Cold Water Shower Therapy

Dr. Sang (Damanpal) Nguyen, L.Ac.

Yogic Technologies: Cold Water Shower - Ishnaan therapy

When cold water hits the skin's surface, the capillaries open up and the blood rushes out from the organs, up to the skin to defend against the cold.  Simultaneously, it is strengthening the nervous system, the central nervous system (CNS), the glandular system, and the immune system. As a result, the entire body and the organs become stimulated.

Symptoms:

Depression (cold, acute & chronic), Anxiety, Fatigue (mental, energy, emotional, body…), Sluggish, Burn out, Stressed out, Computeritis

Headache due to heat, Poor-eyesight, Pre-arthritis

Pain due to stagnation, Aura (Electro-Magnetic field) stagnation

When: 

A cold water shower should be done ideally in the early morning or during the day. 

Preparation: 

  1. Almond oil or coconut oil

  2. Dry body brush or Garshana gloves

  3. Towel

Steps: 

  1. Apply the oil onto the skin

  2. Activate the lymphatic system using the dry body brush/Garshana gloves. The order: start from the feet up to the legs, hands up towards the arms, circulate the armpits and breast, abdominal, chest, shoulder, and back (if you can). Then brush gently on the face, the ears, and the crown chakra (top of the head).

  3. Turn on the cold water shower. Introduce the feet and legs first, then the hands and arms, then the rest of the body. Massage and tap: the four limbs, the face, the armpits, the breasts, the abdomen, the chest, the neck, the shoulders, and the back. (Choice: Hair wash can be done separately.)

  4. Chanting mantra “SAT NAM” while taking a cold shower to strengthen the mind.

  5. When finished, dry yourself with a towel. During cold season/weather, make sure to keep yourself warm immediately after the cold water shower.

Contra-Indications: 

  1. No cold water shower during menstruation

  2. No cold water shower during the third trimester of pregnancy (7th month onward)

Caution:

No more than three minutes of cold water shower in the second trimester

Note: 

Do not take a warm water shower first. A warm water shower can be taken separately, later in the day.