Embracing cold water

[Altair]

I was wondering if this is a 'thing' with other people on here..

I've been doing ice cold showers since last year. I have noticed many benefits, both physically and mentally. You want your skin to improve..? Try this out for a while, you will be surprised. In contrast to a hot shower the skin won't feel like a dried out husk. It is especially useful before doing any kind of spiritual practice, because the mind is rather relaxed. Not to mention, it reduces environmental impact as you will use less gas. It of course also makes you more resistant to the cold..

It may seem daunting, but if you are still with me, maybe you are interested trying this; start with a mild temperate and go to cold. First do your limbs, then chest and head, and then the back. The back is generally the most sensitive to the cold. Just exercise a bit, if you start you need to adapt first. Or chant a mantra... it's great..! Work your way from cold, to ice cold. Do a bit of it every day and you'll be surprised how natural it will feel..

Share your experiences and insights if you have..!!

[ocean breeze]

I've seen fighters take ice baths. Ice baths may provide a healing effect from injuries. It may also help the body to recuperate faster from hard training sessions. I haven't really looked too much into it though. Just something that may be useful.


As for me personally. Nooooo, i won't torture myself. I already have good skin.

[edithaint]

I think this could be good for some people, but not everyone. Certainly not me. Of course, I would love to be more tolerant of the cold, but I've always been a warm weather creature. Cold damages my skin more than heat, heat heals my wounds better than cold, and high temperatures soothe and relax me while low temperatures make me tense and angry. I would rather be too hot than too cold. That said, I do occasionally take a very brief cold shower for the particular purpose of learning to better tolerate it.

[Altair]

Originally Posted by ocean breeze

I've seen fighters take ice baths. Ice baths may provide a healing effect from injuries. It may also help the body to recuperate faster from hard training sessions. I haven't really looked too much into it though. Just something that may be useful.

Football players do these ice baths. Cristiano Ronaldo is known for it; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...henomenon.html

I haven't done an ice bath but it's worth a shot after getting home from the gym..
My gym only has hot showers so I skip. Thankfully I don't do much cardio, lol..

[Gem]

Wim Hoff has a lot to say about the benefits of the cold.

[Tobi]

Every morning for the whole of my life as long as I remember I wash my face in cold water after getting up. Not just a "lick", a real drenching, and bathe the eyes well too. It is so refreshing and nice.
When I wash my hair I always finish with a cold rinse too.

I used to have a warm-to lukewarm bath followed by a complete all over cold shower, but not for long. Only for a minute.
I haven't done that for a while. I think I have got deconditioned to it because the last time I did it it made me feel bad.
My body temperature is so low generally, I wonder if it's wise for me now...? I am getting on in years now.
I haven't done that for a while

[Altair]

Yeah Tobi, me too, I always washed my face with cold water. If the entire body goes through that it really feels like a treat. Now I just go for it but in the beginning it took a bit of willpower, mostly beforehand, that's where the real battle is.. ''Do I want to do this again? Do I have to do this? Can't I skip today?'' etc.

Once you get past that stage, wow.. you're on the next level..
Now it is.. ''Not too long, don't forget the time!'' It becomes a new pleasure..

I wouldn't want people to get issues though, especially those with the heart..
Might do some research, ask your doctor, or slowly experiment..

I'm young so I am biased..!

[JosephineB]

I'm not that brave to do cold showers. Well, in Summer finish off with cool. And final rinse with cool when washing face, very refreshing.

When I read your OP, it reminded me about the inmates of Alcatraz had to have hot showers which was unusual in those days. It was so they couldn't build up a tolerance to the cold water, in case they thought about escaping. Swimming over to San Francisco. I think that's how it went anyway.

[Sapphirez]

I wish my fiance didn't like to keep the air conditioning on so high (well ok it's usually 72 now but he used to have it at 68 or 67 and 72 is still too chilly for me) because I lo0o0ove a cold rinse when it is hot outside and inside.. but I'm cold most of the time so it's intimidating

the main reason I am contributing to this thread though is to add that there is a body of healing I heard of a while back called kneipp therapy, so you might like to see it as it seems to be what you've been doing intuitively on your own already

https://www.kneipp.com/us_en/natures-expert/water-cure/

a little excerpt

"With brief applications of cold water (one second to one minute), temperature stimuli are conveyed via the skin which trigger positive reactions in the body: The temporary narrowing of the blood vessels with subsequent vascular expansion promotes circulation throughout the body. This strengthens immune defenses, stimulates the circulatory and nervous system as well as metabolism and invigorates the body.

If used regularly, hydrotherapy provides long-term support to the immune system and helps the body activate its self-healing powers."

[Altair]

Today marks the end of a long period of cold showering. Almost a year of cold showers but I took a hot shower today at the gym. I did so much cardio today, I was going fast on this hometrainer for a long time, and just kept going and going. Like there was no end to it, you know.

But then.. blah, I was so sticky. The hot shower was nice. What a treat to feel this after such a long time.