My bath, my sanctuary

If ever I have the opportunity to build a house again, it will center around the bathroom. No more big lounges and braai-areas for entertainment, but rather a big bathroom, with a spa bath .Oh, and big glass doors that opens onto a private garden with a water feature, from  the Japanese philosophy that one’s house should extend into the garden.

I absolutely love to bath, I do so twice a day. With fragrant candles burning, therapeutic oils or salts, enriching soaps….. its “me” time. To me it’s not just about cleaning my physical body, but it’s also a spiritual experience. Yes I know, it sounds odd, being spiritual while lying in the bath naked. The stoic churchleaders will turn in their graves. But I figure clothes were made to hide from man, to present an image to others, but in my nudity, I’m just “me” before God – nothing to hide. I have my time in the morning when I meditate and do my studies, but when I bath, I just talk to God. I tell Him about my dreams, my worries, I plan my day and I sometimes cry.

When we visited Pompey a couple of years ago, I was amazed at the lovely public bath area they had. To think that at the time of Christ, these Romans already knew the value of having a good bath, contrary to public thinking that everybody before 1900 was filthy. These bath areas had their changing rooms, with hooks for your clothes, and seats for your slaves who watched over your belongings. The next room, you would be scrubbed with salts and then pampered with exotic oils. After that you would go for a hot bath. Because most of the upper class men would be there, these areas were also good for political debates and served as a place for doing business, basically like the golf-course today. Then there are the Turkish baths, The spa’s at Bath in England, Karlovy Vari in the Chech Republic, oh and many more. The value of the modern day spa, where not only do you get the “hot” and “cold” treatment, but different massages and alignments. All based on knowledge from yesteryear.

There is great value in a good bath. Yes, a shower saves water, and it’s quicker. I know most people just want to get rid of the dirt, but in these hectic times, instead of lying on the couch “relaxing” in front of the tv, rather have a long, relaxing bath in nourishing oils, with good music in the background.

Aaaaahhhh heavenly……….