using the hammam
I
ndulge yourself in a quasi-surreal world where time does not feature. The hammam provides
a means of escapism, an opportunity to take yourself away from stress and tiredness.
According to ancient tradition, the hammam is composed of flowing "rooms", similar to those
used by the ancient Romans:
First of all, if required, wash the bench, using the shower.
Leave behind anything which reminds you of the outside world, have a shower (as hot
as you like) and dry yourself well.
Select the desired programme and allow yourself to be enveloped by the steam, sit or
lie on the bench.
Humid heat has healing power; it acts as a kind of natural spray, curing problems with the nose,
throat and airways; it additionally acts on rheumatic and arthritic troubles, reducing pains.
Initially, condensed water may emerge from the nozzles (dispenser); this will cease once the
temperature has stabilized.
When desired, you may have a shower to refresh yourself and you may use a horsehair
brush to re-stimulate circulation.
I
n every instance, listen to your body and your intuition: if you feel the need to leave after
only five minutes, then do.
Sweating, a result of using the hammam, will be less intense than the sweating induced
by the sauna, however, given that the session length is generally longer, the quantity of
disposed liquids is greater.
If you have a cold and/or flu, a session in the hammam followed by an extended period of bed
rest, allows for continued sweating, which helps to restore health.
The final stage includes spraying fresh water to re-close pores, tone muscles and inject
energy throughout the entire body.
Before returning to reality, take your time: slowly, perhaps whilst sipping a tea and
casually reading, return to the rhythm and sounds of the outside world.
If the hammam session lives up to your expectations, you may have another one or two
hammam sessions, following the above described procedure; however, always listen to
what your body is telling you.
Once you have finished using the appliance, do not turn off the main switch until the key
relative to the programme that was in progress is no longer lit up with a white light (otherwise,
you will interrupt the washing and emptying process of the steam generator).
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