The ancient practice of cold dips and hot saunas is a time to go inward, to feel into all the feelings and let the body move into a profound place of healing. I’ve had the opportunity to bask in cold plunges and hot saunas around the globe and every time I indulge in the way of the hot-cold experience, I feel a thousand times better than before. Here, I share with you just why I love dipping in the coldest of waters to feel what I need to feel in that moment.
Last year, I visited Iceland and experienced the most beautiful geothermal pools. Hvammsvik Hot Springs, was like something out of a storybook. Grounded in nature, these hot springs were naturally formed and with such a serene backyard, the day was spent taking in the frigid waters and hot springs to feel into the body. My skin was glowing, my body vibrated at a higher frequency and I just felt like I was floating on a cloud after the experience.
From that to moments at Shou Sugi Ban House, Othership, Tuff City Saunas, Somewhere Inn, The Lake House, cold dips in oceans, lakes and pools, I feel a shift in my mood, and it’s as if my mind opens to all the unique opportunities that await me.
From someone who is always tired when I take to contrast therapy in any form, my energy levels rise and rise and rise. That’s because the change in temperatures has a unique effect on our nervous system; which in turn increases our focus, mood and energy. With the changing temperatures there is an energetic shift that welcomes us home to ourselves and creates the space for us to breathe into all those good endorphins.
When you tune into your breath, an internal shift happens. My body’s first reaction when taking a cold plunge is to freeze, but then when I breathe real deep, I feel the power that is within me, and settle into a calmness. There’s an internal shift that happens where you let go of any preconcieved ideas of what to expect and just lean into it all. You feel it all. As contrast therapy exposes your body to regulated stressors to invite you to tap into your resilience. You breathe into it all and change your thought patterns of “I can’t” into “I can”, and boy oh boy does the stress melt away when you do that.
And so, I guess what I’m saying here is that if you’re interested in trying out contrast therapy go slow, find a place where folks can lead you through the practice, and simply enjoy the ride.
