“It’s summer and all I think about is reaching home and hitting the shower,” Divika Gupta, a digital media executive, says. Temperatures across North India are crossing 40 degrees and in this sultry summer heat, nothing beats a cool splash in the bathroom.
“The relief is incomparable,” Gupta continues, “but when I enter my bathroom, I turn into a hedonist.” Gupta is a bath aficionado and she attests to the benefits her bath time offers her mind, body, and soul. “I play jazz, I light a few candles and then pour out my bath products like bubble bath and bath salts and jump right in.”
You may or may not have a bathtub, but shower cabins, too, can provide maximum pleasure.
The cool water not only comforts your body, but can also be a luxurious moment and the ‘me-time’ that you were craving all day.
1. Start by not hurrying: You don’t need to have all day to take a bath. It can be a 10-minute experience but don’t enter the bathroom thinking that you have to get out in two minutes. How you start is important and use the time to usher in positivity for a new day.
2. The mood is key: Few of us have luxury bathrooms, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. There are still ways to achieve tranquillity in a small shower cabin. Perhaps you have numerous bath products lying around. Clear that clutter. Use shower curtains to adjust the natural light in the bathroom. Try to add a little bit of nature through a potted plant, but if there’s no space, use air fresheners, scented candles or incense to keep the place fresh. Setting the mood will enhance your bathing experience.
3. Pamper yourself: The bathroom is the best place to pause, reflect and spend time with yourself. Use this time to care for your hair and your skin. You can use deep conditioners and facial masks and attend to your physical self. But you don’t necessarily need expensive products to pamper yourself. Use your grandma’s natural recipes of rose water, gram flour, or even milk for an enriched experience.
4. Massage: If you liked pampering yourself, add a massage to your shower routine. No, you don’t need to call a masseuse. Simply take some coconut or clove oil for the massage. Start by gently caressing your forehead, nasal area, and then neck and upper back. Alternate between gentleness and rigour for your arms and legs.
5. Finally, pay attention to your thoughts: If you’ve set the mood, massaged and pampered yourself, there’s little reason why you should obsess over work or an argument. True relaxation is impossible until your mind is calm. Let the morning or nightly shower be a tunnel of transformation for you. Make it a point to leave all your stresses and worries behind when you take a shower and you will emerge healthy, rested, and more capable of dealing with challenges.
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