The Magic of Hot-Tubbing in the Dark of Night (and in the Early Morning)

Photo by Peter Schulz

I’ve loved sitting in our hot tub naked, with the temperature set at a comfortable 99 degrees. What a glorious experience it is when we are outside surrounded by cold, feeling part of nature, yet separate, because we are up to our necks in warm water.

My husband and I discovered the joy of hot-tubbing when we moved to the mountains west of Denver, Colorado, twelve years ago, and purchased our first jacuzzi-style hot tub. Our house was sitting above a little valley dotted with lakes and surrounded by a mountain range with three 14,000 foot peaks, and we felt it only made sense to enjoy the view from the comfort of a hot tub.

We enjoyed the view during the daylight hours, and at night we relaxed our bodies and minds in the hot waters just before going to bed, which helped us sleep. And then, as a really early riser, the hot tub was used to awaken my mind and spirits. The sensation was magical in those quiet hours, with nothing breaking the silence as I watched the sun crown the mountain peaks and then wake the valley below.

We sold that house eight years later. And, after we moved to a new location, we purchased another hot tub for our new home, since it had become part of our daily and nightly routines.

So many of our friends and acquaintances who have had hot tubs have told us that they’d enjoyed using their new tubs in the beginning, but when it became too much of a hassle, they broke their ritual of hot-tubbing on any regular basis.

I immediately wondered if it was donning the bathing suits that had become the hassle, knowing that many of these friends were just a bit too prudish to hop in an outdoor tub sans suits, as we are accustomed to doing.

“But that is part of the magic, being naked and feeling one with the water,” I would tell them, and then would add, “When a person is taking a leisurely bath, it is definitely not with any kind of protective clothing, such as a bathing suit, therefore, what is the difference when going into a hot tub?” Sadly, they remained unconvinced.

I didn’t get it. But then I wasn’t judging, I was just baffled.

Our new house is in Oregon, in a valley surrounded by mountains, with acreage and lots of quiet moments, a perfect place for a hot tub.

When we sit in the warm water in the early evenings, we can look out toward the grove of Ponderosa pines and fir trees in our backyard, which are tall and majestic, but with plenty of space beneath their boughs where the grasses are abundant for the elk to feed and rest when in the area. It is thrilling to see those large gentle creatures so near.

At night, when the sky is clear, we have an unobstructed view of the heavens within a large space above us. We first see bright Arcturus, the guardian of the bear, as it gently beckons the way for the rest of the other night lights to show themselves, and when they do, it is spectacular. We search the skies for meteoroids hitting the earth’s atmosphere, and yell out, “Shooting star!” in hopes the other sees it before it disappears. It is a fun game of who can spot one first. We count the satellites cruising by that are either fast or slow, bright or dim, but satellites, nonetheless, after we’d determine the difference between them and a plane far above by the lack of blinking lights. And we are amazed at how the constellations shift ever so slightly each night. We can tell by the changes seen from one night to the next from their positions to the stationary roofline of the house nearby.

What better place to realize our own mortal insignificance than by gazing at the vast heavens, while in a womb-warm space?

Photo by Jamie Fenn

Oftentimes, I feel such joy at our moments of solitude and awe of the universe that I must share that joy in a more intimate way. Being naked serves a dual purpose on those nights.

But mornings, I am alone in the hot tub with a cup of coffee at hand. I love seeing ever diligent Arcturus, the last star in the heavens, fade as I watch the skies slowly brighten, hear the birds wake up and hunt for breakfast, smell the clean earth from the morning dew, and breath in the cool moist air while I bask in the heat of the water. There is usually time for leg and breathing exercises before a short session of meditation, which both satisfies the body and the mind. There’s nothing quite like sitting in the hot tub early morning to fully awaken, appreciate Mother Earth and feel ready to start the day.

Life is good!