Ice baths … I’m doing it … should you?
I love the sun, I love being warm, I love being snug as a bug in rug (preferable a rug that is a very, very soft blanket)!
But guess what? I’ve started to take ice-baths!! I started very slowly over many weeks. First I started by dipping my feet in, then up to my midcalves, working up to my knees, eventually to my waist. At which point I thought this was an utter success and had no desire to go further.
I questioned the whole time, is this really good for me? How?
When I am in the small square, ice plunge pool, I have found a way to press my feet against the ladder so I can wriggle upper body in up chest. The final part way my arms. This was the hardest for me! As you can tell, I take my time. Finally I can now go in, up to my neck, meditate, enjoy the warmth and power of manipura (my 3rd chakra) and be in awe of the whole thing. There have been moments when I thought .. what if I’m frozen and I cant get out?! But I always manage to.
Five minutes is meant to be a good length of time to be in a cold, cold bath. That’s not currently my goal, I’m taking it one cold dunk at a time.
What I can say is that I strangely look forward to it. There is something quite incredible about it and energising. Wim Hof is a huge advocate so I am enjoying discovering his thoughts and story. I cannot say that any of listed benefits below have rung true for me but that fact that I am enjoying them more and more and looking forward to them is quite profound. Feeling the warmth in my body after I get out is exhilleating. Brings me into the present moment and very grateful.
What I have learnt ice baths and cold showers:
lots of us to do it
they reduced stress levels. Wim’s website says “Regularly taking cold showers imposes a small amount of stress on your body, which leads to a process called hardening. This means that your nervous system gradually gets used to handling moderate levels of stress. The hardening process helps you to keep a cool head, the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation.” Being me, a yoga teaching, Resilo physiotherapist, and playing with energy for a living, it does not resonate with me to “hardening the body, nervous system etc”; I believe in flow, freedom of movement, vibrating high, releasing stress, softening. However ice-bathing has given me freedom, empowerment and enjoyment. For example, I was in the sea in April and it felt warm. It was incredibly enjoyable to be able to frolick and enjoy the sea’s beauty on my skin rather than sitting on the beach and just looking at it. That might not be reducing stress but it has increased enjoyment and freedom and decreased fear.
a higher level of alertness & the cold stimulates you to take deeper breaths. Being a yogi it is difficult for me to say if I take deeper breaths when I am in the ice pool. I do use the (click to watch me demo it) ujjayi breath which certainly brings me into the present movement and allows me to connect to the warmth and power inside me which I LOVE! It is said that the cold water “decreases the level of CO2 throughout the body, helping you concentrate. Cold showers thus keep you ready and focused throughout the day.” Would love to hear your thoughts on that?
More robust immune response. This is the part that really fascinates me… Scientific studies have found that taking a cold shower/bath increases the number of white blood cells in your body. These blood cells protect your body against diseases. Researchers believe that this process is related to an increased metabolic rate, which stimulates the immune response. I will be doing more research on this.
Increased willpower.
Weight loss. Research has shown that cold showers (and exposure to cold in general), in addition to increasing metabolic rate directly, stimulate the generation of brown fat. Brown fat is a specific type of fat tissue that in turn generates energy by burning calories. Cold showers, then, are an effective tool for people who are looking to lose a few pounds. I haven’t noticed a difference in my metabolism but will keep you posted!
In conclusion, encourage you to face a fun fear. If you are going to start ice baths or cold showers I would recommend starting slowly and building your way up. Any concerns, talk to your doctor or health practitioner. Keep tuning in to your body’s messages and intuition.
