First, how to use hydrotherapy and then why and how it works.. Before starting there are three rules: Never use hydrotherapy on children. Never use hydrotherapy when you are having your period, or when you are sick. Now your ready to start.
I suggest using this therapy one week in the fall, typically October, and following again in January for a week. Start by taking a morning or evening shower, at end of the shower you will turn the water down to cold, and I mean brrrr cold. Stand under it for however long it takes you to get full goose bumps. Make sure you lift your arms and have the water hit your pits! This will really cool you down fast. Now that you're all goose bumpy turn the water back up to warm and warm yourself up for a minute. You repeat this 3 times. It is key that you end on Cold and step out of the shower. Again, always end on Cold!
You must be wondering how this works to improve your immune system, here is the best way to describe it. Your normal shower brings blood to the surface of the skin and creates circulation on the outer portion of your body, then when you turn the water cold it forces the blood that is sitting on the surface to quickly rush to your internal organs to protect it from the cold. This in turn creates a type of suction motion back and forth through the body and organs washing out toxins, thus strengthening the immune system.
If your immune system is already compromised by disease this is a great way to help improve and rebuild it along with providing healthy food choices. Again, don't use this therapy if you are already suffering from a cold or are very ill. If you have endometriosis, I highly recommend this during winter months. Over the years I have used this method every winter and noticed a great improvement during cold season. Even if you still get a cold you will notice it doesn't strike you nearly as hard as it used to. Be sure to follow it up again in January with another round of therapy as this is the half way point for winter and gives you the second boost to get through the final months of the season.
Native Americans to our worldwide ancestors have used this by soaking in hot springs and plunging into cold rivers close by, they used herbs to strengthen and treat colds too.
Mother Nature Rocks!
