Bathing in the Waters: The Use of Water for Cleanliness, Community, and Spirituality
A Brief History of Bathhouses and Why They Have Served as Centerpieces of Human Society
In the 1920s, archaeological expeditions led by Rakhal Das Banerji and Sir John Marshall led to the discovery of Mohenjo-Daro, once the largest city of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, the famous civilization that flourished between 2500 and 1700 BCE.
One of the most prominent structures in Mohenjo-Daro, which lies in what is now modern-day southern Pakistan, is the Great Bath, a 12-meter-long and 7-meter-wide bathing structure that is the cultural centerpiece of the ancient city.
This ancient bathhouse is often considered the oldest known in the world and a historic artifact that highlights humanity’s longtime connection to the practice of bathing in water.
Although the exact purpose of the Mohenjo-Daro bathhouse is still under discussion, many believe the location was used as a source of community gathering and cleanliness, or potentially for religious ritual or tradition (the latter is still being debated because there is still much we don’t know about the people of the Indus Valley Civilization).
The Great Bath marks the beginning of a long-practiced history with bathing in water, a practice that has transcended cultures around the world, from Russian banya to Japanese sentos, to the saunas of Scandinavia.
Throughout this history, these communal bathhouses have acted as centerpieces for cultural connection, meeting places for societal discussion, and even locations for spiritual rituals involving the transformation or purification of the soul.
Across history, the most famous bathhouses are arguably those of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greeks, who are believed to have first adopted the practice around 550 BCE, built some of their first known bathhouses in Athens.
Although it took time for the practice to gain prominence in their culture, Greek bathhouses soon became the first “spas”, and became well associated with cleanliness, beauty, and were placed near areas of intellectual or physical exertion.
In the centuries following, the Roman bathhouses, arguably the most famous examples of societal bathing practices, expanded on Greek ideas dramatically. The Roman bathhouses were substantial community centers considered some of the most important locations in the culture, and often were the defining symbol that an area was under Roman rule or occupation.
The Roman bathhouses were also much bigger in scale than their predecessors, with some of the largest baths known to have housed over 3,000 people at once. They were often open to all classes, and played an integral role in socializing, exercise, bathing, and cultural connection.
Over time, the benefits of bathhouses continued to permeate different cultures around the world. In Islamic cultures, the hammam, or Turkish bath, became central to social and religious life, drawing on Roman thermadae and evolving into a uniquely spiritual steam-based practice. In Japan, bathing rituals (sentō) became widespread under Buddhism around the 6th century, emphasizing the practice of both inner and outer purification.
Across all these cultures for thousands of years, the foundation of these bathhouses is the same. Humanity used them as a way of seeking a more meaningful and purposeful connection with our existence. They were also a byproduct of our tendency to view water as a tool of the divine. The substance, which has been revered for obvious reasons, has historically been associated with transformation, purification, and renewal.
This connection meant bathhouses were not only places to clean and socialize, but were sacred or beloved, playing an essential role in everyday life, and offering a sense of sanctuary for the local community.
A Community of Connection in Bathing
Our tendency to gather around water is also one of the defining aspects of our relationship with the substance, and ultimately, the reason for the longstanding popularity of bathhouses.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen how humans often seek blue spaces and build their community centers around them, whether it's rivers, lakes, or oceans. These human-made blue spaces, in many cultures, were developed to be social mechanisms that inspire community.
For our species, the presence of water seems to be consciously and unconsciously soothing. It provides a sort of safety net, letting us know that we are okay because the presence of our most vital substance is here. And as humans, we are instinctively creatures of congregation, and these “blue spaces” served as perfect meeting points between the various members of our society.
Therefore, the construction of these spaces provided the perfect opportunity to enjoy community within the confines of a safe blue space.
In the bathhouses of Roman society, for example, baths were places where individuals would often stay for hours, often nude, stripping themselves of class identification.
In these spaces, they would congregate with other individuals from all different aspects of society, with some evidence even suggesting men and women would bathe together, potentially even stripping themselves of societal gender dynamics.
This stripping of outside dynamics and being fully exposed allowed different members of the community to transcend social boundaries. They were able to co-exist with people of different classes or ideas, in the most basic form of human existence.
That’s why bathhouses and the culture around them offered something rare: a chance to step outside the usual confines of social identity to return to something simpler, quieter, and more primal.
In many ways, it’s the same reason humans are so attracted to water in the first place, because it can purify us of dirt, disease, and even the constraints of our own society.
The Rise of Bath Houses in Modern Day
According to the Global Wellness Institute, bathhouses were among the top hydrothermal trends of 2024, quickly gaining in popularity around the world.
This growth in bathhouse tourism has also caught on with the recent rise in retreat culture, where time spent soaking in water and simply slowing down is becoming a sought-after form of escape for many individuals.
In recent years, formal bathhouses have become more common. Aire, which has popular locations in New York City and London, is one of the companies reimagining the public bathhouse experience. Their bathhouses offer city-dwellers a chance to experience the renewal and purification benefits that come with spending time in water, while also still offering a sense of community.
The community aspect of bathhouses seems to be the bigger draw for the current generations, especially with the growing need for more connection. It’s no secret that individuals throughout the United States and much of the world are dealing with increasing feelings of loneliness, lack of connection, and lack of intimacy.
Similar to the spaces they are based on, these modern-day communal bathhouses are attempting to reclaim this sense of intimacy and foster a community dynamic that is hard to find in everyday life.
In a recent interview with Architectural Digest, the co-founder of the High Line in NYC, Robert Hammond, shared his thoughts on this dynamic: “You don’t even have to meet people at the bathhouse; just being around others, sweating together, creates a sense of community. You’re sharing an experience, and that’s what society is missing.”
This experience can be especially powerful because inside most modern-day bathhouses, similar to their Roman predecessors, the confines of class structure are not immediately present.
Although taking part in bathhouses can be exclusive due to having higher costs and entrance fees, once inside the actual baths, most aspects of outside status and class are stripped away.
What remains is a uniquely human experience. And by taking part in this community tradition that dates back thousands and thousands of years, communal bathing allows you to be the most human version of yourself, relieved of the pressures of social status, financial level, or even class dynamics.
In many ways, bathhouses are where humans can be the most, well, human. We can spend time together as the social creatures we are, eradicated of the pressures of the outside world, and simply just exist as ourselves.
And maybe in a world that classifies everything by performance and success, that’s the kind of simplicity we need to bring back.
Weekly Challenge: A Ritual Bathing Practice
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or need a pause, this week, try making a bath (or shower, pool, or any source of water) and taking part in a basic ritual inspired by some of these historic practices.
Prepare the Space. Remove all distractions (phone, clock, etc.). Allow yourself to be released from all outside influences. Light candles if you’d like, dim the lights in the room, turn on a calming playlist, or embrace the silence.
Set An Intention. Ask yourself what you are seeking in the practice, setting an intention for the ritual, and what you’d like to focus on letting go of.
Let The Water Carry And Flow: Whether hot or cold, still or moving, let your body feel it fully and focus on the sensation. Let the water be the purifier. Visualize anything heavy from the day or week being drawn out by the water. Simply, let it go and flow out just as the water does.
Finishing Up: Dry off slowly. Take a few deep breaths. Let yourself sit with the feeling for a few moments before getting up and moving on to something else. Thank the water (or bless it in the Freman style).
As we draw on this historical practice of bathing with intention, it provides a reminder that something as transformational as renewal is always within reach if we allow ourselves to listen to the natural world around us.
Story of the Week: Inside the Sentos of Japan
For this week’s Story, The Financial Times takes us inside the fading, but resilient, culture of Japan’s sentos, or communal bathhouses.
Once a staple of everyday life in Japanese cities, these neighborhood gathering spaces are now at a crossroads, caught between tradition and modernity.
The piece highlights a new wave of entrepreneurs, architects, and artists working to breathe life back into these sacred spaces, not just preserving their aesthetic, but reimagining their role for the next generation.
In a world where the pace of life can be relentless and isolation is on the rise, sentos may be more relevant than ever, reminding us that gathering around water has always been about community.
You can read the full story here.
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Thanks for being here, friends. See you in the next one.
With love,
Keegan
So good! Thanks for sharing.