The history of bathing is vast; originally humans would use natural water sources like rivers, lakes and waterfalls to stay clean. Bathing, more as we know, started with the Ancient Egyptians who placed high importance on the rituals of washing, as it was believed the cleaner the person was, the closer they were too the gods (Bushak, 2015). Bathing is an option for many people around the world, there are many who use baths as part of their daily or weekly self care routine. When considering the importance of baths and showers, bathing is seen as more of a luxury, a way to relax and unwind. One study found that 68.9% of people surveyed explained that a bath helps them to relax... Almost a third (28.9%) said they choose to take a bath when feeling stressed, with 31.2% cited ‘alone time’ as their reason for bathing. 

 

The wellness benefits of bathing has been perfected in the Japanese Onsen (hot springs), being an inherent part of Japanese culture for thousands of years. Japan has around 200 volcanoes, with thousands of hot springs spread around the country.

​

It is a time and place reserved for pleasing the senses, for enjoying the luxury of feeling, for the wonder of experiencing the simplest, most satisfying sensations: heat, water, scent (Yanagihara, 2017). 

​

The traditional idea of the onsen and it’s healing properties inspired the images accompanying this section of research (To Bathe Series). Inspiration was also taken from the works of Jo Ann Callis, some of her work revolves around the body in water, the shape and framing is beautiful