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Scrubbing and
cleansing during baths is a common spa treatment
that leads to the overall wellbeing of a person.
To escape from the daily tension and stress, the
home baths is the ideal place to relax and
unwind for the Japanese. Bathing is one of the
national pastime of the Japanese and there are
rules and regulations which must be adhered to
strictly when you go to public areas for baths,
for example, you must cleanse yourself before
you go into the hinokiburo (bath) or onsen (hot
spring). To the Japanese, one of the popular
places for the people to relax is at the social
and solitary baths whereby it is believed that
baths can cure physical sickness. A common
way to overcome soreness which is due to the
lactic acid is by soaking in a rice vinegar
bath. This form of treatment can assist in the
elimination of excess lactic acid in the muscles
and subsequently relief the soreness on our
body.
 To begin your
perfect bathing experience, go and take a cool
water shower for about a few minutes and scrub
your whole body using a bath soap of gel and
always work in the directions towards your
heart. Once this is done, dry yourself off. Then
fill the bath with hot water and while it is
filling up, light a candle-heated aromatherapy
diffuser.
Photo: Relax in the bath
Place the candle near the spot where you
will rest your head when you go into the bath
later. Among the essential oils which you can
use here are clary sage, frankincense, myrrh and
sandalwood which are oils that are able to
reinstate your physical and emotional
equilibrium. Once the bath if filled with water,
slowly immerse yourself into the hot water.
Inhale deeply as you try to make yourself feel
relax in the bath. After that, pour the water
over your shoulders with a ladle and this will
help to soothe the muscles. Then gently pour the
water over your head and the feeling of the
water running through your body is often said to
be a form of meditation. When the ladling is
completed, carry on soaking in the water for
another ten minutes in this meditative position.
To put the icing
on the cake, complete the process with a tea
drinking ritual. To the Japanese, inner peace is
found during this time whereby they will forget
all the worries and problems they have during
this short period of time. The best type of tea
is to use high quality loosen green tea leaves
and let the leaves steep in boiling water for
about five minutes. Sometimes unfermented tea is
favored by the Japanese because they contain
high antioxidants.
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