Ayurvedic medicine considers bathing to be therapeutic. The healing benefits of bathing have been touted since ancient times -- the Greeks and Romans believed water was a gift form the gods, and to that end, they created elaborate bathhouses for healing purposes. Today, hydrotherapy continues to be prized as a healing modality. Bathing eases stiff muscles, relieves pain, opens clogged pores, stimulates circulation, and restores moisture to the body's tissues. In 1994, French researchers published a study in the Journal of Rheumatology that found that patients who underwent hydrotherapy "showed significant improvement" from lower back pain and other ailments. A few years later, a majority of test subjects in a University of Minnesota study confirmed these findings; furthermore, they agreed that therapeutic baths reduced their stress and anxiety levels. This meditation combines the benefits of hydrotherapy, meditation, and aromatherapy to alleviate stress and enhance relaxation. Perform this meditation as often as you like -- every evening, if possible -- to release stress and anxiety at the end of the day. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)