Water is an integral part of every living organism; it is also an indispensable natural resource. Every continent on Earth has a distinct water ecosystem, and each has its own beauty. Asia is home to many water sources, including lakes, rivers and even snow. Asian water therapy uses the region’s rich supply of spa treatments to refresh the body and restore the skin.
Ancient Chinese doctors used water from sacred wells for their patients. They believed the water had healing properties. The Han Dynasty doctor Sun Simiao studied water from Lake Chichibu in Japan. He found the water had extremely low mineral content. He concluded that drinking lake water helped people with poor digestive systems. The Chinese also used water from sacred springs for spiritual purposes. They would wash their bodies in the water to purify themselves. They also performed religious ceremonies in the water. The ceremony would invoke the gods to give them strength, while simultaneously purging them of negative energy.
Doctors used water to refresh the body after strenuous activity or illness. During wartime, soldiers would drink lotus-water to recover from fatigue and sicknesses faster. Some physicians even used a mixture of snow and lake water for cooling down overheated bodies. Today, Asian water therapy refers to any spa treatment that uses Asian water for skin care. People treat their skins with Asian rice-water or a combination of other waters from Asia. Some use gushing mountain waters for skin softening and relaxation. Others choose waters with a mineral content similar to lake water from China’s Chichibu District.
A person has two types of skin- epidermis and dermis – that cover his whole body. Asian rice-water therapy focuses on improving skin quality on the epidermis only. Physicians first cleanse their hands with a mixture of sandalwood and ghee (clarified butter). They then apply a mixture of rice-water and lotus juice to the patient’s face and neck area. Afterward, they apply a facial emulsion made from honey, ginger, saffron and cinnamon essential oils to the patient’s face and neck area as well as his palms and feet areas. When finished, they may wrap the patient in warm blankets to promote better blood circulation while he relaxes in the spa waters.
Asian waters have therapeutic properties due to their rich supply of spa treatments– both ancient and modern Asian water therapy treatments have similar goals but different methods of application. Doctors use these treatments today to improve their patients’ health; however, these treatments date back thousands of years in China’s history as a center for healing arts and medicine itself. The Chinese have an affinity for healing arts that dates back thousands of years; this will no doubt be evidenced by every potential health breakthrough they’ve made throughout history as well as in contemporary times through modern medicine itself, all revolving around what could very well be considered one of mankind’s most treasured natural resources: Water!
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