‘Emotional showers’ are the latest health trend, but they’re not what you think they are

A good shower cry can be therapeutic – but that’s a different kind of “emotional shower”.

High-end hotels and trendy spas around the world offer emotional shower services, combining thermotherapy, hydrotherapy, chromotherapy and aromatherapy, to greatly excite clientele seeking tranquility.

Treatments use carefully designed water pressures, temperatures, colors and scents to induce a positive emotional state of vitality, calmness or joy.

“I felt instantly calm and energized,” Maria Yogoda told Condé Traveler describing her experience of an emotional shower in Lake Como, Italy.

Thermotherapy and hydrotherapy can provide localized relief to different parts of the body by using water jets to stimulate the metabolism, nervous system and blood flow with streams of water at opposite pressures and temperatures, according to pool products company Fluidra.

“People with some [health] conditions may benefit from using water in different forms and at different temperatures to feel better,” the Cleveland Clinic said.

It’s never a bad thing to find a safe way to feel better, but you shouldn’t expect hydrotherapy to cure any condition — especially more serious, chronic illnesses, the Cleveland Clinic reported.

Meanwhile, Healthline points out that chromotherapy is claimed by some experts to evoke certain emotions and health benefits depending on the color used – for example: blue for relaxation and pink for detoxification.

Meanwhile, medical experts at Mount Sinai say aromatherapy is used in a wide range of health and wellness spaces to relieve pain, improve mood and promote a sense of relaxation.

In some spas, music therapy is also incorporated into a sensory shower experience to create a more immersive experience.

“When we’re in the shower, it’s an opportunity to get away from the distractions of everyday life,” Georgina Sturmer, neuropsychologist, told Glamor UK. “In a world where we are connected 24/7 and ‘on the show’ most of the time, a shower can be one of the few places where we are truly alone.”

“This sense of privacy and connection can help us feel comfortable connecting with our emotions,” she added.

So it’s no wonder that recent research found that 74% of people regularly cry in the shower.

So whether you’re taking an emotional shower in a luxury spa or an “everything shower” at home, a moment alone under a treadmill is a near-sure way to relax and reconnect with yourself.