Cold exposure

Have you ever wondered where cold stops and hot temperatures start ?

The truth is that there is not any start and end point to hot and cold.

They only differ in degree.

What you call hot is only your mental idea of hot.

The problem in todays world is that people have grown fragile and weak to autoregulate their inner body temperature resulting in weak immune systems, weak minds and a shit load of unnecessary layers of clothing.

In ancient Greece they had a ritual of ending their training with cold shower or swimming in lakes.

This practice is not a natural health enhancer, but also a mental superpower to acquire.

Remaining calm and concentrated in uncomfortable situations is going to separate strong minds from weak minds, successful people from unsuccessful ones, and healthy men from men with illnesses.

I have talked with numerous people refusing to enter cold water and getting goosebumps by just talking about it.

Saying things like “no way im doing that, im not that type of person”

The most liberating thing to witness is when people prove themselves wrong after a cold plunge and falling in love with cold over hot.

I have been the person taking 20 minutes to get into water in a hot greek summer ( 40 degrees).

I overcame my depression and my low energy through breathwork and cold exposure.

I went from having internal winter in summer to create my internal summer when the daily conditions needs it.

Cold exposure, such as cold showers or ice baths, has gained attention for its powerful health benefits.

Here are some potential health benefits and character-related effects of cold exposure:

Health Benefits:

1. Improved Circulation and Immune Function: Cold exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system and causes vasoconstriction, which can improve circulation and blood flow. It may also stimulate the production of immune cells, potentially enhancing immune function.
2. Enhanced Metabolic Rate and Fat Burning: Cold exposure activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is responsible for generating heat in the body. BAT activation can increase metabolic rate and promote the burning of stored body fat.
3. Increased Energy and Alertness: Cold exposure can provide a natural energy boost and increase alertness due to the release of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and endorphins.
4. Potential Anti-inflammatory Effects: Cold exposure may have anti-inflammatory effects by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines.
5. Activation of Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT): Cold exposure activates brown adipose tissue, a type of fat tissue that generates heat. BAT activation is associated with the release of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that can stimulate dopamine release in certain brain regions.
6. Enhanced Neural Excitability: Cold exposure may increase neural excitability and stimulate the release of various neurotransmitters, including dopamine. This heightened neural activity can result from the body's attempt to maintain thermoregulation and counteract the cold temperature.
7. Mental clarity : When you tap consciously into your sympathetic nervous system you become lucid and you enable thoughts of clarity and priorities to be set to dominate life. A cold shower in the morning will set you up for a productive day and deep sleep at night.

Character Empowerment and Reframing:

1. Mental Resilience and Willpower: Engaging in regular cold exposure can be mentally challenging, requiring discipline, focus, and the ability to endure discomfort. Over time, individuals may develop mental resilience and strengthen their willpower, which can extend beyond the cold exposure practice to other aspects of life.
2. Increased Stress Tolerance: Cold exposure is considered a form of hormesis, which is the concept of subjecting the body to mild stressors to enhance its adaptive capacity. By exposing oneself to controlled cold stress, individuals may improve their ability to handle other forms of stress and adversity.
3. Mind-Body Connection: Cold exposure requires individuals to be fully present and engaged in the experience. It can foster a deeper mind-body connection, promoting self-awareness and mindfulness.
4. Overcoming Fear and Comfort Zone Expansion: Cold exposure challenges individuals to face discomfort and overcome fear. By willingly exposing themselves to cold temperatures, individuals can expand their comfort zones and develop a sense of empowerment and self-mastery.

How to start.

1. Start in the shower with warm water. Before turning it to 30 seconds of cold exposure regulate your breathing and do 10 deep nasal inhalations.

• No matter what maintain your calm breathing when you turn on the cold.
• Just like with progressive overload in training you want to add 15 sec to your initial 30 sec each week
• The goal is to work up to stay for 2-3 minutes. The literature says that the most benefits arise till the 2-3 minute time span
• Work your way up to be comfortable starting with cold and remaining calm.
• Dry naturally! no towel, move and breathe your body back to becoming warm again. this will train your heart and vitalize your blood. Stay young !

2. Take it a step further

• Swim in rivers
• Take up winter bathing
• If you do it in a pool move your limbs to circulate new cold water and break the natural isolation your body hair creates