Cold Water Dips ~ What's All the Rage?

A little over a year ago, I started cold dips in the ocean with a dear friend once a week. It wasn’t easy for me to jump into the frigid water here in the Pacific Northwest in early spring. She was my pillar of strength and inspiration. I remember screaming and yelling the first few times I got in. But even from the first time I felt AMAZING afterwards!

It’s been a  profound process to watch myself fall in love with this practice. I can feel the benefits and want to share a bit more about it with you.

Cold water dipping is much more than a modern trend. Where I live it has become notably more common for people to be jumping in the cold ocean, rivers and lakes. We are catching on to something many cultures have known for a long time.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has long supported the practice of cold water immersion. Ancient Greeks, Hippocrates and Plato all spoke to the benefits of cold water bathing. This is not a new trend, and there is actually a lot of science to back up the benefits you feel when you do it.

Check out the health benefits when you decide to take the plunge into cold water!

Cold water causes your lymph vessels to contract and helps to flush waste from the body. Cold bathing triggers the immune system’s white blood cells to fight infection. Cold water gets things moving. Jumping into cold water improves circulation which is good for your heart.

By cold dipping you can reduce inflammation and soreness in the body.

Cold water also triggers a flood of mood boosting neurotransmitters which makes you feel happy.

One surprising benefit I read was cold water helps to strengthen, hair, skin and nails.
The benefits are MANY; too many to list!

Many people cringe when I tell them I partake in this practice.

A lot of people respond outright: NO!

NOT FOR ME! NO THANK YOU!

Often shaking their head wildly and holding out their hand as if to say:

"Do not even go there; I won’t consider it."

If you can keep an open mind, there are ways to do this without pain and suffering.

If you hate cold water, here are some tips to change the script. Remember moving out of your comfort zone is a way to stay alive and keep growing. Keep an open mind and let me walk you through these easy, simple steps to get you into the cold water and reaping the benefits yourself!!

1- Start in the shower. Decrease the amount of hot water slowly until it is cool. Breath deep and conscious. Continue to train yourself to ALLOW the cool sensation. Stop when it becomes too uncomfortable.

2- Slowly increase the time you spend in the cool, … and then colder and colder water in the shower.

3- If you are lucky enough to have a body of water around you that you can dip into, go prepared. Bring warm clothes for after and a towel you can wrap around your wet hair.

4- Use exhales when you are going in. Breath awareness is a VERY important part of this practice. Take long slow breaths, or fast quick ones, and know you have the power to control your reaction. This is a VERY powerful moment in understanding your own strength.

5- I find full immersion, including head, is easier and less cold than if I don’t dive under fully. It’s as though if I don’t fully dunk, my mind stays in resistance of the cold.

6- The first 10-20 seconds I often feel the urge to bolt, but if I stay with my breath and observe the sensations in my body, I can let go into them instead of reacting.

7- I try to linger 2-3 minutes until I have moved past that first moment of shock, but get out before I am frozen.

I feel like if I can learn to cold water dip anyone can. I didn’t love it when I began. I was a total wimp. As I said, I would scream! I am grateful for my friend who kept encouraging me and showing me it was possible.

Maybe you have a friend that already does this, and you can join them? Or maybe you can find a friend that wants to join you on this new adventure?

Going with a friend lets me get not only the benefits for my physical health, but also nourishes my soul on a whole other level. We often bring a tea or coffee with us and have a little chat before we dive in. These are precious moments where I feel nourished in mind, body and soul.

This weekly meet up takes just an hour and gives me such a feeling of well being. I hope you will consider exploring your own cold water ritual. Even if it is just you in the shower exploring the power of your own breath and your ability to shift your mind and be open to what at first might be discomfort, but in the end brings you great benefit.

As we take more responsibility for our own health and wellness we see it is possible to feel great and it can even be fun to take care of ourselves. Join my Online Yoga Community to get more guidance and to surround yourself with like-minded individuals that will inspire you to live your best life.