Japanese bath : unveiling the secret!
In this volcanic nation, people have been used for thousands of years to go to hot telluric sources to take advantage of the virtues of sulphur or phosphate, bicarbonate or radioactive mud. This practice is called Onsen. It is part of the purification tradition of the Shinto religion. The Japanese practice this sacred water immersion as well in Volcanic Springs (Onsens), Public Baths (Sento), or at home in fragrant wooden tubs of Sandalwood, Hinoki or Cedar, in a warm bath with plants, citrus or flowers (Furo).
Only imperative, soap and rinse outside the basin, the water must remain pure.
Ritual
To learn the art of furo, run a bath at a temperature of about 38°C, which will allow the pores to dilate and exude toxins from the skin. Take 2 yuzu lemons and 1 grapefruit. Cut them in half and let them macerate in the bath. In winter these citrus fruits will warm the body and make it more resistant to cold. In the spring, prefer the mysterious power of a handful of iris root powder with some Japanese cherry blossoms. This beautiful way to celebrate the beautiful season will purify the skin and prepare you to start another cycle.
Finally, whatever the time of year, slip into a yakata, a sublime Japanese bathrobe at the end of the bath. The skin, still moistened with sweat, will rub with pleasure against the cotton or silk fabric.
