When I was homeless in England, the one thing I missed the most was being able to take a hot bath. Oddly enough, I didn’t miss my boom box, my television or even central heating so much as taking a hot bath whenever I fancied. A hot bath is not only a great way to ease aches and pains, but also to relieve stress. It just seems to roll off of you into the water. Oh yeah — a bath is a good way to get clean, too.

So, I learned how to take a hot bath in my mind.

Imagination Meditation

If you are already familiar with daydreaming, meditation or creative visualization, then you already have the training for taking a mental hot bath. All you need to do is imagine that you are soaking comfortably in a hot bath. You don’t even need to mimic the physical motions of taking a hot bath, although this can help to reinforce your imagination.

The way I would take a mental hot bath when I was homeless was to snuggle up in a blanket or sleeping bag. The weight of the blanket or bag made it easier to pretend that most of my body was submerged in comforting hot water.

When To Take One

I mostly began to take mental hot baths when I was shivering in the English woods with just a blanket wrapped around me. It was either that or feel even more sorry for myself. With the power of the mind, you can raise your body temperature a degree or two.

Now that I’m back in America and no longer homeless, I find that although I have access to a real bathtub, I often don’t have the time for a hot bath. So, sometimes I pretend I’m in a hot bath, even though I’m reading the newspaper or doing the laundry.

It’s a versatile mental relaxation activity that you can do practically anywhere. Hope this helps you relax when you need to.

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