TAKING A PRAYER BATH IS THE ULTIMATE SANCTUARY AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Anyone who has access to a bathtub and hot water can do a prayer bath which is an easy and blissful way to take time out to de stress and achieve peace of mind
THE DAWNING LIGHT, Volume 7, Issue Number 465
SPIRITUAL SOUP KITCHEN Section Number 47
Friday, September 15, 2023
Images Credit: Pixabay
Taking A Prayer Bath Is The Ultimate Sanctuary and Spiritual Practice
Working hard day and night as we create our new life of service and simple living freedom…
Thick fog swirls about Still Mountain this morning after another sweet perfect late summer night.
I am sipping espresso while working at my small desk aboard our tiny house.
I want to share about one of my most cherished and effective spiritual practices with you because anyone who has access to a bathtub and hot water in a private bathroom where they can close the door can do this practice. It has been one of my most important practices that I have come to totally rely on…and if you try it, you will see for yourself why.
After the day’s work, and the coming of night I simply fill our big blue bathtub with steaming hot water, close the door, and get in….
Image Credit: Pixabay
MY NIGHTLY PRAYER BATH IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND POWERFUL SPIRITUAL PRACTICE that leads to peace of mind, alignment with God’s will and a profound sense of well being
This is the most important part of my daily routine because without these nightly times dedicated to pure prayer, meditation and kirtan, the rest of life would lose its sacred radiance and direct God connection on which the quality of everything else depends.
While hot water trickles into our special long deep bathtub, I do my practices of prayer, meditation and singing which steadily raise my vibrational frequency to tune myself to the divine vibration before going to the bath.
Once the tub is full, I lie down in the streaming hot water and let go of everything else but being fully present in the moment.
While my weary body is lying in the hot water, which deeply soothes and relaxes me, I open my heart and sing prayerful love songs to God.
I discovered this prayer bath practice more than 50 years ago when my room had its own bath with a huge claw foot tub in it, after years of living in places that only had shared showers.
It was in lying down in this tub in very hot water that I spontaneously started chanting and singing and discovered that just being in hot water made connecting with the divine much easier than any other place, even on my seat in the meditation hall.
Since then, I have taken many thousands of prayer baths almost every night, because I can always achieve that peaceful, blissful and uplifting state of active God contact which is so important to me.
I have found that even if there is only a few inches of hot water, it is enough to use as a prayer bath.
It is best if the water is hot, because it relaxes you physically, mentally and spiritually.
But, ever since discovering this sweet practice, wherever I lived, the first thing I made sure of was having a big tub and big hot water heater and the right conditions for this nightly prayer bath.
Image Credit: Pixabay
HOW TO TAKE A PRAYER BATH…give yourself ultimate “me time”, taking time to take care of yourself in the sanctuary of your soul
I recommend that you try it for yourself.
We all need dedicated time every day to simply being alone with ourselves, even if you are still learning how to pray and meditate.
If your home has a bathtub big enough to lay at least the main part of your body down in, try it out tonight.
Fill the tub with steaming hot water (but not so hot that its harmful).
Tell the folks around you that you need 30 or 40 minutes of uninterrupted time in the bathroom without calls, knocks on the door or any other disturbances.
Make sure you have clean good water in a bottle to drink during your bath.
Then, lock the door, turn off the lights and lay down in the tub…focusing your mind on God in simple heart felt communication through prayer…and then listen closely for “the still small voice within”, which is your own inner guidance as it gently answers the questions on your heart.
As much as you can, let go of everything outside of your bathroom sanctuary.
Stay in the hot water as long as you can while you watch your breathe, being as present as you can with yourself and gently calling on God.
If you give yourself this gift of time dedicated to communing with your own self and the divine, you will be amazed at the positive results.
I suggest doing this every night if possible.
This practice will light up your life…
Feel free to write me with your experiences or with your questions.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Original Prayer and Calligraphy by Chinmayan
Image Credit: Still Mountain Meditation Center
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I love this idea. I take a bath every night and it never occurred to me to do meditation & prayer during this time. Thank you for sharing this with us.