Before we begin,
I want to say one simple thing.
Please don't bring your phone or any listening device into the shower with you.
If you would like to listen while you shower,
And I recommend that you do,
Just place a speaker somewhere safe in the room where you can hear me clearly but it won't be affected by steam or water.
Hey,
I thought I would join you for this,
Not in a way that asks anything of you,
Just here keeping you company while you let yourself slow down for a bit.
There's just something about a shower at the end of a long day,
That moment when you step inside and close the door behind you.
It's one of the few places where nothing else can reach you.
No expectations,
No performance,
No one needing anything from you.
Just warmth and water,
Some soap,
And you.
I like the view of you standing here now,
Not trying to do anything properly or make anything happen,
Just being a man in his own body and letting the day loosen its grip.
You don't have to rush this,
You don't have to even move yet.
Just notice the air on your skin before the water even touches you.
That quiet pause,
A small moment of anticipation.
Your body already knows what's coming and it's been waiting for this more than you realize.
And when you turn the water on,
Getting it to your favorite temperature,
You don't need to step into the stream straight away,
Let it warm and listen to it.
There's something so steady about that sound,
Predictable and reliable as it flows.
And when you're ready,
You can step forward.
Let the water meet you wherever it meets you first.
Your shoulders.
There's no correct place,
Just notice that first point of contact.
That initial warmth spreading outward and your body responding instantly without needing permission or persuasion.
Muscles that didn't even realize they were holding tension begin to soften.
And you carry a lot.
Most people don't see it.
The constant adjustment,
The self-control,
The quiet endurance,
Holding steady even when no one acknowledges the effort of that.
And moments like this,
When the warm water runs over your skin,
Are one of the few times your system gets to stand down.
Because for a few minutes,
There's nothing to manage or monitor or prove.
You're allowed to just feel.
So let the water move slowly over you.
Just let it find you.
Noticing the contrast between the warm water and the cooler air.
Between contact and absence.
Tension and softening.
Your body is incredibly responsive.
Even if you don't usually stop long enough to notice it.
Even if you've spent years staying so composed and contained and controlled,
There's still that part of you that responds immediately to attention.
It's alive and human.
And you don't need to do anything to make it happen.
Just stay here with the water on your body.
Letting your breathing do whatever it wants.
Letting your shoulders drop a little more and your jaw unclench,
If it wants to.
You don't need to force relaxation.
Your body already knows how.
And I'm right here with you.
You don't need to hurry.
Now,
If you have a handheld shower attachment,
You might want to let it rest gently against the back of your neck.
Or position yourself in such a way that the water falls there.
Just close enough that the warmth spreads across the base of your skull.
That place that stays alert all the time.
Just let the water linger there and trace slowly over your shoulders and your upper back.
And just notice how much tension might live here and how used you are to carrying the weight.
But you can let the water take some of that for a moment.
Allow the water to move slowly down your chest.
And feel the temperature change as it moves over different parts of you.
Your chest rises and falls without you needing to manage it.
And let the water move over your arms,
Arms,
Over your forearms,
Into your palms.
Your hands do so much.
They hold,
Fix,
Restrain,
Provide.
Right now,
They don't have to do anything.
Let them hang loosely.
Let them feel the water.
Allow the water to pass over your stomach.
And if it moves lower,
Slow that down.
Feel the sensation,
The pressure,
Any movement.
Your body will respond in its own way.
It's all allowed.
You don't have to act on it or suppress it.
You don't have to do anything at all.
Just notice how you are alive and responsive.
And so very human.
Knowing you're allowed to exist fully in your own body.
Letting the water trace down your thighs,
So strong and capable.
They carry you everywhere.
They hold you steady.
So let them soften.
And maybe close your eyes now and let the sound of the water become background.
Let your thoughts thin out a little.
Because there's nothing demanding of you in here.
No one evaluating you or expecting you to lead or needing you to fix anything.
Just warmth and water and you and my voice.
Keeping you company.
And if you want to wash yourself now,
Then do it slowly.
Not mechanically,
With a kind of reverence.
Let your hands move with awareness and attention.
You deserve attention.
Take your time and enjoy this.
And when you are ready to step out,
Don't rush that either.
You can turn the water off and notice the quiet,
The shift in sound,
And the air touching your damp skin.
You might feel slightly different now.
Looser,
Heavier,
More grounded.
And dry yourself slowly with intention.
Not like you're late.
And before you leave this space,
Just know this.
It is not too indulgent to care for your body.
There is nothing inappropriate about responding to sensation.
You are a good man and you're allowed to feel.
And I'll be here again when you want this kind of company.
You don't ever have to earn it.
You can just show up.
And I'll meet you here.
Thank you for being here.
