from cold to warm, but i think maybe my idea of warm is too hot!

yes cosmic troll, i have noticed some interested nostalgic feelings too during my first couple cold showers. that feeling afterward when your skin is nice and taught and you curl up into a nice robe or sheets feels childlike somehow.

also, another good effect of this practice is it is better for your hair and skin because in many water systems a lot of the impurities and additives, especially chlorine are reduced. also, the lack of steam created lessens your respiratory burden because you are not inhaling fluoride and the like.

emc · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2007, 02:16:26 AM »

"change the temp and turn around and let it penetrate, then change it again?"

Yes, that is right! You stay in as hot water as you can cope with until you have "gotten the feeling of it", then you switch to the cold water.

The nerve cells transmitting temperature to the brain are the same whether it's cold or hot, so the nervous system gets a little to work with. This is a common technique in stress research, when you want to agitate a person's stress system. You let them dip a hand reversingly in hot and cold water. Get's them really stressed after a while!

anthony574 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2007, 01:28:08 AM »

is that a good thing for sadhana, to be stressed?

Etherfish · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2007, 01:47:28 AM »

I tried the six changes this morning, and it has an interesting side effect: It tightens the skin and makes me look noticeably younger!

Let me see if I get this straight: Is hot-cold-hot one change or two? I took the lazy option and called that two changes.

emc · « **Reply #11 on:** July 15, 2007, 02:37:11 AM »

Anthony,

Stress in the above is only defined as a reaction in the hormonal system, it has no negative meaning. In stress tests you just want the system going. Some find it arousing but not uncomfortable. It's a convenient way to induce stress in the body system without involving emotions (for example show emotionally upsetting material)which would be more unethical or cognition (for example counting back from 100 by subtracting with 7) which would be silly to do if you for example wanted to test ability to make logical decisions during stress.

The arousal also happens to awaken chi. That's also what we do in the asana when we give ourselves a proper rub all over. We get the nervous system going.

Etherfish, yes. In the end you will have had 3 hot showers and 3 cold showers. =) It definitely tightens the skin! The skin is in shock and tries to get out of there!

anthony574 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2007, 08:08:28 AM »

i will try the temp change method tomorrow morning. still dont know why it makes my skin itchy....

also, its good to follow the ayurvedic link's suggestion and rub oil on your body and give yourself a nice massage beforehand.

emc · « **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2007, 08:25:42 AM »

The itchyness might just be a biproduct since all nerv cells in the skin are activated somehow. I don't remember if the same receptors that are activated by temperature are the same as the itchy ones. If not, just being nearby and getting a little of the spill over arousal would certainly send itchy signals as well. I know those detecting pressure and those detecting pain are different ones.

anthony574 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 15, 2007, 11:20:07 AM »

i just tried the temp change method and it was really pleasurable. when i would switch i would get a nice giddy feeling and when i was done i had nice tingling sensations in the middle of my spine. defintley a great pre-sadhana practice!

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Author Topic: Cold Showers! (Read 4466 times)