Cold Water Immersion

Getting ready for your Polar Plunge:

Just as it is important to warm up your muscles before working out, it is equally important to warm up your nervous system. When you are participating in a Polar Plunge practice, a breathwork technique before and after the plunge can positively affect your ability and comfort.

What is Breathwork?

When you practice specific breathing techniques, you are practicing breathwork. Becoming conscious of your breath and changing your breathing pattern is done through different breathing exercises and is practiced in yoga and meditation.

Breathwork allows you to become more aware of the present moment, slows down your mind and body, and deactivates your sympathetic nervous system. It can be energizing and invigorating, allowing you to tap into new-found energy. Breathwork allows you to move energy and emotion through your body,

Breathwork lets your nervous system know that you are safe. When your body and mind feel safe you are more relaxed and ready for any situation.

Why Should I Practice Breathwork before and after Polar Plunge?

Like Polar Plunge, breathwork boasts many benefits, from improved mental health to reduced stress. Breathwork is a practice that you can take with you everywhere and use whenever you need.

Some benefits include the following:

· Improved immunity

· Mental and emotional healing

· Greater sense of self-awareness

· Boosting Confidence and happiness 

· Reduced anxiety and stress 

· Pain relief

When you submerge yourself in an ice bath, you activate your sympathetic nervous system. While the cold temperature may shock you, it will also send blood to your brain and your core, which helps to flush out the neurotoxins that cause anxiety and depression.

Cold plunging helps stimulate a more awakened state as there is little choice to either adapt or get out of the water. The initial shock brings immediate attention and awareness to sensations in your body, which demands your total presence. This internal conversation takes awareness of mind to stay in the water. These are all of the same thought processes involved with meditation. Thus, the outcome is very much the same. A regular cold plunging routine will provide you with stress relief and a better mindset.

The following guide will help you to prepare your body, mind and spirit for a Polar Plunge. See below for how to incorporate Breathwork in Your Polar Plunge Practice as well as what to bring….

Box Breathing Technique

Box breathing is also known as resetting the breath or four-square breathing. It’s simple, quick to learn, and can be highly effective in regaining calm. This type of breathing technique is even used by Navy Seals to help them prepare and deal with high-stress environments. 

1. Sit in a comfortable position with room for your lungs and belly to fully expand.

2. Inhale through your nose for a count of four seconds, expanding your belly like a balloon. 

3. Hold your breath for a count of four seconds.

4. Slowly exhale through your nose or mouth for a count of four seconds.

5. Pause and hold for a count of four seconds.

6. Repeat.

You can do this for 3 to 5 sets.

What to bring and what to expect:

Breathing is most important (see above to practice)

Arrive in your bathing clothes underneath your comfortable clothes and coat.

Bring:

• Woolen hat

• Gloves 

• 2 pairs of socks (just in case a pair gets wet)

• Easy on/off boots or shoes

• Water shoes and gloves (if you have them)

• 2 towels. Just in case one gets wet.

• Bring something to stand on and store your swim bag ie. gardening or yoga knee cushion (shore has pebbles and you don't want to wet the bottom of your swim bag)

• Bring a cozy bathrobe to cover up after emerging from the water.

Heading into the water: 

• Deep breathing (see above).

• Remove your comfy over clothes.

• Wear a woolen hat.

• Don't wet your hair unless you are more experienced.

• Tie back long hair.

• Keep arms up.

• Stay in no longer than 30 seconds.

• Can attempt second entry right away (optional).

• Cover up quickly and change out of wet clothes.

• Insulated tent available nearby for changing if required. 

• Join us for warm tea, snacks and community in the tent after.