Confucius' disciples once preached that bathing is a realm of life and won the praise of Confucius.
"MoChunZhe, spring service has been finished, top five or six people, the lad six or seven people. Bathing is difficult, the wind dances, and they return. "
Translated into modern Chinese, the original meaning is: in late spring and March, about five or six people put on spring clothes, took six or seven boys, bathed in water, blew their hair on the high slope, and sang songs all the way back.
In China's bathing culture tradition, "bathing to worship God" and "fasting and bathing" are not only a grand etiquette, but also the belief and spiritual life of the ancients.
The words "bathing", "bathing" and "washing" were recorded in Oracle Bone Inscriptions more than 3,000 years ago. In ancient Chinese, these words have different meanings: "bath" means bathing; "Mu" is to wash your face; "Bathing" means washing hands and feet.
The shape of the word "Mu" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions seems to be that the water in the basin washes your hair with both hands; The word "bath" is like a person standing on a plate with water dripping on his body and head, as if taking a bath in a plate.
According to historical records, as early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, it was stipulated in the Code of the Supreme Ruler that during the major events such as enthronement, succession, mourning and Kaiyuan, people would fast for three days, bathe and change clothes, and "the official would rest for five days". It shows the importance of bathing to the official appearance, and it also shows the respect of the ancients for heaven and earth. Since then, successive dynasties have been used.
For people nowadays, bathing is not only a life, but also a culture. The concept of bath is also changing with the times, and its cultural connotation and various appearance characteristics are also gradually evolving.
As a result, all kinds of bath culture, background of the times, modeling design, and the combination with social needs and high-end technology have emerged various new trends about bath life. Under the influence of this trend, the bathing culture of family socialization centered on bathtub has also risen and developed.
Nowadays, there are more and more bathing methods with various names, such as steam bath, sauna bath, hot spring bath, medicinal bath, flower bath, steam bath, SPA and so on. There are even sunbathing, sea bathing, mud bathing and so on.
Not only that, bathing also draws lessons from and absorbs the methods and concepts of body-building and health preservation in traditional Chinese medicine in China, and extends the treatment methods such as boiling, soaking feet, fumigation and massage in traditional Chinese medicine.
Of course, the primary purpose of bathing is to keep clean; While keeping clean, it can also prevent diseases. This is briefly described in ancient books such as Shan Hai Jing, Beishan Jing, Book of Rites Neize and so on.
There is indeed a causal relationship between bathing and health, and between cleaning and disease prevention.
Chinese medicine believes that bathing can play a role in sweating, relieving exterior syndrome, expelling wind and removing dampness, promoting qi and blood circulation, relaxing muscles and tendons, harmonizing yin and yang, and invigorating the spirit.
Modern medicine believes that bathing can promote body temperature regulation, improve blood circulation and nervous system function, and accelerate the metabolism of various tissues and organs.
Here are two examples of long-lived elderly people to illustrate the relationship between bathing and health.
After the vicissitudes of life, Mr. Xu Teli still enjoys a high life of 92 years old, and the "cold bath" is indispensable. His method is: wipe your head and face with cold water after getting up; Then wipe the neck, chest and back; Rub until the skin is red and hot. Lao Xu said: Cold water bath can improve the cold resistance of human body and exercise the elasticity of blood vessels, which is a "vascular gymnastics".
Ma Yinchu lived to 10 1 year-old first, thanks to "hot and cold water bath". This is also the true story of a 93-year-old Dr. Hefa Tong Yan who studied in the United States in his early years. The operation method is: wash hot water first every time you take a bath. Hot water enlarges the pores of sweat, and the sweat can discharge the dirt in the body. In addition, blood can circulate fully after blood vessels are heated and expanded, which is beneficial to metabolism. Then take a cold shower. Generally, the temperature of cold water should be close to body temperature, so that the dilated blood vessels can contract. Repeated cold and heat stimulate vasodilation and contraction, enhance vascular elasticity, prevent vascular sclerosis, delay human functional aging, and play a role in prolonging life.
However, it should be noted that, whether it is a hot bath or a cold bath, even the various popular medicated baths and saunas are not available to everyone, so they vary from person to person.
When you experience or practice, you should be cautious according to your physical condition and endurance, and you can consult a professional if necessary.
"Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says: "Mu, Zhuo Fa also"; Bath, shower.
Shampoo and shower gel, bathing and bathing are actually "bathing" in our present sense.
It's just a lot of verbiage. To put it bluntly, the name is different and the effect is similar. Take a bath, take a bath; Take a bath, take a bath; Soup bath and shower; Three baths, three baths. ...
Their "difference" is just the connotation of the so-called "bathing culture" advertised by literati and politicians.
It's like going to the toilet is called "going to the toilet" instead of "going to the toilet".
It is understandable to take a bath as a leisure lifestyle or as a healthy physical therapy method. There is no need to "dig deep into" its cultural essence of "being tall" with great fanfare.
Respect local customs and treat them with equanimity. Do it.