Life's busy; meditate in the shower. Not only is it effective as a mindfulness technique, there's also a little science to back up why the shower is a great place to meditate. Let's get into it;
Can You Meditate in the Shower?
Simple answer, yes you can meditate in the shower. You can meditate anywhere really, there are no rules when it comes to integrating mindfulness into your life.
Shower meditation, however, is particularly great because it's already something most of us do everyday. Everyone has busy lives and schedules and sometimes meditation falls to the bottom of the to-do list, even though it's so vital to mental health. Meditating in the shower makes it easier to remember as you're attaching your meditation time to a part of your daily routine and thereby creating an atomic habit.
What is Shower Meditation?
Shower meditation is just that, meditating in the shower. Kind of obvious, I know, but why would you meditate in the shower? Here's the science; splashing water on your face triggers the mammalian diving reflex.
This reflex makes your body believe that it's going for a swim and by instinct lowers you heart rate to make you feel calm. If you're feeling particularly stressed or anxious this will help to clear your mind before getting into your meditation.
The rush of the water against your skin and the sounds of the water droplets hitting the floor help to alleviate stress, tension and stress in the body. This is also commonly referred to as; water meditation, waterfall meditation or mind cleansing.
Why Should I Meditate in the Shower?
What do you think about when you're in the shower? Are you stressing about the day ahead, replaying old memories, thinking about that one ex, going over worst-case scenarios or running through fake conversations? Most of us do.
Practicing mindfulness during this time will help to ease all of the subconscious chatter going on in your mind and better prepare you for the day or help you to get a restful sleep. It's about getting into the habit of becoming ‘present'. Some of us never take a moment to be present, so we let our subconscious thoughts dictate the way we feel and go about our day.
Shower meditation will help you to bring awareness to your subconscious thoughts, quieten them and achieve a calm state, instead of descending into the usual thought-chaos. It is a powerful technique that can have numerous benefits on your mental and physical health. The soothing sensory experience of being cocooned under running water makes this the perfect environment to cleanse the mind and the body.
3 Ways to Meditate in the Shower
Choose a method that best suits you and practice it in the shower everyday for 7 days to see how it feels. If you find that thoughts continue to arise during your practice (which they do for almost everyone) simple take a deep breath, close your eyes and focus your attention on the feeling of the water against your skin and the sound of the water droplets hitting the floor.
1. Breathwork Shower Meditation
Breathwork is a powerful tool used in meditation that helps to stimulate the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This sets into motion a number of physiological cascades that help to calm nerves, lower blood pressure, make you more mindful and aware, improve your heart rate, release trauma and increase vagal tone. Here's how to practice shower meditation breathwork;
- Close your eyes
- Place your head under water
- Allow your nose and mouth to remain outside of the water
- Focus on your breath
- Inhale through the nose allowing the steam to flow into your nostrils
- As you breath in focus on the breath entering the nose and into the belly, then the chest
- Exhale through the mouth with an audible sigh and release all tension from the body
- As you breathe, imagine inhaling light into the body and exhaling negative energy out of the body and into the shower drain
- Repeat for 10 breaths
- Relax in this new calm state for however long you please
2. Shower Body Scan Meditation
Body scan meditation is a common mindfulness practice that helps to bring awareness to any tension or blockages in the body. The benefits of this practice include decreased body pain, reduced anxiety, improved sleep, better focus and greater self awareness. Here's how to practice the shower body scan meditation;
- Close your eyes
- Let the water run over your head and body
- Allow space for your nose and mouth to breathe with ease
- Take 3 deep conscious breaths
- Breathe in through the nose, hold at the top for 3 seconds and exhale out through the mouth
- Now that you're relaxed focus your mind on the sound of the water hitting the floor
- Feel how the water touches your skin
- Continue to breathe slowly and deeply as you bring awareness to your feet and slowly work your way up the body to your shins, knees, thighs, genitals, pelvis, hips and so on until you reach the top of your head
- As you practice the scan notice any tension in the body
- When you find tension in the body take another deep breath while you focus on this area and imagine the tension leaving your body as the water washes down the drain
- Once you've reached the top of your head take one more deep breath and relax in this new found feeling
3. Wim Hof Cold Shower Meditation Method
This is a powerful Wim Hof technique that is a little more challenging and a little less relaxing then the previous, although the immediate benefits are undeniable. Cold exposure helps to revitalise the body, release dopamine, reduce stress levels, improve circulation, reduce muscle soreness and stimulate deep breath. For beginners, start with your regular warm shower and finish up with 30 second exposure to the cold;
- Start the cold flow of water
- Take your time to adjust to the cold
- Step into the water so that your shoulders are under the running water but your nose and mouth are still able to take deep breaths
- Take deep conscious breaths as the cold water washes over your body
- In through the nose, into the belly, then the chest and out through the mouth with an audible sigh
- Repeat this breath for 30 seconds
Final Thoughts
Shower meditation is the perfect way to incorporate mindfulness into your day without having to do anything extra. With our busy schedules and chaotic subconscious thoughts, the peace and tranquility of the shower creates the perfect environment for meditation.
If you're in need of some time to destress, quieten the mind and become present shower meditation might be the perfect solution for you. We recommend trying this method for 30 days to form the habit, even a couple of minutes a day can go a long way toward bettering your mental and physical health.
If you tried any of our 3 best shower meditation techniques, we'd love to hear your story!
