Magazine: Spiritual Bathing



Spirituality & Health
The Soul/Body Connection

Issue: July-August 2003

Spiritual Bathing
Nadine Epstein and Rosita Arvigo


From baptisms to Mayan baths to waterfalls, tubs, and saunas, spiritual
bathing is a deeply healing, connecting, and soul-fulfilling practice.
We know that it feels wonderful to soak in a warm bath or swim in the sea;
that it is blissful to meditate upon the sound of river water rushing over
rocks; or that the sight of sunlit drops bursting from a waterfall is
magnificent. But how often do we think of these experiences as spiritual?
Yet in ancient times, the spiritual essence of water evoked a sense of
wonder, reminding people that they were threads in the divine web of life.
Foremost in the great creation myths and traditions of nearly every culture
is the recognition that water gave birth to humankind. It was seen as a
divine, life-giving, healing, cleansing, renewing force. "Water symbolizes
the whole of potentiality; it is fons et origo, the source of all possible
existence," wrote Mircea Eliade, the late historian of comparative religion.
Water was the primordial element from which most of the ancients believed
the earth was created: The Egyptian god Nun was the god of chaos and waters
who created the earth. The Yoruba goddess Obatala created the world from a
floating ball of water and Vishnu formed the earth while floating on a
serpent in the cosmic seas. In Native American myths, Old Man, drifting on a
raft, willed the earth into existence out of water.
The human affinity for water was also expressed through spiritual bathing,
which drew men, women, children, and whole communities closer to the divine.
Immersion symbolized rebirth, regeneration, and momentary death. Sprinkling,
splashing, pouring, sweating, and even drinking were also important parts of
such bathing.

Water rituals may be even more meaningful now as people struggle to find
their own paths to, and relationships with, God. Our over-scheduled lives
require as many ways as possible to regain a sense of interconnectedness and
harmony, within and without. Spiritual bathing strenghthens our tenuous
connection with the natural world and its reflection of the divine. Baths
not only ease our passage through the stresses of daily life, they also
separate the extraordinary from the mundane, transport us to a holier place,
and mark rites of passage. Spiritual bathing can open the door to one's own
inner guidance, uplifting the soul to foster a more reverant, peaceful state
of mind.

Although many rituals have religious roots, contemporary spiritual bathing
transcends the particularity of a religious community, institution, or
spiritual tradition by incorporating diverse ideals and practices. At the
same time, it helps us to deepen our understanding of traditions in order to
reshape rituals for modern times and create new ones. These rituals can be
used as a private journey, or celebrated communally with friends and family
at home, in the backyard, or by a sea, lake, river, spring, or pond.

Petals of roses, hollyhock, marigold, and hibiscus flowers swirl with basil,
rue, and sage, creating patterns in the water that are achingly lovely.
Caroline climbs into the tub as copal smoke billows from the incense holder.
She feels disconnected from herself, from her husband, and from the divine.
As she immerses herself, she prays for connection and clarity. Repeating her
prayers and focusing her intentions, she soaks for 30 minutes while
absorbing the changing patterns of petals and leaves into her soul, and
gathering the rue buds up in her hands and breathing in their pungent
fragrance. When she arises from the bath, she feels renewed and reconnected
to the divinity within herself, and the divinity within the world.
Spiritual bathing is intertwined with healing practices throughout the world
and can benefit even those who do not hold any particular religious or
spiritual beliefs. A spiritual bath combines water - whether in liquid or
vapor form - with prayer, and sometimes plants, stones, gems, honey, milk,
or wine to wash away the negative effects of anger, fear, anxiety, grief,
trauma, exhaustion, world-weariness, stress, and confusion. Whether you are
brokenhearted or in transition, bathing can heal you if it incorporates two
essential components: water and prayer.
Water is revered by Hindus, the Shinto, and the Inca, among others, for
carrying the memory of sunlight, the phases of the moon, fresh air,
mountains, and rocky beds within it, wherever it goes. Its spiritual energy
can be transformative. This belief is central to the understanding of the
effect of spiritual bathing on the human body.

In sacred traditions, water must be infused with prayer, chants, or medicine
songs to achieve its full potential for transforming human energy. These
elements may wash away the negative thoughts and emotions that may be at the
root of human physical and emotional ailments, blocking spiritual clarity
and connection. Water infused with prayer is believed to alleviate negative
feelings. It refreshes, calms, and balances our energy, allowing it to
arrive and leave at a constant rate.
Many cultures believe that water absorbs and accumulates the vibratory
patterns of our words, healing thoughts, and intentions, like a sort of
spiritual energy-storage battery. And so, Native American spiritual healers
chant rhythmically and shake rattles over water to enhance its healing
properties. Mayan shamans place their hands above water and repeat their
traditional prayers nine times to enrich and consecrate the water in which
their patients bathe; they also instruct their emotionally ill patients to
pray fervently over a glass of water before drinking it. Roman Catholic
priests make water holy by ritual blessings prayed over it, and making the
sign of the cross above the vessel containing the water. Incan priests and
priestesses prayed as they immersed their hands in water which flowed
through channels and into their temples to build up spiritual energy for
ceremonial and domestic purposes.


Rituals
Every spiritual bathing tradition has its own philosophy, prayers,
mythology, and rituals, as well as something unique to teach us about how
humanity has lived and survived on our planet. Within this diversity, we
have found much commonality, making spiritual bathing a fascinating prism
through which to view the world's religions. Here are a few rituals - both
new and old - to try at home or at a nearby body of water.

Maya Spiritual Bath
One of the world's most ancient cultures, remnants of which still exist in
Mexico and Central America, the Maya had many spiritual baths which they
used to treat physical and spiritual ailments. Spiritual ailments might
include susto (fear and anxiety), tristeza (sadness), pesar (grief), or
invidia (envy.) This is a good bath to help relieve general anxiety, fear,
troubling dreams, or sadness.

Collect the following plants while reciting a prayer of thanks to each of
them:

9 sprigs rue, about 6 inches long
9 12-inch marigold stems with flowers
4 branches basil, about 12 inches long
or:
4 stalks motherwort, about 12 inches long
9 branches sage, about 12 inches long
9 branches Saint-John's-wort, about 12 inches long

Fill your largest pot with water. Place the plants in the water and squeeze
them between your hands for 10 minutes. Pray and breathe deeply during this
time for the full healing benefit. When the water has taken on color and
aroma, set it aside for up to eight hours.
Draw water into your tub until it is half-full, at a temperature of your
liking. Drink a half-cup of the herbal water, and pour the remainder into
the tub.
You can strain the water if you wish, but it is lovely to bathe surrounded
by floating flowers and leaves.
Soak for 30 minutes, relaxing and meditating on the purpose of the bath.
Burn copal incense during this time. This is also a good time to pray.
If you have no bathtub, carry the pot of herbs into the shower. Sit on a
stool or chair in the shower, and slowly pour the herbal water from a bowl
over your body. You can add hot tap water to the pot of herbs for a warmer
bath.

Summer Solstice Group Baptism
Most North and South American slaves were taken from West Africa, where
river cults required ceremonies involving total immersion of the body. Even
when Christianized, slaves held onto some of their African traditions,
incorporating elements of the old ways into the new faith. The belief in
ritual immersion for spiritual purification and renewal of purpose was one
Africans shared with Christians.
On the night of the solstice, the group stays up all night praying, giving
thanks, meditating, singing, and drumming. At 5 A.M., they meet at the
seashore or riverbank. Each person kneels, then immerses him- or herself in
the water, accompanied by further prayer, drumming, dancing, and general
celebration.
The ceremony closes with a prayer circle at the water's edge, after which
everyone returns to a home, church, or communal hall to share a feast.

Waterfall Bathing
Inspiring waterfalls hidden in remote mountain areas have been places of
adoration and pilgrimage since earliest history in Asia. The water and
mountain have a yin-yang relationship. To the Shinto, the waterfall is a
deity, a go-shintai, or physical embodiment of a kami, or god. Monks,
priests, shamans, and ascetics have long bathed at waterfalls for spiritual
purification before entering mountain shrines or undertaking arduous tasks,
and to replenish their healing and divining powers in the presence of the
water god.

Choose a small, safe waterfall.
Stand beneath the waterfall (be careful).
Let the water spray over you.
Pray or meditate.
Yom Kippur Bath
A reflective ritual bath that can be taken at the new year as well. Prepare
the ingredients for the bath in the afternoon.
Collect herbs with kindness: rue, lemon balm, rosemary, or other
combinations of herbs work wonderfully.
Simmer the herbs in a big pot of water, making the house fragrant.
Strain (optional).
Pour off a cup for after dinner; drink as tea before sundown.
After dinner and services, fill a tub with water.
Put on sacred music - Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino or other.
Light incense and place lighted candles around the bath.
Carry the warm (no longer hot) herb water to the tub.
Climb into tub, and using a wooden or clay bowl, pour bowlfuls of herb water
over yourself (or have someone else do the pouring), while saying your
favorite prayers.
Soak in tub for at least 20 minutes.
Think about the year: what you would like to be forgiven for, how you can
make amends.
Sing and chant. It's amazing how lovely our voices sound when we chant near
and above water in an enclosed space like a bathroom.


Celtic Water Divination
Springs and wells where water rises up from the earth were revered by the
Celts as portals to the Otherworld, the womb of the earth. Celebrated by the
people and their priests, the Druids, and later by Christians as well as
modern-day followers of the Druid way, holy wells are still popular
pilgrimage destinations. But you don't need to travel to practice this
ritual.
At dusk or night, find any still, dark water - a pond, tidal pool, or even
water in a dark bowl or cauldron - and settle into a comfortable position.
Gaze into the water's depths for five to 15 minutes, or longer if possible.
Unfocus your eyes, relax your mind, and allow thoughts to drift in and out
of your awareness, without concentrating on any particular image or ideas.
Be open to any message arising from your meditation.


Sumerian New Moon Bath
Sumerians knew that the phases of the moon can affect all natural bodies,
including water, plants, and human emotions. Moon cycle changes are a good
time for a ritual of renewal or initiation. The new moon phase is a time of
symbolic rebirth. So, when you need to start a new project, welcome a new
phase of life, or celebrate a major change for the better, try a new moon
bath.
As the full moon begins to wane, it is time to meditate on the purpose of
your new moon bath. Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish, or wish
to manifest, in this coming transition. When you have your answer, write it
down in a clear, concise sentence, and place the piece of paper on your
altar or under your pillow.
When the night sky is completely dark, with no moon, or only a slight
crescent, it is time to prepare your bath. Remember to prepare during the
day by picking plants that grow near you, while reciting prayers of thanks.
Plantain, hyssop, Saint-John's-wort, marigold, and basil are good choices.
Squeeze them into a tub of warm water.
Sometime that evening or late afternoon, step into the bath, or if you
decide to dip and pour, repeat your intention of renewal nine times, just as
you wrote it down. Meditate and try to keep your mind focused on this
outcome during the bath. Give thanks for its fruition as if it were already
a reality.


Life Change Ritual at the Sea
Adapted from rituals common to many cultures, this is a good one for
difficult times of change or transition, or trouble letting go of someone or
something from the past.
Wear old clothes over a bathing suit, including at least one item that
symbolizes your "old" life, and go to the sea. Dip your body into the sea
seven times (wearing the old clothes), while saying with each dip,
"I now break all links with (appropriate phrase)."
Remove the old clothes, and throw them away into a bin at the beach. Walk
away, and don't look back.
Nadine Epstein is a writer, artist, and teacher living in Washington, D.C.,
and founder of the Center for Creative Change. Rosita Arvigo is a
naprapathic and holistic physician as well as founder of the Ix Chel
Tropical Research Center and the Terra Nova medicinal plant preserve in
Belize. Epstein and Arvigo are co-authors of two books on Maya healing
practices. Their latest book is Spiritual Bathing: Healing Traditions and
Rituals From Around the World, which will be published in October. They
would love to hear about your experiences of spiritual bathing at
www.spiritualbathing.com.
See the current and back issues This touches on:
. Attention
. Devotion
. Wonder


This was taken from a Yahoo! Group called "Magic Light."