WHAT IS MENTAL BATH AND HOW TO TAKE IT ?

WHAT IS MENTAL BATH AND HOW TO TAKE IT?

AS IMPORTANT AS PHYSICAL BATH

Every Living Being Likes Bathing

image source : my mobile phone

WHAT IS MENTAL BATH AND HOW TO TAKE IT?

The essential step towards achieving good physical health is taking bath regularly. 

Some people even take bath twice in a day - in the morning and in the evening.
And so much attention is paid for the same.  Soothing oil, fragrant soaps, creams, different types of brushes,scrubbers and what not.  Due to effective commercialization there is wide scope for choosing. 

As if this is not enough, nowadays, it is time for using deodorants of different fragrances.  Superfluous things always get more attention than the core issues.  For example, nowadays every body talks of Yoga saying ' I do Yoga'.  And what is the overall impression? You will see people,especially old, with full modern gears like track suit, t-shirt, sports shoes, earphone plugging in ears, a mobile phone, the yoga mat bundled in a stylish plastic container hanging from the shoulder and ready to go to do Yoga.  If asked what is meaning of Yoga, hardly 10 percent will be able to give right answer. 

People often go to beauty parlors to get various treatment for the main physical aspects that contribute to their physical appearance, and thus their overall impression on others.

For Hair -  haircut, perms, colors, shampoo conditioning, curling, reconstructing, weaving and waving etc.

For nails - manicure, pedicure, polishing, sculptured nails etc.

For skin care - Body waxing, massages, Facials (European and Indian) etc.

Nowadays, Body Spa services are also available.  This treatment slows the ageing process, facilitates regeneration, restores normal blood circulation enabling normal supply of oxygen throughout the body, eliminates toxins present in body and helps release of hormone serotonin which  makes one naturally feel good. 

WHAT IS MENTAL BATH AND HOW TO TAKE IT?

According to Ayurveda, an ideal health is a state wherein the body is not having any toxins, all body systems function normally, the mind is peaceful without any agitation.

In Indian culture,  Ayurvedic Panchakarma,  the centuries old treatment,  the Indian version of latest  Body Spa concept, is very well known all over the world, the purpose of which is cleansing of various  internal body systems, like digestive, excretory, circulatory and all other vital systems.

But generally we are not aware of influence of our mind on our health. 

A disturbed mind leads to health problems.  A calm and peaceful mind ensures sound physical health.  This has been proven fact.

Our old generation was very well aware of this. People of my age may recall the morning, evening and late evening prayers and recitations in the family.  I still remember how the entire atmosphere used to get transformed conducive for healthy and positive thoughts, leading to pious feelings in mind, a unique state of calmness of mind and no any trace of agitation in mind. We children were used to recite Rama Raksha in the morning and Deeparti in the evening.

WHAT IS MENTAL BATH AND HOW TO TAKE IT?

In my childhood, I had seen elderly people, after taking bath, regularly going through chanting of auspicious mantras. When I curiously used to ask them as to why they do this chanting, they simply smiled and replied that they feel good having done so.  But later, at my grown up stage, I found that one can get the following benefits out of chanting of auspicious mantras.

• Reduced heart rate and blood pressure.
• Reduced breathing rate per minute. (This is obvious.  In agitated mind condition the breathing rate increases.  When one's mind is calm, the breathing rate comes down.  Normal rate is 16 to 18.  By regular mantra chanting it may come down to 6 breaths per minute.
• Enhances the willingness to get deactivated.
• Enhances relaxation of mind.
• Enhances physiological functions controlled by the subconscious mind.
• It helps to have awareness of self conscience and strengthen it.
• Increases awareness of supreme values of life- freedom, peace and love.

All this mental bath technique effectively serves the purpose of maintaining sound mental health thereby sound physical health.

In fact, in India, for generations, this has been tradition in a typical family to have mental bath every day thereby ensuring that every child develops awareness of polarities in values of life like truth and untruth, moral and amoral, justice and injustice, natural and unnatural, healthy and unhealthy and so on.  

This awareness enables the child to make right choices in such polarities as to imbibe the right values in life and lead a responsible healthy life. 

Are you taking regular mental bath along with physical bath? 

Or you will start to take mental bath?

Let me know your comments on the above please.

Next time......