Bathing In The Present

This weekend, I seized an opportunity to soak in a hot bath. I’ve missed having a nice tub, and had been longing to once again immerse myself in the bathing experience. After three years of showering, finally slipping my entire body into hot, sudsy water felt incredibly luxurious.
It seems that the key to contentment is to be intentionally present and focused on each moment. So, I relished every sensation from the sound of water splashing from the faucet to the feel of the soap suds sliding across my skin.
I hadn’t planned to wash my hair, but there was a shampoo that caught my eye. I let my hair down and luxuriated in both the scent and sensation. I was very focused on the touch of my fingertips against my scalp, and momentarily felt as though I were watching a movie.
We become totally engrossed in the simplest of acts that play out on movie screens; even the act of a woman sitting in a bathtub and washing her hair. We eliminate surrounding distractions, fully observing the scene, and focusing on each detail. If the director was good, those details will bring you right into the room.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we were as completely aware of the little moments in our own lives as we are of those we see in movies? I’d like to recount my day to day experiences as vividly as I do the scenes played out by my favorite actors. But I can’t if I don’t pay attention.
Staying in the present, instead of simply going through motions while the mind wanders to the future, or recalls the past, is a skill worth cultivating. I try to mindfully direct the scenes I choose to live, and strive to give as much consideration to the details of my own life as I do to the flickers of light dancing across the screen of a darkened theater.