A good shower sob can be therapeutic — but this is a different type of “emotional shower.”
High-end hotels and trendy spas around the world are offering emotional shower services, combining thermotherapy, hydrotherapy, chromotherapy and aromatherapy, much to the excitement of calm-seeking clientele.
The treatments utilize carefully designed water pressures, temperatures, colors and scents to elicit a positive emotional state whether invigoration, serenity, or cheerfulness.
“I felt at once serene and energized,” Maria Yogoda said in Condé Traveler describing her experience in an emotional shower in Lake Como, Italy.
Thermotherapy and hydrotherapy can provide localized relief to various parts of the body by using water jets to stimulate the metabolism, nervous system, and blood flow with streams of water at contrasting pressures and temperatures, according to pool product company Fluidra.
“People with several [health] conditions can benefit from using water in different forms and at different temperatures to feel better,” the Cleveland Clinic stated.
It’s never a bad thing to find a safe way to feel better, but you shouldn’t expect hydrotherapy to cure any condition — especially more serious, chronic diseases,” the Cleveland Clinic reported.
Meanwhile, Healthline states that chromotherapy is touted by some experts to evoke certain emotions and health benefits depending on the color used — for example: blue for relaxation and pink to detoxify.
Meanwhile, medical experts at Mount Sinai says aromatherapy is used in a wide range of health and wellness spaces to relieve pain, improve mood, and promote a sense of relaxation.
At some spas, music therapy is also included in a sensory shower experience to create a more immersive experience,
“When we are in the shower, it’s an opportunity to step away from the distractions of everyday life,” Georgina Sturmer, neuropsychologist, told Glamor UK. “In a world where we are connected 24/7, and ‘on show’ much of the time, a shower might be one of the few places where we are truly just with ourselves.”
“This sense of privacy and connection can help us to feel comfortable to connect with our emotions,” she added.
Thus, it’s no wonder recent research found that a whopping 74% of people regularly cry in the shower.
So, whether you’re taking an emotional shower at a luxurious spa or an “everything shower” at home, a moment alone under some running way is an almost certain way to relax and reconnect with oneself.
