BATH AND HEALTH

by M. Seetharam & MRL Rao

There are cold water baths, sponge, needle, shower and plunge. There are hot wat
er baths, steam bath, sun, sand, mud, salt, electric, magnetic and milk baths, t
o say nothing of others.
Sand baths are to be had at certain Eastern resorts. Today, the principal use ma
de of them has been for the cure of rheumatism for which purpose they are effect
ive. The patient covers himself with clean sand and lies in the sun for about 10
to 15 minutes.
Mud baths are to be found in various parts of the country. Many claims are made
for them. Used for various diseases according to the curative virtue of the ingr
edients people claim quite a lot about these mud baths.
Milk baths are a hobby of actresses. They say it is good for the complexion.
Electric baths are used in lieu of sun baths. Lights, sometimes of one colour, s
ometimes of two and at times even three are converged on certain point of the bo
dy. Various sanatoriums used this technique to cure certain diseases. Much of as
trological wisdom is necessary to use the colour therapy with which we will deal
separately.
A sun bath, so to say the solar bath is cheap and effective. It consists princip
ally of sitting or lying in the sun. The less clothes worn, the better. We recom
mend this bath very heartily and think everybody should make use of it at least
a few minutes every day when the sun rises and shines. It is very wonderful rest
orer of health. Science has proven that sun rays pass right through the body doi
ng marvellous work tending towards the elimination of disease germs and doing mu
ch to bring back the flush of health which is thought about by increasing the nu
mber of red blood corpuscles in the body. If we can combine the meditation exerc
ises like Surya Namaskar, Aditya Hrudayam etc., it will be more profitable.
Eastern Spiritual scientists find out the wonderful value of sun rays as health
builders and they say that very few persons make use of them because they are ch
eap and easily available. Take a sun bath every day when the sun is rising. Wear
as little clothes as possible consistent with the season and propriety.
A cold air bath has one ardent champion- Benjamin Franklin. He got up at night,
removed his clothes and sat silent and still for five minutes with all the windo
ws open. He thought cold air baths were even superior to cold water baths, espec
ially for the prevention of cold and cough. Persons of nervous temperament will
find cold air baths very beneficial.
Steam and hot baths or Turkish baths or Russian baths are available in many citi
es. Noted for their great cleansing properties there are various cabinets availa
ble in the market which we can use at home. A primitive device used by some is t
o saw a round hole in the chair. Place under this an alcohol lamp to boil a dish
of water and then to enwrap the bather in a large blanket so that the steam or
hot air can escape. This serves the same purpose as the cabinet but is not very
handy or suitable. Nowadays there are lot of gyms which can provide these scient
ific steam baths. It is nice to have once in a while.
The salt water bath includes ocean dip and its substitute at home. Some home-sal
t-water bathers put salt in their bath tub. Others fill a quarter glass jar, hal
f full of salt and half full of water. With this mixture they pass quickly over
the body using a cloth and then quickly take fresh water bath . There are many I
ndian festivals which prescribe bath in the ocean for example, during the sign t
ransit from one sign to another, Mahasivaratri, eclipses etc.
The hot water bath requires no description. Care should be taken that water is n
ot to be too hot and not to remain too long. As for cold water baths there are d
ifferent opinions. Shower baths are generally available in every house and gyms.
Magnetic bath is one of the important baths. This may be taken in connection wit
h a cold air or sun bath and consists in lying on a raised platform insulated ag
ainst the loss of magnetism by glass casters or rubber shoes. By fitting the pla
tform coach or chair with glass casters or by affixing to the legs of the platfo
rm a thick rubber the magnetism drawn from the air is prevented from escaping in
to the ground . The magnetism remains stored in the body. This results in faster
accumulation of energy. Some very magnetic persons constantly keep rubber mats
or wooden shoes under their feet thereby providing complete insulation. However,
there is much to be explained about personal magnetism and how to improve it an
d how to make use of it in the bath. This needs a scientific approach towards ta
ntra which will be explained elsewhere.
It will not be out of place to mention a special bath though not universally ado
pted it is well fitted for tropical climates, but our experience shows that it i
s very effective in all the countries in Europe. The bath herein referred is the
hot water bath taken sometimes for about 10 to 15 minutes after rubbing the who
le body with gingely oil or sesame oil. The first salutary effect of this bath i
s healthy reaction of the whole system. The immediate result of this reaction is
the stirring of the vitality of the body, chiefly the excretory organs, kidneys
, bladder, bowels and skin. This will be evident from all types of oil baths. I
t further helps the secretion of liver by excreting bilious matter retained in t
he body on account of morbid conditions of the liver.
Oil bath opens all sweaty glands and thus helps the activities of the skin in ex
creting foreign substances both liquid and gaseous.
Among other benefits derived from oil bath it is prominently mentioned that oil
is a destroyer of many disease germs or microbes that abound in the skin region
and elsewhere in the body. The astrologers suggest taking oil bath on Saturday f
or men and Friday for women.
Very important instructions and hints while caring for your health:
1. Do not exercise immediately after eating.
2. Stop any exercise as soon as the slightest sign of fatigue appears.
3. Let your mind be occupied only on the exercise while exercising. Do not a
llow it to drift into other matters. For example if you are exercising your arms
, keep your mind fully on your arms. This will cause the blood to flow through t
hem and greatly assist your work.
4. Do not practise to exhaustion. Stop when you feel uncomfortable.
5. Change the exercises every day. It will bring novelty in your exercises.
Or else the work becomes monotonous. Many times variety will make them a pleasan
t exercise. After some time you can invent your own exercises.
6. Take measurements from time to time. Then you will be able to see the imp
rovement in the size of the organs, limbs and body.
7. If any part of the body is less developed than other parts devote more ti
me to the undeveloped part or parts than the well developed parts.
8. If you have a tendency to any diseases pay more attention to the strength
ening of the body likely to be afflicted than to the development of the rest. Fo
r instance, if you have a pre disposition to consumption, you should practice mo
re time on deep breathing exercise and should develop your neck and chest to the
utmost.
9. Never exercise when physically tired. Nature has had enough and to inflic
t further burden would be to incur the risk of heart disease. Use judgement. Whi
le it is desirable to exercise regularly and always at a certain time of the day
, preferably right after getting up from bed in the morning, you can use your co
mmon sense. The body that is tired needs rest and not exercise. Deep breathing e
xercises will prove wonderfully beneficial in such cases and can be practised.
10. Exercise before a mirror if possible. Many find this a great stimulant c
reating interest and concentration.
11. Wear as little clothing as possible while exercising at the same time se
e that your clothing in no way restricts circulation in any part of the body.
12. Exercise in open air is very beneficial. If not possible keep the window
s open. You must have fresh air.
13. Devote more time and attention to breathing exercises than to any other.
In any way they are far more important than anything else.
14. Breathing exercises add vital strength to the development of ones heart,
lungs, stomach kidneys, etc., therefore they are most important. A man may have
a big bunch of muscles on his arm but they are of little significance when compa
red with a sound heart or sound lungs. A sound stomach that can digest food is m
ore important than a big muscle on your thigh.
15. Persistent and regular exercise can accomplish wonders.
16. Avoid all excesses in drink and food. Avoid meat if possible and alcohol
and tobacco surely. Learn the hygenic use of water . Music, laughter, a clean d
ress and healthy surroundings will give more health than the chemicals.
17. Commune with nature in the evening. Have sufficient number of hours of s
leep at night. You can rest and relax a few minutes during day time whenever you
feel the days work is tiresome. Sleep always in harmony with the moving magnetic
currents. Never place your head towards north while sleeping. It disturbs the m
agnetic currents. The golden law is " go early to bed and be an early riser".
18. Learn the harmonic poise. For example, stand erect, weight on balls of f
eet, heels touching lightly, knees forth and push downwards with palms of the ha
nds as if a table were beneath them and push upward and backward with crown of t
he head as if trying to reach the ceiling. Stand gracefully, sit with ease, walk
with weight on balls of feet, heels touching lightly, chest leaning, abdomen he
ld back.
19. Keep poise mental and physical. Do not allow gossip, irritability, reven
ge, enemy, jealousy, discontent, extravagance etc., Then sooner or later their i
nfluence controls.
20. Learn self culture. Live your very best. Think your highest, make your n
oble ideals and live up to them.
21. Be clean in your body and mind. Keep your sexual parts and feelings unde
r your will. The act of celebacy in prime of life will bring you not only physic
al beauty, strength and health but also moral grandeur and personal magnetism
22. When a certain structure of right thinking and right living has been bui
lt up through strenuous effort we call it character. It is our character which i
nfluences our conduct and our reactions to circumstances. Character building is
the work of imposing the higher qualities on the lower so that soul becomes the
positive controlling factor. Where the physical, emotional or mental nature cont
rols, a man is put into a position of danger and should take steps to arrest tha
t control then you are always healthy.