Bathing

• Bathing is essential and beneficial, hence our ancestors dictated that bathing is a must before having food.
• Bathing daily is essential for cleaning and refreshing the body. It rejuvenates the body. The nose, the ears and the feet should be specifically cleaned during bathing. The dirt of the skin is washed off. The body gets the warmth of water and rubbing helps digestion. So bathing helps to prolong life. It makes the body, and mind enthusiastic and increases strength. It prevents fatigue, itching, body odour, sweating, indolence, thirst and irritation.
• Bathing should be avoided when ailing.
• The external use of water benefits the individual because of the 'Rom-koops'. The word room-koop is made up of two sanskrit words. 'Rom + koop'. Rom means hair and koop means well, which is called pores in English.
• We have millions of hair on our body, the roots of which go deeper in the body from the upper layers of the skin. At the root of every hair there is a tiny hole. These tiny holes are called rom-koops. The body discards sweat and impurities of the system through them. These pores work as impurities of the system through them. These pores work as passages to and from the internal cells of the body for perspiration and absorption.

1. Hence the primary consideration is how to make good use of the pores for benefitting the system. This is achieved by rubbing the whole body thoroughly while taking bath. The process is, take a small towel, soak it in water and rub the whole body with it firmly while taking bath. Such rubbing serves several purposes. It opens the pores, exercises the upper layers of the skin, and makes it possible for the body to receive energy and lifenourishing elements from water. After rubbing the body, plenty of water should be poured on the body. Soap may not be used as there are certain chemicals in it which do not suit the nature of the skin of every individual. Many people get rashes and rough skin after using certain types of soaps. Also, except for cleansing body, soaps do not contribute much to the good of the body.

• One good substitute for soap is chick peas(gram flour). Take a handful or more of gram flour and make a paste with luke warm water in a broad container while going to take a bath. Rub the whole body with gram flour paste. After rubbing, wash it with water. The body will be cleaner than soap can clean it and will become smooth soft ans also invigorated with energy.
• Grams contain minerals,protein and Vitamin A , Vitamin C (vitamins). Gram flour cures many skin disease such as itching, rough skin and similar other disorders. The flour can be used once in three days; rubbing the body daily is enough. The flour can be used for cleaning the face and shampooing the hair. For shampooing, the gramflour paste may be strained from a thin cloth and then use. The hair may be shampooed once in a week with this flour liquid.

Time of taking Bath

The tradition is to take bath in the early morning before sunrise.In ayurvedic literature we find detail rules laid down for the different acts of the day.