WOW! Team is on pace for the highest session-releasing year in over a decade! Thank you, Laura et all for yet another great one!!
I've been experimenting with cold showers regularly for a few months now. Some personal experiences:
- Contrary to something like resistance training, in the first couple of weeks of cold showers, I did not find that gradually decreasing the temperature of the water over each subsequent session made the adaptation any easier. In hindsight, it would have been better to just start with the coldest setting and just work on getting used to that. (note: my coldest setting is somewhere between 10-15°C so it's right in line with the C's suggestion.)
- I also did not find that showering under regular temperature water and then decreasing it slowly during the same session made it any easier. It's kind of like trying to get used to the ocean/pool water. It's way better to just dive right in and get used to it as quickly as possible than torturing yourself slowly. Besides, with each decrease in temperature, you have to get used to it anyways - and you will - so I have found it a LOT easier to instantly switch it from normal temperature to full coldness and "deal with it" and simply get used to that... BONUS POINTS: this way, I feel like it acts like a conscious, self-induced shock on the entire system (whereas a gradual decrease does not). Reminds me of something I read once where Samurai would start their days by dumping a bucket of cold lake water on their heads as sort of cleanse and fresh start to their day.
- Before the first time, it took me a couple of weeks to muster up the courage to be able to put it on full-blast cold mode. It was the strangest experience; it was like I had all these voices and excuses simultaneously trying to tell me why I shouldn't do it, and not to do it. And for a couple weeks, I wouldn't, and would just say "next time." At the same time, after I finally did do it, the sensations/"voices" intensified yelling at me to immediately shut it off. It was like my psyche had split into all these personalities! While one of them really wanted to do it because I had read so much about why it's good for the body/soul, the "others" wanted me to stop, to turn it off, etc. A tremendous psychological inner-battle occurring!
- On the above note, I still (after many many cold showers) have these "multiple-personality" battles every time I do it. However, I have found that my mental will/discipline has improved immensely. When I'm in the shower, I no longer wonder if I'll have the willpower to do it; there is no choice. All the voices telling me not to turn on the cold have given up. However, when I do it, they still try to tell me to turn it off! It's become rather amusing. It's an incredible feeling when you get to a point at which your willpower is able to do this. And I can honestly say that after each and every time I feel an incredible calmness, clear-mindedness, and physical, mental, and spiritual resilience as I get out of the shower. I look forward to cold showers now more than anything, whereas I used to not look forward to showering because I knew I would, at the end, ponder whether or not to endure the cold
- So overall, my experience to date has been that while I have not gotten physically adapted to the cold (not the first minute anyways) after a few months, I have gotten extremely mentally adapted at the idea of conscious suffering and putting myself through something I know is good for me even though other elements of my being are trying to fight it. And to clarify on the above, I don't have actual voices talking, but I can say that it is sort of like a strong cognitive dissonance. One aspect of me wanted it, and another would fight against it strongly.
Lastly, I want to point out that I take cold showers, not baths. My intuition tells me that it's probably way more beneficial to take a cold bath because then all parts of your body are covered. Whereas, with a shower, it's hard to get full coverage. I also found that with the shower it's easier to get certain parts of myself adapted before turning and letting other parts be exposed. E.g. starting with the head first vs. starting with my back first vs. starting with my front first. You'll probably find one part of your body more sensitive than others and can use that to find the easier way for you to get started.
Thanks for the great session everyone!
