Anything left too long without attention will gather residue. The spirit works the same way.

Throughout our life, how we treat ourselves affects how brightly we shine. If we surround ourselves with negative individuals, situations, or behaviors, we energetically collect and store energies that do not serve us. The energies and thoughts of our mind can also create emotional blockages in our bodies.

Each time we abuse ourselves, or treat ourselves without respect, our spirit dulls more and more. This residue eventually disconnects us from our true essence.

The intention of the spiritual shower is to cleanse all of these energies and return to our innate radiance.

The magic is in the water.

Have you ever noticed after entering a powerful body of water—like the ocean or the river—you feel quite amazing upon emerging? This is because the body, mind and soul have been cleansed.

There is a pure potency derived from the moving, living energy of water.

When we immerse ourselves in this energy, we embody it. By surrendering to the flow of water, we too learn how to flow with life. The current will always move us in the direction we’re meant to go—it’s up to us whether we choose to fight the current and swim upstream, or flow easily with it.

When we show up for the water wholeheartedly, truly ready to cleanse our spirit, we enter the flow state. In this commitment, we are able to cleanse away what no longer serves us and invite the manifestation of our wildest dreams.

In the Bwiti tradition, the Spiritual Shower is the very first bath given to newborns. With the arrival of these new souls onto the planet, their spirits and bodies are cleansed in preparation for life ahead.

At Awaken Your Soul, our intention is to use the spiritual shower to return the soul to its original state of purity and light.

The Spiritual Shower is conducted in the traditional Bwiti way, using many sacred plants and herbs from the African jungle. For our Costa Rican retreats, the native plant teacher we’ve been instructed to use in this ceremony is La Caña Agria (Makosa). In addition to Makosa, our Spiritual Showers make use of ceremonial Bwiti ritual tools such as African Pygmy Paste, which contains more than 50 healing herbs.

Spiritual Showers begin with the provider introducing him or herself to the Spirit of the River. When doing this, one must recite their full name, their mother’s full name, and their father’s full name. Once they are granted access to the river, the water and forest spirits are called in.

When all spirits are present, the participant will begin his or her own introductions.

Following, the participant’s entire body is washed with river water using sacred plants and herbs. During this cleanse, participants wear light clothing. After being washed by the provider, the participant is able to wash their own body, scrubbing away any remaining spiritual residue.

The entire time an individual is washing, the provider is staying active with the spirits, calling and interacting with them.

Once the wash is complete, participants must leave the river without looking back. They are led to a private area to change out of their old clothes and into fresh, new items, leaving the old ones behind forever.

This is symbolic of shedding old patterns, behaviors, thoughts and beliefs, and stepping into new, self-serving ways of being.

To allow this sacred ceremony and the plants and herbs to fully take effect, participants must not shower for the remainder of the day.

Intention is the most important element of the Spiritual Shower. Like everything we do in life, both parties—the provider and the participant—must embark on this cleanse in a fully committed space. The provider’s intention must be 100 percent focused on cleansing the soul of the person showering, and the participant’s intention must be 100 percent focused on the things they want to wash away from their life and those they want to invite into their life.

The choice to wash it all away is always our own.

Bassé!