Cold Showers – An Exercise in Mindfulness – DK

As I sit alone in my living room, the evening shadows creep into my house as I have no power. As a result, due to our electric water heater being down, I had to take my semi-annual Cold Shower. I’m still tingling all over as the deep coolness exudes from my bones. Wow. I feel ALIVE!

What an exercise of mindfulness. It is a singular task that one must work up to. And a task that one must focus on. It’s like jumping in a river but it’s harsher because it doesn’t numb you out as it continues to bare on you, drop by drop, except in a cascade of droplets, non-stop. Through your hair, and mine is long, and down your chest, the cold water make you breath shallow and deep all at once. Hyperventilating almost.

Notable I become alive in the shower. Bellowing out as if it would help me endure. Ha! Ha!!! Ooobbhh…almost like hot water. Except COLD.

I’m sure my landlord heard me. My windows are now open to cool down the house in an unusually warm mid-April day. I have no air or electricity as it was shut off for maintenance of the local grid. Whatever the grid is? Hence my cold shower reason.

Every so often I have no choice. Yet in between when I do, I make it happen anyway. It’s an experience and takes me away from the world just for a few minutes. Like a bondage session or deep corporal. You think of nothing. Focus on washing. Washing my hair takes extra time. Which is part of this challenge.

Beside there are benefits to it! As I looked up stock photos to use I find number articles on cold shower benefits. Hydrotherapy they call it. Kind of electro therapy without the electricity. Here’s a link and some major benefits. Of course I just took my first cold shower in months so I have little to boast about except that I did it.

https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-benefits#improved-circulation