A Mindful Shower

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WEEKEND LEARNING
A Mindful Shower

Showers can be incredibly refreshing or rushed and stressful, depending on where our minds are when we get in. I know there are times when my mind is so focused on the million things I need to do when I get out, I come out with one shaved leg. You know those moments where you can’t remember whether or not you rinsed the conditioner out of your hair? It’s because your mind was anywhere except in that shower with you.

The key to the mindful shower (and a lot of mindfulness practices) is not to try to clear your mind, but to try to focus it deliberately on your surroundings. As you get in, take a moment to turn your shower to the perfect temperature. Notice the temperature shift in your bathroom as the shower heats the air. Notice the way the water feels when it first touches your skin—is it warm? Too hot? Do you get goosebumps?

Really focus your mind on the sensations happening as you get clean. Appreciate the smells that arise from your soap, shampoo, and conditioner. If you shave or brush your teeth, focus in on those sensations as well. The sharp razor sliding across your skin, and the bristly tooth brush scrubbing away your morning (or evening) breath.

As you tune in to the great sensory experiences happening, think about what they mean to you. Getting clean can be a refreshing, renewing experience. Think of the old that you are gently scrubbing off, and the opportunities it gives you for the day ahead. If your thoughts wander to the many things you have to do that day, that is completely normal and expected. In the spirit of mindfulness, be kind to yourself. “Thank you, brain, for that reminder! I’ll get to it shortly.” And then tune back to your senses; the feeling of the water, the smell of the soap. See if you can slow time down and feel each drop of water as it hits your back.

Notice the pressure you’re applying to yourself as you get clean. Do you scrub your scalp like it’s caked with layers of mud and dirt? That probably isn’t necessary. Be gentle with your body, and pay attention to the habitual ways in which you treat it.

This shower doesn’t have to take any longer than your normal shower would. It could take four minutes or twenty—whatever feels right for you. Focusing your mind on what you’re doing in that moment will make you feel more refreshed than stressing over what you need to do when you get out, or what you should have said to that person last night. Give your mind that break so that you can handle more when you get out!

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48 Mindfulness Technique Cards

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About: Are you looking for a handy resource to learn mindfulness techniques and exercises?

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These simple-to-use cards cover 5 categories of mindfulness, including:

• Breath-based

• Body-based

• Insight-based

• Sensory-based

• Emotions-based

CRYSTAL OF THE DAY

TIP OF THE DAY

Body scan. This is where you move your attention slowly through different parts of your body. Start from the top of your head and move all the way down to the end of your toes. You could focus on feelings of warmth, tension, tingling or relaxation of different parts of your body.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

A secret to happiness is letting every situation be what it is instead of what you think it should be, and then making the best of it.

MEME