Disclaimer
Don’t attempt to have an ice bath without first training yourself to do so. If in doubt, seek medical advice as to whether an ice bath is suitable for you. It’s also important not to force your body or to hold your breath in the water.
Just before the end of 2020, I decided to treat myself to an ice bath! I’ve had a few ice baths over the years — the first one being almost six years ago now for just a few minutes during the 10 week Wim Hof Method course.
Since then I’ve had regular cold showers, and have continued practising the Wim Hof power breathing alongside my yoga practice almost daily (I now have a toddler so my practice isn’t as consistent!)
There’s a lot out there on the physical benefits of having ice baths, but for me, immersing myself in the cold — which usually means cold showers — is a way to instantly lift my mood and give me more energy. This in fact has been the main reason I practise yoga and the Wim Hof Method — not to compete with myself or continuously spend longer immersed in the cold — but to feel uplifted and centred.
The effects can be felt instantly. This ice bath in particular was really needed. Tougher restrictions had just been announced in the UK, we’d just moved house six weeks prior to this, I was worried about my two year old getting enough interaction with other children — a lot just felt out of my control.
I’m not sure if there are any studies on the mental effects of having ice baths, but my mood felt uplifted for quite some time afterwards and I just felt much happier. This is just my personal take on it though and what works for me, so please don’t take this as fact.
While I definitely don’t recommend you jump straight into an ice bath without first building up to it, I thought I’d share my latest ice bath with you below.
If you are interested in learning more about the Wim Hof Method and Cold immersion, you can check out the Wim Hof Fundamentals course here (affiliate link)
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