Beggar's Bowl

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Ishnaan: The Science of Hydro-Therapy

The power of water is 60% of the power of the human
-Yogi Bhajan

The cold weather is upon us! Not only does it affect our physcial health but it also affects our mental health. If you are one of those people that develops a mild depression during the winter months due to the lack of Vitamin D from the sun and the drop in your body temperature, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), I HIGHLY recommend the science of Ishnaan. Ishnaan in short is taking cold showers. "Ishnaan is when the body by its own virtue creates the temperature that it can beat off the coldness of the water. (Y.B.)" Yes, you heard it...cold showers all year long even in the winter. I am not saying, get in the cold water from the jump. If you can handle that...God bless you! I am not that evolved. But what I will describe, is what I do and what has worked for me. 

I take my regular hot shower then I slowly turn down the hot water and ease into the cold water til the hot water is off. I do my extremities first, hands/arms, feet/thighs, then torso and lastly the head. Then I vigorously massage my body til my body heats up and then I massage my feet (not with my hands) but left foot massages the right foot and then the right massages the left. Due to the acupressure points in your feet you are essentially massaging your entire body and internal organs. Then I let the water run down the front of my neck, and let the water run down my entire body for a couple of minutes. This totally changes your cells.

Why a cold shower?:

• Opens up your capillaries
• Flushes your organs
• Keeps the blood chemistry young and healthy
• Stimulates the healthy secretion of the glandular system
• And besides...it's orgasmic

It is said, "If I with my body can conquer the chilliness of the water. I can take away the chilliness of my life." Let me know how it goes!

- Mama Luz

2 comments:

  1. Ok....I just started doing this and found myself literally trying to catch my breath! A sign to me (the total discomfort) that I need to do this daily. Thank you for sharing this!

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    1. You are most welcome! I've become so used to it, I do it all year round. It is now a part of my daily routine. You will build your tolerance for the water among other things ;)

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