Would you believe it if I told you that after 20 days of taking cold showers...
I kind of like it?
Today marked my 20th day taking cold showers and thus completing the first cycle of the "cold shower challenge" on the Wim Hof app.
If you haven't heard of Wim "The Ice Man" Hof, he is quite the real-live super hero.
After losing his wife to mental illness decades ago and being left with a swarm of young children, he's gone on to defy science and master control over the autonomic nervous system.
How?
Well other than being a general BA and breaking over two dozen Guinness World Records, he's essentially done it through one thing: cold exposure.
As I learned in the above 90 minute interview (plus other sources) Wim has discovered the power of this simple fact- for many years humans hardly had clothes to wear let alone insulated shelters to wear them in. The human body is actually made to not only survive in the cold, but to thrive in the cold.
The cold can help jump-start our bodies to the natural way they're meant to operate: in nature. When exposed to the cold elements our systems and physiology can operate at peak performance like they're meant to. Not something we always get in our modern technological age.
Other than cold exposure, Wim's other primary method is breathe work. The two actually go hand in hand, as cold weather forces you to breathe deep.
Now I haven't hiked Everest naked or even plunged into any ice water (yet). But I did try out this 20 day cold shower challenge, which is actually easier and less scary than it sounds.
Per the WHM App (Wim Hof Method App) recommendations, I took a warm shower first, then ended with a cold shower.
The first week (5 days), I only had to take a 15 second cold shower.
Then each subsequent week (in 5 day increments) I added another 15 seconds to the clock. So now that I just completed week 4, my cold showers this week were 60 seconds each.
This is the "beginner level," which was a great place for me to start.
Within just 20 days, I've actually warmed up to the idea of cold showers.
The key is acceptance. DEEP breathing. And for me, I like saying a silent intention prayer in my mind. It's become a ritual I enjoy.
And once I step out of the cold water, not only do I somehow not even feel cold, but I feel very alive and refreshed. Almost like I just shotgunned three espressos. But what I actually did was 100% natural... well, with a little help from the WHM App...
You can download the App for free and learn more about the Wim Hof Method here.
Let me know what you think!
Have you tried any sort of cold exposure?
Had you heard of Wim Hof before?
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