Cold plunge a few times a week - it's great. Usually water is around 37-45. 3 minute cycles with sauna use. Sense of euphoria is intense. Wim Hof breathing I've dabbled in off and on, interesting stuff.
You needn’t go full Wim Hoff, swimming in water 15C or colder is uncomfortable and euphoric if you stay until your core starts cooling. For me the tell is when the soles of my feet start feeling chilly. The longer term effects are mildly psychedelic. I’ve taken the Wim Hoff course but prefer swimming to sitting passively; it’s a different metabolic regime and I slip into thermogenic shivering quickly if not active. People worry about risk, it may expose preexisting heart issues but hypothermia survival charts are surprisingly forgiving. I can swim for an hour plus at 15C, ~30m at 10C. I haven’t tried colder, but this magnificent motherfucker https://ottawacitizen.com/feature/the-ice-swimmer is a bad influence so might go colder this year. Only consequence is shivering in the car for an hour, and really needing a nap after. Open water swimming and the gradual temperature drop in the fall is a nice way to acclimatize to the cold.
We are pampered children compared to our forefathers. To some extent this sort of thing is hardship LARPing, but like the absence of allergens will create an overactive immune system, the absence of hardship turns men into whiney little bitches.
as an aside; I’ve also done Jhana meditation, the Wim Hoff breathing method leads to a euphoric effect very like first Jhana.
Cold plunge a few times a week - it's great. Usually water is around 37-45. 3 minute cycles with sauna use. Sense of euphoria is intense. Wim Hof breathing I've dabbled in off and on, interesting stuff.
I started cold dipping late last fall through winter and spring in lakes and oceans
20 minutes is no problem even in ice and snow
It is similar to the participation in Martial Arts
The mental anticipation and satisfaction is rewarding.
I highly recommend recommend this habit
Great article
Tusen Takk
Jon
You needn’t go full Wim Hoff, swimming in water 15C or colder is uncomfortable and euphoric if you stay until your core starts cooling. For me the tell is when the soles of my feet start feeling chilly. The longer term effects are mildly psychedelic. I’ve taken the Wim Hoff course but prefer swimming to sitting passively; it’s a different metabolic regime and I slip into thermogenic shivering quickly if not active. People worry about risk, it may expose preexisting heart issues but hypothermia survival charts are surprisingly forgiving. I can swim for an hour plus at 15C, ~30m at 10C. I haven’t tried colder, but this magnificent motherfucker https://ottawacitizen.com/feature/the-ice-swimmer is a bad influence so might go colder this year. Only consequence is shivering in the car for an hour, and really needing a nap after. Open water swimming and the gradual temperature drop in the fall is a nice way to acclimatize to the cold.
We are pampered children compared to our forefathers. To some extent this sort of thing is hardship LARPing, but like the absence of allergens will create an overactive immune system, the absence of hardship turns men into whiney little bitches.
as an aside; I’ve also done Jhana meditation, the Wim Hoff breathing method leads to a euphoric effect very like first Jhana.