The far too secret magnificence of a proper bath cycle

How do you relax?  Unwind?  Recharge?  Disconnect?  What do you do to let the stress of the day leave your bones, muscles, nerves, and skin so you can make room for peace and comfort?  Some exercise.  Some meditate.  Some watch TV (which no screen activity can ever allow full relaxation, which is a whole other post).  When I was much younger, I used to take a scalding hot bath with a double glass of wine and a fat joint.  That's likely not a super healthy option either.

What I have since discovered, and never found it's equal, is embarking on a series of full bath cycles?  What the hell is that?  I'll explain.  But first, this is something humans have been doing for literally thousands of years.  If you've ever been to Greece or read about it, you may be aware of bathhouses that are hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old. Contrary to how it may sound, this isn't about getting clean.

A bath cycle, generally, (and in a modern sense) consists of 4 components, often best followed in this order: 1) Soak in a hot tub or jacuzzi; 2) sit in a steam room (wet heat sauna); 3) sit in a dry sauna (dry heat sauna); 4) brief cold plunge.  All of these steps perform a service to our hearts, minds, and inner peace.  Put another way, it's pleasantly beats your body into a state of deep relaxation.  I'll unpack how this works and what it feels like.

STEP 1: HOT TUB

When you soak in the hot tub, your heartrate lowers, you loosen your muscles and open your pores, you being sitting differently with less tension, you start to relax a bit.  After 5-10 min of that you enter the wet heat or steam room. 

STEP 2: WET STEAM ROOM / SAUNA

In here, the steam is likely opaque.  You are very aware of the wet heat filling your lungs as you breath.  In here there's a nice quiet solitude that happens.  Even if you're doing this with a friend or partner, it can feel weird to talk when you can't see each other.  It's good to make some time for silence at different moments of the cycle to allow some quiet, some reflection, some stillness.  After 5-10 min of the steam room, you move to the dry sauna. 

STEP 3: DRY SAUNA

This is very different.  The dryness of the heat slurps up all the water drops on your skin in under a minute.  Then you start to notice you are sweating (which you didn't notice in the steam room because the steam was keeping you wet).  This is where your pores really open and your body starts detoxing, letting out all kinds of unwanted passengers through your skin pores.  Sweating is really good for you for lots of reasons, feel free to google that.  You are still lowering your heart rate and it may be very apparent to you right now.  If you feel woozy, stop, that's enough dry sauna.  If you feel fine, you can sit in there for 10-15 min. 

STEP 4: COLD PLUNGE

Next the last and most transformative step.  You jump or quickly dip down to full immerse yourself (head underwater) into the cold plunge.  Then come right out.  This is an under 30-second activity, maybe an under 10-second activity depending on accessibility of the cold plunge you're using.  If you don't have an ice cold lake or formal bath cold plunge available - stepping under some ice cold water in a shower, does the same trick.  This shocks the system, immediately gets your heart pumping again, and floods your body with endorphins, energy, and can sometimes also provide a very relaxed jolt of euphoria.  As soon as you're done with the cold plunge, you could dry off and sit, sip something yummy, before starting all over again - or you can go right back into the hot tub for a second cycle, as the hot tub is a great warm hug right after a cold plunge.  I suggest doing 3 full cycles every time you're able to enjoy this activity.

Some Americans are catching on to this experience and in major cities you can certainly find facilities designed for you to embark on these steps in one place.  In Europe and Asia, you can find many of these places.  If you don't have this option near you or it's not affordable, you can always seek it out while traveling, or try your best to create as many of the components at home as possible. 

BATH CYCLE WITH PEANUT BUTTER BUDGET

The one thing you'd have to buy or find is a dry sauna.  This is a step you can't skip and one you can't easily hack another way.  So, either save up and spend $500 to put a tiny sauna in your home, or find someone who has one and make them a casserole.  If you have a sauna, you could do the following for a similar benefit bath cycle.  Take a hot bath, then run the shower very hot and stand near the water to get the steam effect, next spend time in the dry sauna, then go back to the shower for an ice cold immersion.