The Beauty of Slow Gentle Shower

Most of us start our day by taking a quick shower and having breakfast or a coffee in the morning, while others prepare themselves to go for an outdoor activity, work, or class. Rush hour here and there, that slowing down means wasting time rather than seizing and appreciating every moment. To be honest, it is inevitable to see things this way, especially if you have an important event or you’re running late. But my darlings, let me tell you about the beauty of the gentle movement of a slow shower and how it is healing, a retreat from the world that always rushes, and a meditative experience beyond chaos.

I have been doing all sorts of meditation practices ever since I was in high school to cope with the stress and mental health problems that I faced. At first, it had been all about breathing, reading, and movements (physical exercise, dance, and art), but lately, I have found myself being drawn to the sense of touch of skin and how often it is overlooked, not accepted in its natural state, since changing its texture and color to fit society’s unrealistic standard of beauty has been mainstreamed and trended by capitalism, which has disguised it as “self-care.”

I used to be insecure because of my skin’s texture, how some parts of it have dark spots, the color, and some parts where rough skin textures can be found. It took me a long time to accept myself, but little did I know that at the end of the day, it all takes one slow, gentle shower, feeling my skin and how the water dampens it, along with the foaminess of the bathing liquid soap soaking up my soft, tanned skin, and the gentle movements of water that wash off all the negativity and insecurities that I have within me. All are such a wonderful meditative experience to the extent that at that moment, I realized that gentleness is sacredness. Being able to really feel my skin and calmly breathe in and live with my sensuality is power.

This is not just about the whole essence of slow movements while taking a shower and really feeling the holiness of the vibrations of water within your skin, but rather, loving every part of ourselves in the gentlest way possible. No rush, no force, just the surrender to the natural flow in a world of rush and control.