It has been years since I had a shower. In 2007, when I built a little cottage in a big woods, I installed a 100-year-old clawfoot with a cranberry-red exterior. Found on Craigslist, it’s provenance was a Victorian house in a nearby city. Both my contractor and plumber tried to talk me out of it, calling it impractical—the tub was heavy, old and worn, and challenging to install. Yet while this was true, they couldn’t see their misguided motives, clearly the result of too little bath-taking. They encouraged me to install a generic shower enclosure with a bathtub. But anyone who’s tried to recline in such enclosures knows the tubs don’t conform to the human body, being we are not shaped like praying mantises.
I have a penchant for submerging in water. Though it’s indulgent, I bathe most mornings and soak in a hot tub every night. Both tubs invite contemplation, a staring off into space. Bathing slows people down. Who has time for this? … Who doesn’t? If you have a tub you fit into (some are simply too tall), you’ll find few cheaper pleasures or better therapies.
Jon Kabat-Zinn speaks of cultivating intimacy with the spaciousness of our minds, and bathtubs are a great place for this. What he describes is an old practice known as “contemplation” in religion.... {Read remainder of article on Patheos HERE.}
Another very good reminder to consciously put quiet space in my life. It is a necessity rather than a luxury.
Oh my goodness, I LOVE this essay! Thank you for this gem, Tricia.
The ode to quiet baths, the medicine they offer, the wisdom of cats. YES, yes, yes.
And this:
"Without time to listen introspectively, I become agitated. Usually the agitation comes from feelings I haven’t acknowledged and felt, or from insights Spirit is trying to teach me that I need space to see/hear/absorb....
Our “separate selves” that we forever guard and promote are always concocting expectations—what we want and think we deserve. When these egos aren’t satisfied, we have a sense of disquiet. Only contemplative observation allows us to see what’s happening in these moments—that we’ve been led down a rabbit trail of striving—so we can stop and remember we are cared for. Most importantly, contemplation reminds us to take a deep breath and trust."
This piece feels a little like a luxurious bath in itself...slowing me down and nourishing my spirit. I do so miss baths. Here in Baja, homes have showers and immersion in water is only possible via ocean or swimming pool. Do send a little bath time prayer my way sometime. :)