Taking A Prayer Bath Is The Ultimate Sanctuary and Spiritual Practice
Working hard night and day as we create our new life of service and simple living freedom
THE DAWNING LIGHT # 60 Tuesday March 28, 2023
Photo Credit: Chinmayan Rainbows over Still Mountain
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 hard freeze last night.
I am sipping espresso while working at my small desk aboard our tiny house.
Drinking this intense black homemade coffee is a like turning on the afterburners on a fighter jet and getting that rocket boost up into being wide awake and ready for the challenges of the day ahead.
For days now, I have been pushing the envelope of what is possible.
We have been heavily engaged during the past few days, when no new rain and wind storms have been pummeling us, to harvest and make firewood for folks who really need it.
It is hard and demanding work, but each day we have been able to push through and accomplish the work goals we have set for ourselves, even if it meant working long hours and being so exhausted at the end of the day that I can barely walk.
Then, I take time out to take a nap for about two hours and get up at the beginning of the night to work on this newsletter.
Each day’s new story for “The Dawning Light” is like following a trail through a wilderness forest that twists and turns, rises and falls in unexpected ways until I get to the end.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
Throughout the day, whether working, doing chores or taking a break, a part of me is always working internally on the new story that is slowly being born and taking shape.
I make notes to capture ideas and revelations as they come to me in a little pocket note book, as if I were making a path through a thick jungle.
I keep looking for the best title for the new story because I increasingly understand that without a good, intriguing and compelling title, few people will click on it, open my email and read the story, however wonderful it may be.
Staying up all night to write, edit and publish each day’s “Dawning Light”
After I get up from my evening nap, the whole night stretches out ahead of me. Ani has gone to the land of sweet dreams and the demands and focuses of the day are behind me.
These hours of the night are precious because I am in the refuge of pure solitude where there will be no phone calls or any other distractions.
But the journey from start to finish often takes most of the night… before the story is finally done and then sent out to you all in the wee hours of the morning.
After the two editions, this main “Dawning Light” newsletter and the daily “Journey of The Heart” section of pure Transformational Poetry are published, then I focus on having a “prayer bath”.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
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 bath tub , 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.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
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 everyday to simply being alone with ourselves, even if you are still learning how to pray and meditate.
If your home has a bath tub 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…
Fell free to write me with your experiences or with your questions.
Image Credit: Still Mountain Meditation Center
Dear Friend…
Thank you for reading today’s issue and being here with us!
If you loved it, please let us and our family of readers know you did, by clicking on the little heart below…and sharing it with anyone you know who would love and be inspired by it… please share your thoughts by clicking on the Comment button.
We sincerely want to know how you are doing, what you think of this story and any suggestions for how we can improve “The Dawning Light” or serve you better. We also want to develop a community of like minded folks who share themselves and their love here…and all this can happen if you communicate with us!
You can access all of our wide range of stories in our extensive library for free anytime by going to: thedawninglight.substack.com.
If you love this newsletter and get value from it, we ask that you consider supporting us on our mission to help save the world by becoming one of our treasured Paid subscribers.
We are offering 50% off a full year’s subscription (which is more than 600 issues) through April 1st, 2023…plus Paid subscribers get lots of goodies and bonuses! Check it by clicking on our Special Offer Button…
Meanwhile, may this be one of the most wonderful and amazing days of your life!