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Water is vital to life, but it also has a spiritual dimension and therapeutic uses that can help us heal, grow, and connect with our inner selves.
Here are some ways that you can use water therapeutically or with a spiritual purpose for self-care.
Swimming
Swimming is a great exercise for your body and mind. For your mind, it can be a form of meditation, as you focus on your breath and the rhythm of your strokes. Swimming can help you feel free, joyful, and in harmony with the water and yourself.
Water therapy (hydrotherapy, floatation therapy)
Floating therapy, also known as sensory deprivation therapy, involves lying in a tank of warm, saltwater that blocks out external stimuli.
This can help you enter a deep state of relaxation, where you can access your subconscious mind, release stress, and enhance your creativity.
Warm Bubble Bath
For this old school therapy there are a lot of modern gadgets and products to enhance your experience.
You can run a bubble bath for relaxation with candles, soothing music, and aromatherapy items. For skin hydration, you add some moisturizing oils or other skin nourishing ingredients to your bath water such as coconut oil, almond oil, honey, milk, and oatmeal.
Saunas
This dry heat or steam treatment induces sweating and detoxification providing a therapeutic benefit. Many spas and gyms have sauna rooms, or you can mimic a sauna experience at home using a steam generator.
Cold Showers
Cold showers have been trending for a while in the personal development space. They're proven to help with depression and other forms of mental illnesses and according to many content creators, they're a great way to lose weight and fortify your mind.
To get the transformative benefits of cold showers, you would need to do them daily for at least a month.
Here's a simple cold shower method if you'd like to try it:
Start by washing your hands and feet under the cold water to help your body adjust.
Splash some water on your head, torso, arms, and legs to prepare the rest of your body.
Shampoo and soap up as usual.
Stay under the cold water for at least 30 seconds or longer if you can.
Water Fast
Another way to use water therapeutically is by doing a water cleanse or fast.
It's best to start with shorter duration such as a half day and to go increasingly longer each time. Up to two days feels safe to me but I personally have gone longer.
When doing a "water" fast, you want to drink lots of liquids including herbal teas and broths, do it when you're home and not busy running around, and to check in with yourself regularly to make sure you're not feeling lightheaded or dizzy.
Water Sports
There are several sports you can do on water including boating, surfing, fishing, and kayaking. All are great ways to explore nature and enjoy the calming beauty of water.
Ocean View
You can use water to benefit your mind and wellbeing by simply being near a lake, a river, a waterfall, or the ocean and enjoying the view.
If you live near any body of water — big or small — I recommend you find a spot and mark it as your escape... the place you go to when you want to get out of the house for a walk or to clear your head.
You can take your tablet, a book, or playlist, or you can meditatively experience nature by listening to the sounds around the area.
Water Sounds
You can listen to the sound of water and benefit from water that way. such as the rain, the waves, or the fountain, and feel its soothing, cleansing, and refreshing effects. You can touch the water, such as by bathing, splashing, or dipping your feet, and feel its warmth, coolness, and softness.