As will be the case with all of these posts, feel free to comment if you know a way to better improve the advice in this post, and if you disagree please also include what you think should be done instead-- after all, what good does it do to voice your disagreement if no one learns anything from it?
Inspirations for this post (other than raw experience) include a post of another blog of mine th3g1vr.com, Showers of Blessing; and the Sunscreen Song. Now without further ado, here's a recipe for "the perfect shower":
Ingredients: food, soap, body wash/sports gel, shampoo, loofah, towel.
(1) before taking shower, ensure that you are not hungry*
*note- if you have stomach problems, don't eat right before shower either*
The reason why it's important to not be hungry, is that a perfect shower requires cold water, and so it would be best for the body to have the necessary energy to *comfortably* make the transition.
(2) turn on the shower, and wait for the temperature to reach warm-to-hot temperature-- adjust in accordance with personal preferences.
By saturating oneself with hot water, your pores will open up, preparing you for a thorough and healthy wash.
(3) Intermix the soap and hot water (with fervor if necessary) with the loofah until you have achieved a generous lather; thoroughly scrub your entire body (including behind the ears!)- but being careful not to get any in your eyes. If you have acne, put extra emphasis on scrubbing those areas (which with teens-young adults will likely be the face in particular)
(4) Saturate yourself in the hot water until all soap is removed; if you have acne, repeat a second scrub of those area, and rinse again.
(5) Immediately switch to cold water (as cold as the shower allows) while the hot water is still pouring on you.
Believe it or not, rather than the shock one might experience from taking a cold shower from the beginning, this transition will actually feel exhilarating and refreshing. My theory is that the body uses the momentum of the hot water to smoothly make the transition without shock, but the cold sensation that is experienced in cold showers remains.
The hygienical benefit of using cold water at the end, is that it eliminates most of the swelling that accumulated while taking a hot shower, while at the same time partially closing the pores, after the skin has been thoroughly washed.
(6) Mix a lather using the body wash or sports gel, and the loofah in the same way (generous lather), and apply to the entire body, and scrub if desired.
As the pores are partially closed, this portion of the shower should be treated as "finishing touches", somewhat comparable to waxing a car after washing it. The wash/gel will also ensure that your skin stays smooth, and/or becomes smoother. In addition, the lukewarm temperature will further excite both your senses and skin itself, fostering revitalization.
(7) After ensuring that your hair is doused, scrub the shampoo into your hair using your hands. Then use the loofah to further scrub your hair thoroughly.
Using the hands is for the initial scrub; using the loofah afterwards will allow your roots to be cleaned and massaged, so as to revitalize your hair (and the shampoo is also lukewarm, which helps).
(8) Completely Rinse your body and hair while still using cold water; exit.
(9) Use the towel to dry yourself.
A last comfortable illusion- the towel will feel warm to the touch, because the body is still adjusting to room temperature.
For me, taking a shower in this manner gave me a glimpse of heaven. Do you agree?
Original source: http://solrcpz.wordpress.com/?p=3
