The Zen Of Meditating In The Shower
Shower Meditation
Focussing on the now is not only therapeutic affording us reprieve from anxious or stressful thinking, it also brings us closer to the reality of any moment. You can give yourself a real holiday from the thinking mind and attend to the Zen like simplicity of noticing the singing birds, the scent of burning incense or even the shower water running over your body.
Smelling the aromas of the soap, listening to the running water or the feeling of rubbing shampoo into your scalp are all delightful experiences to focus on and bring the practice of mindfulness into the shower, by disengaging from memories of the past, letting go of plans for the future and bringing a deliberate and focused attention to the now.
Meditation does not always mean sitting still on the floor especially when it comes to mindfulness or concentration practices. Classically Buddha taught four times to practice mindfulness – when sitting, standing, walking and lying down which I think pretty much means all the time, so it seems reasonable to include when showering.
In fact shower time is a perfect time to create a mindfulness ritual and to include an active meditation session into your daily routine.
A shower is also a great metaphor for washing away the past and cleansing the mind, revealing the natural purity of bare and open awareness which is always there but sometimes covered with a bit of dirt we pick up along the way.
A shower can deeply cleanse the aura maybe it’s the negative ions produced by running water which are reported to have important health benefits or maybe it’s just the deep cleansing of running water through the etheric field; either way a shower can feel great and is a fantastic time to bring your complete consciousness to the present moment and receive all the benefits a mindful shower can bring.
It’s very easy to think of a million things while you’re showering, taking those few minutes to plan your day or go over the past events but the zen of showering is to not bring anything else into the shower with you, instead when you shower, just shower. Practising to be fully engaged in the present sensual experience of exactly what you’re doing and nothing else.
Written By Chad Foreman
Chad Foreman is the founder of The Way of Meditation, has been teaching meditation since 2003, determined to bring authentic meditation practices into the lives of millions of people in the modern world. Chad is a former Buddhist monk who spent 6 years living in a retreat hut studying and practicing meditation full time and has now has over twenty years’ experience teaching meditation. Chad holds regular Meditation Retreats on the Sunshine Coast Australia, has Online Meditation Coaching, delivers three online programs - The 21 Day Meditation Challenge to help guide people gradually from the basics of mindfulness and relaxation to profound states of awareness. Breath-work to help manage stress and go deeper into meditation and The Bliss of Inner Fire which is a Buddhist tantric method for purifying energy blocks and contacting the clear light of bliss. You can also now get Chad's free e-book Insights Along the Way.
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