Two Showers a day?

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam!

 

I've been doing and teaching Kundalini Yoga and taking cold showers for a few

years now, but the topic of cold showers has always been a source of great

confusion for me.

 

>From everything I've read and heard, the way I've understood taking the cold

showers was as follows (give or take a few steps):

 

* Brush the skin, aiming toward the heart (to generate heat and exfoliate dead

skin cells) before entering the shower.

 

* Massage almond oil into the skin (to further stimulate the skin and allow for

maximum moisture absorption).

 

* Wear underpants or shorts to protect the calcium balance in the thighs.

 

* Jump into the shower cold--water should never be warm first--to create the

initial shock.

 

* Move in and out of the shower at least 4 or 5 times to allow the body

temperature to adjust.

 

* End the shower by rubbing off briskly with a large towel.

 

* Avoid taking the showers cold during menstruation (or when washing hair).

 

Now here's where I get confused: When does one actually get *clean* during this

process? If oil is put on the skin beforehand, using soap afterward will only

remove it. And rubbing oil on my skin *before* it's actually cleaned only traps

in the dirt from the day before, making my skin feel more dirty/oily than before

the shower. Also, it's very difficult to wash one's groin--which most certainly

needs a washin'!--with clothes covering it.

 

When I asked these questions of some fellow KY teachers, they responded in

surprise, "You're not supposed to take the cold shower to actually get clean! A

second shower should be taken later in the day for that purpose. The cold

shower is extremely brief and only for invigorating the body."

 

Well from what I know, it is detrimental to the skin to bathe more than once a

day. (In fact, I've read that one should actually shower only every *other* day

to prevent excessively drying out the skin.)

 

So in order to get my entire body and hair clean, as well as keep my body

hydrated, the way I take cold showers is by soaping up & rinsing (nude), and

then applying almond oil to my skin *after* toweling off. During the times I

wash my hair, I turn the water to warm temporarily. Is this the wrong way to go

about it? Are the cold showers for stimulation purposes only? Should follow-up

"cleansing" showers or baths be taken during the day?

 

I'd appreciate as much detailed elaboration on this topic as possible and what

steps I may be misunderstanding.

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

-- Mara

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