Mud packs

The best way to prepare a mudpack is to take clay from about four inches below the surface of the earth. Ensure that the clay does not contain any impurities like compost or pebbles. If their are any pebbles grind the clay and pass it through a sieve. Mix it with cold water and see that it has a consistency like soft sough. It should stick and not be thin enough to slide down when used in the pack. If the pack is to be applied on the abdomen (from the navel to the pubes) spread the mud evenly on a piece of cloth see that it is about half an inch thick. Then place it gently with the cloth up and the mud touching the skin. Remove the cloth and place a thick woolen piece of cloth on the mud. You may even let the cotton cloth remain over the mud but cover it with a thick woolen. If that is done the patient can keep lying doing without covering himself with a blanket or a sheet.

The mudpack should be used for 20 to 30 minutes. After it is removed clean the skin using a soft piece of cloth dipped in cold water clay is to be found in different shades in different places but whatever the mud is loamy and has a tendency to stick to the skin some sand can be mixed with it.

Bathing

A hot bath before retiring for the night is the best for your health. It helps you to sleep better and if you cover your body after a hoot bath it will save you from the danger of exposure. A bath hot or cold should be taken one hour before meals or three hours after it. Really hot water for a bath has its own advantages but it should be used sparingly. If you are suffering from cold taken a hoot bath cover yourself with woolens and get into bed. It will drive away the cold a really hot bath when you are tried acts as a tonic it drives away fatigue as nothing else does. A bath with hot water has its uses but a daily bath should be with cold water when the skin is cooled by the cold water blood rushes to warm it up. The circulation of the blood is activated and the blood is also cleansed of many impurities. A slowed down circulation is a prelude to old age a cold bath is there fore instrumental in keeping us young.

The best way to start a bath is to rub the whole of your body with your palms or with a rough towel. Start with your scalp forehead face and the neck. Then go on to your wrists and then to the shoulders through the arms. Afterwards rub your chest the arm pits and abdomen and the back. The feet should be the last to receive attention keep your feet straight when you rub them. Start from the feet and dome up to the thighs. In the begin rub gently but later increase the pressure. After the vigorous rubbing take a cold bath wipe your body with a towel. Start with the head and then dry up the whole body. You will feel a peculiar kind of pleasure when you rub your body after a bath. For weak persons a rubing can do the job of exercise.

If this method of taking a bath is adopted there will not be any danger of any skin eruptions or itch. The face will be free of pimples and other blemishes which mar its beauty. The skin will acquire a healthy glow and if it is rough and leathery it will become pink and soft. You will have the feeling as if you had been having an oil massage. If the palms of the hand are used to dry up the body after a bath instead of a towel it will be doubly beneficial. It gives a pleasant sensation during winter.

Citations

Naturopathy, hashmi.com,


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