Beat-the-Bug Baltimore – Part 1
HEALING WITH HYDROTHERAPY
The first cases of the flu have already been reported in Maryland this season, and I have witnessed a number of patients overcome the first round of back-to-school colds. Now is the time when taking preventative steps to optimize your immune system and put your wellness practices into place is most crucial. Throughout the next several months I will be posting simple cold and flu wellness tips rooted in the naturopathic traditions of treating the person and the underlying causes of illness rather than just the disease itself.
This first preventive practice is one I learned in my Hydrotherapy class over 10 years ago and still practice almo
st daily – the Cold Shower Rinse. The instructions are simple: At the end of your shower, turn the temperature dial to cool or cold and rinse your entire body for 30 seconds in the cooler water before stepping out of the shower. Take care to especially let the cool water fall over your throat to stimulate your thyroid gland (responsible for metabolism) and over the center of your chest to stimulate your thymus gland (an important part of your immune system). Regularly practicing the cold shower rinse may not only awaken your vitality and heighten your resistance to infection, you may also notice that your tolerance to cold weather improves and that the normal temperature of your showers begins to go down, leading to savings on your energy bill!
Entry filed under: fall, Seasons, Therapies, Wellness Tips, winter. Tags: .
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