What does a shower mean to you?

This was the question posed at a charity event that I attended for Project Outpour last weekend. Project Outpour provides mobile showers and hygienic services for the homeless in Charlotte. When we think of basic needs, showers go beyond just our physical health to our mental health. So often we take them for granted. Now I invite you to consider: What does a shower mean to you?

For me it has meant:

Feeling human again

When I was in Africa during the wet season, we got covered in mud each day. We were outside constantly and my body felt gritty, my hair matted down, and my armpits as damp as the swamplands. It’s one thing to wipe yourself down each day with a wash cloth, and a whole other thing to feel water rushing over you, thoroughly cleansing your every pore. I remember finally taking a shower in a motel and washing my hair with shampoo. When I got out, my skin glowed, my hair was soft and loose, and I smelled great! Re-energized, I entered the lobby and wanted to be around other people again. This shower taught me that feeling clean made me feel able to socialize with others and be close to them without embarrassment. It boosted my confidence.

Hitting the restart button

When I have been having a bad day, feeling fatigued, or struggling with anxiety, I have found that a shower always soothes me. The sweet scents of shampoos and soaps and the rhythm of the water massaging my neck and back provide an uplifting sensory experience. Here I can be fully present in my body and lovingly care for it. I am noticing the parts that I don’t always pay attention to, and this gets me out of my head. Once I step out of the shower, I feel like the day is just starting. Taking this pause in my day is like I hit the reset button and I can begin again.

Washing away the past, the hurt, and the negative thoughts

There’s nothing like a physical act that represents what is happening internally. Our inner and outer worlds are connected so that what is happening on the inside of us leaks out and what happens outside of us soaks in. Our physical practices can actually change our mindset. For example, one day I had an outrageous argument with my mother. I needed to cool down and keep the angry words from destroying my spirit. As I stood under the showerhead my heart rhythm began to slow and the tears began to flow. I was no longer angry, just hurt. I decided to imagine each hurtful thought and word wash away from my memory and spin down the drain with the water. I let the steamy warmth slowly melt away the childhood wound that had been triggered. I spoke lovingly to my inner child as I felt held in this warm cocoon. And then I began to see my mother in a new light as well. I remembered her warm embrace comforting me as a child. And I stepped out of that shower able to let go and forgive.

About the Author: Julie Glaser is a healer who creates sacred spaces for others to share, release, and grow. She’s in the habit of being in awe and wonder and writes to share her own experiences with other inquisitive souls in the process of transforming.