Overview
As holistic individuals, we want to take care of our Heart, Mind, Body, Spirit, and Five Senses as our thoughts, emotions, and general outlook on life have a positive or negative affect on our health. This Heart-Mind-Spirit-Body-Senses connection is not new; in fact it is centuries old. We are now re-learning lessons from the past and from other cultures; we are once again learning the importance of “connecting” with ourselves and with others – our families and friends, our Creator, to nature, as well as to the world around us – from Native Americans.
The Power of Water
Many people don’t realize the full potential of water. Besides being a wonderful thirst-quenching drink, it is also an amazing, painless, and natural medicine. Water in fact has healing powers. “Hydrotherapy”, as it is called, has been around since the fourth century BC. When heated to the right temperature, water has been known to relieve muscle aches and pains as well as treat a large variety of common ailments. When cold (between 580-680F / 140-200C), water has been known to temporarily shrink surface blood vessels, stimulate deeper circulation, increase the body’s natural defenses, and reduce high fever. In fact, a cold face plunge helps clear the head while hot water (990-1080F or 370-420C ) causes the blood vessels to expand. By increasing the flow of blood and perspiration, heat eliminates toxic substances, soothes and quiets the body, and relieves muscular tension and pain. As an added benefit, water supports 90% of your weight so your body isn’t placed under strain at anytime. Today, many doctors use hydrotherapy as a gentle, natural alternative to traditional medicine in relieving pain. A special pool isn’t needed to obtain all the natural healing powers of water — whether you go to the ocean or to your nearest bath tub, water is beneficial to healing.
Meditation
As we begin our journey towards self-discovery and in making a much-desired connection with our Creator, we learn that meditation plays an integral part. Through meditation, we not only discover the path to follow, but we also establish a firm foundation on that path. It is in this self-reflection that we find the strength to stay focused on where we are meant to be and where we find balance. Then, when we are well-established on our journey, meditation provides a place of gratitude and true humbleness. It is there we realize we are truly instruments of our Spirit and of our Creator.
Water Meditation
When allowing water to embrace us as we meditate growth results. Water heals, connects, and transforms our Heart, Mind, Body, Spirit, and Senses. Meditation expands our consciousness and heightens the senses. Together, water and meditation produce purity, clarity, and calmness. It’s nature’s way of reminding us to cleanse our Heart, Mind, Body, Spirit, and Five Senses. In doing so, the experience not only clears your head, but produces a bounty of fresh new thoughts and ideas.
The following exercise is clearly unique and very challenging. Developed by a Native American Psychologist, the Spiritual Bath is a special water meditation exercise that allows you to relax so you can open your inner eyes as well as mentally and physically see and feel who you really are. It also allows you to connect with our Creator and with your Walking Spirit.
About the Spiritual Bath
I was first introduced to this water meditation exercise in 2002. It allowed me to relax and to look deep into myself. I was instructed that if followed all of the steps and did not cut any corners, I would begin to see as well as feel many new things for and about myself. I was very curious and wanted to know more about myself, about our Creator, and about my Walking Spirit. I wondered whether the water mediation exercise would work. Would I become more aware of my surroundings and what more would I see, feel, and experience?
Its History
I learned a little history about a water meditation exercise known as the “White Light Spiritual Bath”. Native Americans not only use water for drinking, fishing, and growing their crops, but they also use it for its healing powers. Many believe water comes from the sweat and the tears of our Creator; thus, the reason for its healing powers. He continued by saying that a Native American Psychologist modernized an old Native American custom of water meditation then taught it to some of her clients and students.
This Native American Psychologist, who was referred to as “one who opens like a flower”, had been raped, molested, and beat up as a young child. She was raised by a white stepmother and a Native American stepfather who was an alcoholic. Her natural parents gave her up at birth because they could not afford to feed her or supply her with the proper clothing or education. From the time she was about eight years old, her stepfather would beat, rape, molest, and threaten her on a daily basis. When she tried to fight back, her stepfather would take it out on her stepmother and younger sister. It got so bad that as she got older her stepfather started to invite his brother and friends to have their way with her. Finally, when she turned 17, her stepmother passed away and she, along with her younger sister, ran away. They sought refuge at a Native American reservation where the locals protected them.
Upon graduation from high school, she went onto college to learn how to help others who were going through their own sufferings. As she was trying to put her own life together, she realized that many things were not complete or even organized within her own self. In addition, a deep, all-consuming anger would flare up every so often within her. This anger would damage the very relationships she was trying so hard to build with others. After experiencing two failed marriages and numerous relationships, raising a child by herself, and her professional career going nowhere, she began to believe and accept what a failure she was to her own self, to her own daughter, and to her sister who still looked up to her. She felt her whole world was crumbling in and around her. That is when she came across an old book she once was reading during her college days. In it were many old Native American customs of healing, including meeting and bringing into themselves the “Walking Spirit” (Walking Spirit) to help them to complete the healing process. It was then she recalled her stepmother telling her about an old Native American healing custom of using water and then looking into the White Light of the “Walking Spirit” to receive their communications.
This custom had a Native American woman waiting until late in the evening to build a small fire near the shoreline, disrobing, and then placing her nude body into the moving stream, river, or lake. Once in the water, she would close her outer eyes and clear her Heart, Mind, Senses, and Spirit. Upon total relaxation, she could use her inner senses to see and feel all the messages coming from our Creator.
It was then she decided to modernize this custom, calling it the “Spiritual Bath”. The more she openly shared this with others, the more others found their own way out of the darkness. She then customized the Spiritual Bath for men and children to use. Individuals who faced and then openly tried the Spiritual Bath saw and felt many new things about themselves and about life around them. For those who cut corners or allowed the Dark Side to place further negatives and barriers to stop themselves from moving forward, they would experience nothing. All they ended up experiencing was the cleansing of their outer body.
Over the years, many others have learned about this Spiritual Bath. Some got nothing out of it. Yet countless others experienced so many beautiful things, including what it is like to finally open up so they could communicate with our Creator and their own Walking Spirit.
Guidelines
Before you begin, there are a few things you need to understand about this exercise.
- Carefully read all instructions.
- Do not have any preconceived notions as to what you will be experiencing.
- Do not cut any corners or rush through this; otherwise, you will not fully experience or achieve anything for your own self. What’s more, you will not see or feel the special message that awaits you.
- Do not partake in any alcoholic beverages.
- Contrary to what some may think, the bath tub is not used in this exercise to self-induce a sexual experience. While this experience may make you feel more sensuous and sexual (which is not a bad thing by the way), it is a great deal more than that. It is a way in which you can open up your Heart, Mind, Five Senses, and Spirit so that you can connect with, take control of, and then move forward with your five lives.
- Once you have completed the Spiritual Bath, ask yourself the questions provided. Do not be embarrassed or concerned with the questions or the answers you come up with. When responding, answer the questions fully and completely. Allow all of your Heart, Mind, Body, Senses, and Spirit to all come together so you now can see as well as feel the answers come to you.
Let’s Begin
Important: Only do this Spiritual Bath when you have the time and privacy to prevent interruptions.
1. Turn off the TV. Turn off all music.
2. Light one unscented white candle and place it on the edge of your tub down near your feet area.
3. Fill your tub up with hot water (as hot as you can handle).
2. Note: Do not use any bubble bath, body oils, or salts as these items are neutralizers.
4. Turn off your bathroom lights.
5. Slide into your bath water.
6. Lie down so the healing power of the water completely surrounds you. Cuddle up with your sensuous body.
7. Remove all thoughts — both good and bad — from your Heart, Mind, Five Senses, and Spirit.
8. Close your eyes. Do not open them until you are instructed to do so.
a) Bring both of your hands up to your head. Think of your ten fingers as drawing instruments and your Heart, Mind, Senses, and Spirit as drawing paper.
b) Rub your hair and the top of your head all over by going slowly and with your ten fingers, slowly touching your hair and head.
c) Slowly move down to your facial features. Allow each of your fingers slowly and softly touch all of your facial features including your forehead, ears, nose, eye brows, eye lids, cheeks, lips, tongue, teeth and chin. As each of your fingers touch a part of you, visualize yourself “drawing” who you are with your Heart, Mind, Senses, and Spirit.
d) Slowly move your fingers down and now touch all of your neck area, including the back of your neck.
e) Move down to your shoulders area, which includes your arms, elbows, and fingers. Remember to always move slowly and touch yourself softly so you can draw a clear picture of who you really are into all of your Mind as well as into all of your Heart.
f) Move your drawing instruments down on to your breasts and nipples. Again allow your fingers to slowly and softly touch all areas of your breasts and nipples.
g) Move your fingers slowly down and touch all of your stomach area, which includes the sides of your sensuous Body.
h) Allow each of your ten fingers to enter and then exit slowly out of your navel.
i) Move down to your genital area. Remember to slowly and softly touch all over this area, inside and out. As you complete these touches, allow yourself to relax.
j) Move down in between each of your inner thigh areas, which also include slowly and softly touching each of the cheeks of your buttock.
k) Move down and slowly and softly touch the rest of your legs, which includes your feet as well as each toe.
9. Sit back and relax for a few minutes with your outer eyes until closed. Using your Heart, Mind, Senses, and Spirit,
picture what you now see of your self and your Body.
10. Open your eyes and look into the flame of the candle.
11. Get out of the tub, but do not blow out the candle yet. Do not dry off yet with a towel.
12. Stand in front of your bathroom mirror. Allow yourself to really look at the person who is in your mirror.
13. Look at your face. Look up and down your sensuous Body.
14. Blow out your candle and dry yourself off. Dress comfortably; perhaps in a robe or soft pajamas.
15. At your computer or with pen and paper in hand, answer the following questions while everything is still fresh in your Heart, Mind, Senses, and Spirit:
a) Describe how you felt before you did your Spiritual Bath.
b) Describe the setting around you and how you set everything up.
c) Describe how you did your own challenge, what you were seeing with your inner eyes, as well as what you were feeling with each new touch.
d) Describe how you felt once you completed and then sat back and relaxed for a moment.
e) Describe what you saw and felt when you looked into the flame of the candle.
f) Describe what you saw and felt when you looked at that other naked individual in your bathroom mirror.
g) Describe how you feel after you have completed your own Spiritual Bath.
I hope this little experience has allowed you to begin to see as well as feel a little bit more about your own self!
Copyright (C) 2003-2011 White Light Communications. All rights reserved.
