Showered With Love

I love to take the mundane tasks I do everyday and find a way to make them into opportunities for soul care. A good portion of our precious days are spent on daily upkeep of ourselves and our homes, so why not use those moments for a higher purpose? Let’s talk about a missed opportunity hiding in plain sight; your shower time! We tend to approach taking a shower with a utilitarian attitude, the means to an end; to get clean. Let’s re-frame the way you spend your time in the shower with three easy steps so that it becomes a daily soul-satisfying act of self care.

Our bodies are our faithful companions and deserve to be Showered With Love.

1. First, let’s set the scene with a few simple steps to make your bathroom feel like an oasis.

- Soft Lighting- A dimmer on your bathroom light switch is an easy addition and quite frankly, it’s a game-changer when it’s dark and that’s the first light you turn on.

-Calming Music-Save a “spa” or “meditation” playlist on your phone and have that playing in the background.

-Luxurious Products- Another important step in up-leveling your shower time is to have products that you absolutely love and look forward to using. And luxurious doesn’t equate to expensive! Find a few things that delight your senses and make you feel special. If you have an ounce of “DIY’er” in you, an economical way to to this is to make your own.

(At the end of this article I’ll give you a link to a super simple recipe for a coconut sugar scrub.)

2. Next, let’s take a look at your head-space! The next few times you’re in the shower, pay attention to what your mind’s doing while you’re on auto-pilot. Are you going over today’s “to do” list or making a mental note to put additional things on it? Are you running through the week’s schedule or meal plan? Are you thinking critical thoughts about your body? I know that my mind’s favorite thing to do in the shower is to RUMINATE. You know, plan out and rehearse a conversation that should have happened in the past, or that I wish would have happened differently. What pointless torturous fun that is! What kind of mind chatter are you listening to when you’re in the shower?

Once you become aware of what your mind is occupying itself with, you can consciously adjust.

My recommendation is to intentionally quiet the mind during your shower like you would in meditation. When you step into the shower, take a few moments to consciously take deep inhales and exhales. Throughout your time in the shower, when any thoughts arise, just let them go and float away with your breath, imagining that they float away with the steam in the shower. After you’ve cleaned the junk out of your head you will have an easier time being present with your body. And that’s what the shower is all about, right?!…Caring for your beautiful body.

3. Intentionally send Love and Gratitude to your body. As your sudsing up your amazing bod, have a loving conversation with each body part. Don’t skip over the parts of your body you are critical of; those places deserve extra love and attention. Now that you’re being mindful of your thoughts, you may be surprised to notice a critical voice coming through. When those thoughts arise, just envision them going down the drain! Focus only on what you are doing at that moment; your breath, the feel of your hands and the warm water on your skin, and the scent of the soap.

Your gratitude should be as unique as you are, but to give you a few examples, let’s begin at the bottom shall we?!

• Start with your feet and thank them for the good foundation and balance they provide.

• Thank your legs for their strength and taking you all of the places you want to go.

  Now, you’ve probably caught on that I’m working from the floor up, so some of you might be wondering, “Is she going to actually talk about our ‘Lady Bits’?!”. You know, the proverbial “Nether Regions”…your “Hoo-Hah”...the good ol’ “Vajajay”…Why yes…Yes I am.

• So, let’s talk about your Vagina!!!! You should absolutely take a few moments (or however long you need sister! This is your Self Care Shower! Own it!) and properly thank that amazingly wonderful part of your body. I mean, seriously…what a hard-working Unsung Hero!

• Thank your booty for a nice soft place to sit!

• Send gratitude to your stomach and back for keeping you balanced.

• Give thanks to your breasts for everything they’ve provided; perhaps comfort, nourishment, pleasure.

• Rub your arms and hands, giving thanks for all that they have carried and created.

Now, watch how this small but powerful shift in an otherwise monotonous task changes your mood as you start your day, and how that loving attention and gratitude trickles through the rest of your life.

…This seems like as good a place as any to put one of my favorite Betty White quotes…