ICE-BATHS. Just a trend or truly a healing modality for your Body, Mind and Soul?
For the last 6 years I have been on a personal discovery journey. Exploring different healing modalities and optimisation routes for the body, mind and soul. Training as a coach, in yoga, meditation and reiki, 10 day silent Vipassana retreats, ecstatic dance, Temezcals in Mexico, plant medicine journeys globally, cold exposure and now Breathwork Training in India. If I haven’t explored it yet… it’s on my list.
I will chat about all these topics in time but for now…let’s explore Cold Water Exposure.
Let’s start with some honesty, I am what my sister likes to call a “Cosy-toe”. I love being warm, I’m a double dressing gown, electric blanket, always-in-a-beanie-kind-of-cailin. So when I say the Shell of 10 years ago would laugh at my current behaviour I’m not lying. Anyone can do this with the right guidance and commitment.
Over the last number of years, I have been practicing all varieties of Breathwork which inevitably led me to Wim Hof and the benefits of cold exposure combined with Breathwork. I attended some workshops in Ireland and I was hooked.
Due to being 90 mins from the sea, I invested in a little ice-bath in March 2022, I had a brand new business and a dislocated shoulder at the time and the support of the ice-bath really ranged across my 4 pillars of Body, Mind, Soul and Business. Needless to say, the love affair began, I did over 100 Ice-baths that year, learned how to make a Reel and raised lots of money for a mental health charity.
I am now here in Goa on an intensive Breathwork training with Celtic Breathwork and I am deepening my understanding and practice of this modality.
WHY WOULD WE DO THIS TO OURSELVES?
I get it. Right now, It’s winter in Ireland, it’s cold and there is whipping wind and rain some days. Why on earth would we do this to ourselves? My answer is always: “I’m doing this FOR myself…not TO myself.” As soon as we change our general mindset to this, life changes.
So, let me tell you, this is not just a Fad…
This is Mind, Body and Soul connection at its best. I set up my business because I believe in holistic wellbeing in life and in business. I believe that we are better humans (and leaders) when we are balanced Body, Mind and Soul.
Body Benefits
“If we always choose comfort, we never learn the deepest capabilities of our mind or body.” Wim Hof
Boosts mood (due to endorphin release).
Muscle Recovery. (No DOMS after leg day!).
Reduces Inflammation and prevents tissue breakdown.
Improved Immune System.
Increased blood flow.
Boosts metabolism (Activates brown fat).
Blood Sugar level stabilises.
More resilience due to “Hormesis” (The good type of stress).
Stimulates our vagus nerve (Parasympathetic nervous system).
Mind Benefits
“Your mind has the ability to change your experience” Wim Hof
Builds Willpower and resilience.
Mental Toughness.
More Peace.
Less Stress.
Decreased anxiety.
Brings mind into the present moment.
Boosts mood (due to endorphin release).
Increases motivation in general: The SmugFactor.
Soul Benefits
“I want to show everyone in this world that the soul is the source of our happiness, strength and health. Love actually comes from the soul, from the light.” Wim Hof.
Soul is an interesting one to chat about and a lot less linear than chatting about Body and Mind benefits as everyone will have a different take on it.
For me, my Soul being aligned means feelings of joy, feeling light and playful, trusting in life and being creative. It means feeling totally connected to my heart.
It manifests in how I feel in my day. When I am doing things that are good for my soul, if I was to boil it down to 3 simple words:
I-feel-alive.
It’s the energy that courses through me. Those, “Feck, isn’t life brilliant?” moment.
It's what gets activated when I see the morning sun roll up as the moon is still in the sky and I remember how lucky I am.
At a practical level, I have found myself happier in the mundane since I started my holistic journey. I work on my holistic wellbeing, every single day, I f*ck up often but I show up somehow. A walk in the forest can elicit all the above too. But for me, to have many tools and more importantly: habits to access and activate your full soul alignment cannot be a bad thing.
Find a way to connect with your soul.
THE HOW… CURIOUS TO TRY?
If so, start with a cold blast at the end of your shower, even 5 seconds and add a little each day to start with. Dont wait for the sea or the perfect weather or expensive equipment. Anyone with a bath or shower at home can do this.
Try to “Eat the Frog” in the morning, don’t carry it around all day! If you have to do something, the. time. is. now.
Create Rituals not Rules. You get to make this beautiful, not torturous.
1- 5 minutes of Breathwork (See Youtube for WimHof breath tutorial).
2- Set an intention.
3- Plunge and focus on exhale.
4- Move afterwards to warm up (The Horse Stance).
5- Journal.
I cannot wait to share this work with you in 2024. Lots more on my Instagram and if you have any questions, just pop me a note as I love to hear from you.
Please Note: This is information collated from my own personal experience, workshops and my own research. There are contraindications to both breath-work and cold exposure so check in with yourself and your health practitioner before plunging yourself into freezing water or doing any breath holds!
Shell x
The TASK Times
