OVERCOMING THE CONDITIONED MIND WITH COLD SHOWERS

When I facilitated One Little Retreat with my One Big Heart yoga family in February, we spent a lot of time between the hot sauna and spa and the cold pool. There was a lot of discussion about the Wim Hoff method, which uses breath practices, cold therapy and commitment as three pillars to consciously influence your body, and wellbeing. There is a lot of research proving the benefits of cold therapy and it’s become a hit amongst the health and wellbeing communities. You can read more about the science here.

Inspired by the frequent conversations and the dance between the hot and cold waters at our retreat venue, I decided to to add cold showers to my routine and I've finished every shower I’ve had since February in cold water. 

This is not a practice I thought I’d ever do. I value the warmth of a hot shower right before bed to keep me feeling snug and it helps me to fall asleep.

But the body is so intuitive, wise and adaptable. In such a short time I noticed my body craving for that cold hit every time I got in the shower or near water. Last week, late in May, I swam in the ocean down the south coast. As the cool water hit my legs I thought “This isn’t as cold as my cold shower!” so I jumped in without hesitation and waded in the water for over 20 mins. 

Pure blissful elixir of life.

I felt so enlivened and enriched. I felt fresh and present in my body. I felt aware and fully embodied in this deliciousness of a feeling state that I used to hate - feeling cold.

As the weather is cooling down (we’ve hit lows of 4 degrees coming into late autumn) I noticed my crafty mind tell me all the reasons why it would be better that I didn’t turn the hot water off. And in that moment of awareness I knew I was gifting myself an opportunity to cultivate new habits.

New determined will.
A space to override the conditions of the mind that takes the easy way out.
That avoids.
The mind that seeks pleasure over pain.

We live in a ‘comfort society’, always adjusting our environment to feel good. This contact adjustment to the external environment over adapting our internal views, thoughts feelings and world, fails to set us up with the tools and resources to weather a storm when shit hits the proverbial fan. And shit will hit the fan - we know one thing for sure in this magnificent world we live in. Suffering exists, and we cannot avoid it. No amount of adjusting that hot tap can stop the shadow from smothering the light at times of life upheaval.

Finishing my shower has shown me (like many challenges in my life) that with a few deep breaths, we can withstand what once felt intolerable. Cold therapy invites you into your body. It invites you into the fluctuations of the mind, and into deep states of awareness of the stories we tell ourselves. In present moment awareness, I witnessed my conditioned mind entice me into a higher state of comfort.

So despite the drop in temperature, I hit the cold tap 🚿 It definitely took an extra deep breath as the water washed over my neck and back before I could muster the courage to turn around to wash over my arms, chest and face, but I did it, and I felt amazing afterwards.

Once the initial shock settles, the body calms, as does the mind, and it relishes in the sweet presence of awareness. The skin buzzes and you feel deeply present and alive.

Cold showers:

⬇️ stress
⬆️ immunity
⬆️ mental alertness
⬆️ will power
⬆️ metabolic processes which can support weight loss
⬆️ endorphins and clinically proving to reduce symptoms of depression 😯
⬆️ circulation
⬆️ muscle recovery

I’m all for early morning swims in cold waters and am loving the commitment to a new practice that is making me feel great, and working with the layers of the mind that I wouldn’t be tapping into if it wasn’t for this simple and accessible practice.