Ice, Ice bath baby!
So if you have reached this part, hopefully you have read part one about my experience with cold water therapy.
If you recall I signed up to a Wim Hof experience day and I mentioned I was going to be getting into an Ice Bath!
Now, before I mention that bit, I must tell you a little about the day. I don’t want to give too much away as you might want to experience the day yourselves and I don’t want to spoil it.
The Location and instructors.
I arrived at the venue, Stroud Brewery, in Stroud, Gloucestershire and saw several others with their yoga mats which were asked to bring with us. This cold water therapy seemed popular.
We were asked to place our mats on the floor facing a particular direction. We were confused which was the front of the hall!
Our instructors for the day were Jamie, Olivia and Stacie.
Jamie introduced himself and the team. Olivia wasn’t joining in the day as such as she was heavily pregnant and baby was due in about two weeks!
Jamie told his story of how he overcame some physical challenges in his life and how the Wim Hof Method helped. It is his story to tell so I won’t tell it here, but it is very interesting.
Learning how to breathe
We started doing breathing exercises to prepare us for our cold water therapy experience. Having done yoga before, I was familiar with diaphragmatic breathing, but I wasn’t quite used to this pace. It was quicker than I was used to but also manageable.
I felt tingly and a little light headed following the exercises.
My face felt like I’d been to the dentist, you know, that numb feeling when you’ve been given an anaesthetic? I also felt my fingers tingling, an incredible sense of calmness I had not felt before which is really difficult to put into words, and a clearness of thought, something I haven’t felt for a long time due to menopause brain fog.
We did a few rounds of the breathing technique, learning how our bodies and minds respond to the changes taking place whilst we were doing so. There was no right or wrong way to breath in and out. It didn’t matter whether you breathed through your nose or your mouth, as long as you remembered to breathe! It is surprising how much oxygen you can hold in your lungs and how long you can hold your breath for without feeling like you are fighting for your life.
Jamie was so knowledgeable, I could have listened to him talking about how our bodies work all day. I’m fascinated by anatomy and what our bodies are capable of, so I found his explanations really interesting. I wished he had diagrams, charts and pictures to explain what was happening (I’m a visual learner) but still, it was all very fascinating.
After the breathing exercises we did some gentle yoga with Stacie before lunch, just enough to relax us before the ice bath!
We all helped to fill the aluminium bath with several bags of ice! What in the world were we all letting ourselves in for?
What happened next?
After lunch we all lined up to take turns getting into the ice bath. It was a warm sunny afternoon in the ‘Shire so you would think it wouldn’t be that cold in the bath, wouldn’t you? But it was! The warm weather somehow made the bath feel colder. I will test this again as the days get colder. (Oh yes, I intend to get my own ice bath!)
We all cheered and supported each other getting in the bath. The maximum amount of time we were staying in was two minutes. It doesn’t seem a long time when you say it, but it is quite a long time when you are in it.
Jamie remained by the bath with the timer, coaching us through with our breathing to help us remain calm throughout. That initial shock when you get in and sit down, does temporarily take your breath away. Olivia did a great job of taking everyone’s photos and videos to help us remember our great achievement.
The after care bit
After sitting in the ice bath, we needed to warm ourselves back up again. We all adopted Wim Hof’s sitting stance (martial artists will know what I mean by this stance) and had to rotate through our core and high five the air side to side. This was to warm up the muscles and to get the blood pumping again to warm up. Jamie explained why we do this rather than rush in to the warm room and get dressed. This was followed by a cup of green tea and some chocolates!
It was a great day and I highly recommend if you are interested in cold water therapy and it’s benefits, attend one of the Wim Hof Method workshop days.
I’ve added a link to the one I attended at the bottom of the blog.
How I felt afterwards and what I did next.
So, how has this affected me?
Following the experience day, when I got home, I felt very relaxed. In the evening I developed restless legs. If you have never had that, it’s an uncomfortable feeling in your legs that is only eased by moving them. So sitting still is virtually impossible. This went on for a few hours until I was finally ready to go to bed.
I slept for an incredible 10 hours. I never sleep that long. And it wasn’t even broken sleep, it was 10 hours of solid sleep!
I felt absolutely amazing the following day.
Since then, I have continued with my daily cold showers, I don’t seem to get as anxious and stressed as much as before, and I don’t feel the cold in the same way as before either.
Whilst I do continue to have quite a hot body (temperature wise not Hollywood standard wise!), I don’t seem to have as many hot flushes during the day. There are still few nights of hot and erratic sleep, but not every night like it was before I started my relationship with the cold.
I am thinking more clearly and feel able to complete more tasks that I put off doing before because they seemed hard to do.
My confidence has grown and my mental wellbeing has significantly improved as a result of introducing cold into my life.
It’s hard to put into words how I have changed, I just feel the changes happening.
In conclusion, cold water therapy has a variety of benefits. It can improve your sleep, reduce your stress levels, improve your circulation, boost your immunity and increase your concentration and confidence.
It can also be a great way to get you out of your comfort zone and discover more about yourself.
To learn more about how to make change a positive force in your life, book your 30 minute discovery call with The Phoenix Method and start being comfortable with the uncomfortable to be fit, fabulous and feminine as you age.
Karen Raistrick has been in the business of wellbeing for over 6 years and has a lot of experience in managing stress, adapting to change and dealing with life’s challenges. Mainly done with a smile on her face, usually positive, often grumpy if she hasn’t had a cup of tea!
To book your consultation and to learn more about The Phoenix Method, check out the website at https://www.the-phoenix-method.com/
Join my group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/holisticwellbeingforwomenover40/
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the_phoenix_method_limited/
For more information on the Wim Hof Method workshop I attended, contact Jamie at https://www.cotswoldbreathandbody.com/
For more information about Wim Hof, check out his official website at https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
This event was held at Stroud Brewery. For more information on their products and events, visit https://stroudbrewery.co.uk/