Cold water to keep sickness at bay?

Worried about Coronavirus?

Here's a Yogic Lifestyle Tip to help stay healthy.

One of the ways I ward off viruses is Ishnaan. This health tip I've been utilizing for a year and a half and it has helped my body stay healthy and resilient. It's a Yogic "secret," if you will. In the West we call it Hydrotherapy. You may have experienced it in a spa, but it's something you can do at home in your own shower.

Want a stronger immune system and younger more radiant skin? Try Ishnaan.

The science of Ishnaan, or hydrotherapy, is (in short) cold showers. Don't stop reading yet!

I know, I know. What's more wonderful than a hot shower, steaming you up? That's a hard thing to give up. Well, it's not discouraged to take hot showers or baths, but take them in the evening. First thing in the morning hop into the shower with cold water.

Why take a cold shower??

The cold water opens up the capillaries.
Your body will respond to the cold by creating heat, through the blood. That's why after being in a cold lake or shower your skin might be a bit red, the blood has rushed up.

It flushes the organs.
When the capillaries return to normal that blood goes back to the organs, and they get a flushing.

Stimulates the glandular system.
When the organs are flushed the glands begin secreting. What a literally rejuvenating way to start your day!

Keeps your skin young and radiant.
Because of the flushing and properly working glandular system, being stimulated continuously, our skin becomes radiant and youthful. Even our whole body becomes so.

Cold water on the face, below the forehead, is very energizing.

If you're worried about a sore throat, or feel a little tickle, take a cold shower and let the water run against the front of your neck. The rushing blood will give the throat help in combating any sickness trying to take root.

How to take a cold shower?

You can begin, if you chose, by massaging your body down with almond oil to draw out toxins.
I don't usually have any on hand, so I usually skip this step.

Start with the feet, hands, and arms going in the cold water first. It takes some courage!
Don't put the thighs under the water first, to protect the calcium-magnesium balance.
Once in, massage the body with cold water. Help the blood come to surface. After a bit you won't feel cold anymore.

Do not take cold showers if you are over 7 months pregnant (use your intuition).
It's not recommended to take cold showers if you have a fever, rheumatism or heart disease, or during the heavier days of a woman's period.

When asked about the exact temperature of the water one of my teachers said "Do what makes you feel strong." If it's ice cold and you're feeling lowly and miserable, then warm it up a little. You can start with lukewarm water, and get a little colder each day if you like. Use your intuition.

My Process

My process is to splash the cold water on my feet, hands, and arms, then splash a little on my face. Then I mentally take myself to a waterfall in Zion National Park. I've been there many times and have loved the waterfalls and pools. During a hike I don't care how cold the water might be, I just want to experience that waterfall and will jump in every time. It's exciting and exhilarating! It makes me jump and laugh!
That mental transportation helps me gather my courage in excitement, not fear, and I turn around and back it up while jumping up and down and getting farther into the water's path, hahahaha! I love it! The water showers down on my back and hair.

 (Not really a waterfall, but this is one pool of cold water where I jumped in... many years ago.)

*It has been debated whether or not to put the head in cold water or not, I've heard both ways. It really rejuvenates me, so I do wash my hair with the cold water. It's not technically part of the process and can be skipped as part of Hydrotherapy.*

In the year and a half that I have been doing Ishnaan I have only been sick twice. Once was after a week that I decided I just wanted to indulge in hot showers, and I had an emotional battle where I was not courageous (not a good combination, and the cold water could've helped with my courage). The other time was after holidays when I had let my eating habits droop. Too much food, too much sugar. Also, I was taking more warm showers in the evening instead of cold showers in the morning.

I suggested cold showers to my cousin, who thought I was crazy at first, but she got curious and mentioned it to her husband. He was feeling a bit of sickness coming on in his throat, and after the cold shower it was gone and he didn't get sick. This has happened to me and many friends that practice Ishnaan. There's many preventative health tips to practice, but Hydrotherapy is one of the better ones. It's drawing the blood in to fight, it's rejuvenating the body.

A beautiful insight my good friend, who is also a yoga teacher, told me. She said she noticed that the same feeling of hesitancy before getting into the cold water, came to her in several situations throughout the day. Because she had experienced the courage to "dive" into the cold water, it made it easier to "dive" into what other things in her life she felt impressed to do that needed more courage to get done.

I hope you try it, at least once. It really is exhilarating. If you need help being encouraged to do it, just remember the benefits.

Sat Nam!

~Crystal
Amrita Qurban Kaur