7 Reasons Sacred Baths Are the Best for Meditation

by Dr. Paulette Sherman

The Body Surrounded by Water — Is this a Sacred Bath?

Have we been told that meditation and prayer are important things to do in our daily routine? Research says that people who meditate are happier. Many of us have wanted to begin a daily practice of meditation, but in our busy lives, it’s hard to sit in our room and say, ‘Om’ while our kids run around. But once we take a sacred bath, we will easily and regularly institute this practice.

A sacred bath is a bath that includes essential oils, crystals, intention, meditation and prayer. It just takes 25 minutes and it includes a powerful, high-impact time that facilitates our personal transformation. A regular bath is for our physical hygiene but a sacred bath is for our spiritual, emotional, and mental hygiene. Creating the space for our sacred bath makes it easier, more enjoyable, and more practical for us to meditate.

Here are 7 reasons why sacred baths are best for meditation:

Sacred Baths Reason #1 – We Take a Bath Anyway: Taking a bath doesn’t require a lot of energy or time and it’s quiet. We are already relaxed in the bath so it’s the perfect place to institute a regular meditation time. And since most of us have a practice of bathing already, it’s an easier transition because it’s part of our routine.

Sacred Baths Reason #2 – It’s an Oasis, not a Should: Often meditation can feel like a chore instead of a gift. It can be one more thing we “should” do and we all have enough of those! But when we do things that feel like a gift, we look forward to them and are more likely to maintain that habit. Creating a good smelling, high vibration sacred bath is like a mini vacation and meditating in that environment feels easy and sumptuous. It feels like self-care and a chance to connect with our Spirit. This is something we miss during the work day and it’s a great way to begin our day.

Sacred Baths Reason #3 – People Leave Us Alone While We Are Bathing: For parents, there is never a dull moment. Kids don’t leave us alone when we do an exercise video or meditate on a pillow in the bedroom but they can learn that when we take a bath and lock the door for 25 minutes, they need to wait quietly or to go to daddy. Perhaps this is because we know the bathroom as a quiet private place where we leave people alone to do their business. We all need our “alone time” and this is healing and precious.

Sacred Baths Reason #4 – We Don’t Have to Say a Mantra: When we pray and meditate in our sacred bath, we just have an intention, some way to improve our lives. This feels natural.

When our mind wanders to worries or everyday matters, we can bring it back to our intention and ask for guidance. We can intend to let go of all that is negative while bringing unconditional love and peace into our auric field and bath. Then we can do deep breathing and see what guidance we receive.

In The Book of Sacred Baths, published by Llewellyn Worldwide, there are 52 bathing rituals to help us revitalize our spirit and we don’t have to say, ‘Om!’ once. This approach can feel easier for beginner meditators. And we can still invite in our Higher Self and even God into our sacred bath for support and messages, remaining open to receive.

Sacred Baths Reason #5 – Designate a Space and Time: When we are trying to create a new habit in our busy lives, it helps to have a designated time and space for it. If we already take a morning bath, we can just pair it with some other habits like meditation and prayer, so that our ego won’t resist it. Most people make time for a regular shower or bath already. So this is a sneaky way to make it seem odd not to meditate daily in our bath, too. This makes that time exponentially more powerful because it becomes our spiritual hygiene as well as a physical purification. If we can remember to brush our teeth, we can do this. And, we’ll look forward to how good it feels!

Sacred Baths Reason #6 – Water is very relaxing: When we relax in the sacred waters, we can practice deep breathing and allow all monkey mind thoughts to go down the drain, so we are an empty vessel to receive guidance. This also puts us into our parasympathetic nervous system, which is deeply healing.

Sacred Baths Reason #7 – Water Maximizes Guidance: Water is a conductor of energy. Doreen Virtue says that it maximizes our intuition and ability to receive guidance. The only way to know is to try it. Happy Bathing!

About the Author

Dr. Paulette Sherman is a psychologist and author of The Book of Sacred Baths: 52 Bathing Rituals to Revitalize Your Spirit, published by Llewellyn. She does therapy in Manhattan and is a coach featured on Fox 5, The Early Show, 77WABC radio, NPR’s Cityscape. She is quoted in Glamour, Woman’s Day, Men’s Health, The New York Times, and the Huffington Post. www.sacredbathing.com