Two words, Cold Plunge (Shower, in my case)!
Yes, they are freezing cold, with practice that goes away quickly!
At first I would go one body part at a time starting with my feet and hands, moving up my arms and legs, them to my torso. . It took a decent amount of time to warm up to the water.. Aha warm up in a cold space, sounds funny.
I then thought to myself, "hmm, in a pool I do better when I jump in.. So, I switched my technique to a full step in, head/chin first, chest, torso, shoulder and arm, back, other shoulder and arm, then down my legs, and then back in for full body. This works better than the first method. Around this time I remember hearing that in our chins is where our bodies determine temperature. So, once you get your chin comfortable, it makes it much easier to have the rest of your body follow suit.
Then I started a gratitude practice, stepping in and saying thank you, being thankful for the cold water, for all that it does for our body. This allowed my body to calm the fastest so far. I was able to release the thoughts of, "fuck, this is cold!" much easier.
My practice as of yesterday has taken one more step. As I step into the water, I repeat I am not this body, I am not even this mind, I am this spirit. I thank the water for allowing me to come back to my vehicle(body) with such ease. I thank the water for healing this physical while I sit inside like I'm driving through a car wash. In full realization of the shell I wear, that what I choose to put in, will effect me physically, mentally/emotionally, and spiritually.
Thank you for your time, thank you for reading! If you try the practice, please share!
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