COLD SHOWER WARRIOR—It’s not what you think!
- Written by Eric North aka “The Happiness Warrior”
“He needs a cold shower!”
They say it as a joke, as a way to calm passion or desire, but take a “cold shower” truly means “reset’ or “re-energize”.
A little over a year ago, just before the pandemic turned our world upside down, I began taking cold showers myself. I was hesitant at first, they sounded extremely disagreeable, and I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to make the commitment to doing something that sounded so crazy. I had heard that they were life-changing, but all I could imagine was how terrible they would feel. I’d spent most of my life avoiding the cold weather, exercised in the cold grudgingly, and only vacationed in warm places. Up to this point in my life I could only remember taking a handful of cold showers and none of them by choice.
Science and studies tell us that cold is good for us, but science isn’t needed for anyone to experience the exhilarating pleasure and rush of endorphins that only a cold shower provides to recharge the soul and raise the spirit. Breathing deeply and exhaling slowly is the key to learning how to embrace its shocking power as it takes over consciousness and causes the body to warm from within. The feeling of shock quickly disappears, and feelings of happiness comes from making the connection with our body and the mind. Our inner-most thoughts appear clearly, and a feeling of peace takes over. Continue breathing and exhaling slowly and the feeling of cold will fade away into the background. Feel safe and at peace in the knowledge that the cold is healing your body, strengthening your immune system, and improving your metabolism. Just a few minutes in the cold every day is all that is needed to keep moving forward in life with a renewed sense of clarify, self-awareness, and a feeling of excitement that much needed for whatever comes next.
In a time of turmoil, cold showers represented a new path for me to strengthen my mindset, heal my body, fine-tune my thoughts, and focus my intention for doing good. As a multi-business owner and entrepreneur, I was constantly challenging myself to be a better leader and my natural warrior instinct was something that I valued and respected. I knew the world was changing and my intuition kept telling me to be prepared and ready for anything. I felt that I needed to make everything count and was constantly refining my routines and rituals. My life had been going in this direction for a couple of years, but now with the power of cold showers my life seemed to be expanded in ways that I never imagined.
Choosing to take cold showers did sound kind of drastic, but I kept learning about them, practiced techniques to make them more effective, and gradually they become the spiritual center of my day. After the first couple of weeks, they began to get easier and an essential part of my daily routine. I began to think of them as my “reset button” and humorously started to myself as the Cold Shower Warrior. Cold showers helped me sleep better, improved recovery time, my skin looked younger, and I had more energy. They helped power my motivation to keep me moving forward with optimism and help others in time when hope seemed lost for so many.
A cold shower is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to help make the spiritual connection between your body and mind. There are many other ways to make our days spiritual and centered but a cold shower is something that everyone can experience and use as a starting point. How can something that sounds so unpleasant be so rewarding and a powerful tool for spiritual growth and physical awareness?
BENEFITS OF COLD SHOWERS
1. Increases metabolism by increasing brown fat.
White fat is quite big and is mostly comprised a solid oily mass, it’s most associated with morbidity and a co-factor in developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension, infertility and stroke
Brown fat is something we have in abundance when we’re infants and is gradually replaced by white fat as we age. Brown fat is much smaller than white fat and helps to break down white fat and use it to create energy. Without brown fat it’s more difficult to lose weight and health problems and morbidity factors increase. Intense periods of cold are needed to help the body to produce more brown fat
2. Boosts immune function by triggering beneficial anti-inflammatory norepinephrine release that enhances immune response. Cold improves our adaptation to oxidative stress.
3. Can have an anti-depressive effect. I often feel moment of great joy while immersed in cold water
4. Can accelerate fat and weight loss
5. Increases productivity. Studies have shown that daily 90 second blasts of cold water can increase productivity and decrease missed days of work
6. Improved muscle recovery and blood circulation.
7. Provides a free energy boost by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system which triggers a hormone release and adrenalin rush
8. Studies have shown cold water can reverse chronic fatigue
9. Boost male fertility
10. Improves and brightens skin without stripping away our natural oils that protect our skin
11. Improves sleep, a cold shower before bed will lower your core body temperature and relax your mind
12. Increases your personal discipline. A needed benefit for many of us that will carry over into real life.
HOW TO BEGIN TAKING COLD SHOWERS
The best way to start thinking about starting a cold shower routine is to take the fear away by starting with short bursts of cold water after your regular warm. Gradually increase to 30 seconds and it will soon be easier to add more time. Some people only need a minute or two but others will feel even better with longer time periods. Cold Showers for someone just starting out are easier to handle after exercise when body temperature is heated up.
1. Locate the approximate area of skin over your thymus gland which is located just above and in front of your heart (upper central pectoral region). The thymus gland makes white blood cells called T cells that regulate your immune function and help prevent infection.
2. Direct shower head to focus on Thymus area.
3. Start with regular warm or hot shower and relax and begin breathing deep inhales through the nose and full exhales through your mouth. Repeat as many times as needed to feel in the present. Turn off hot water and turn cold on fully
4. Keep breathing and feel your body’s warmth rising to meet the cold.
5. Consciously release tension (tell yourself that this is good for you!), keep breathing and stay in this position until the cold takes over and your mind is entirely in the experience.
6. Start slowly, 30 seconds at a time and add more as you gain confidence, and the benefits will increase.
As the Happiness Warrior, I wish everyone would experience the magic of cold showers. I can’t promise it will be life changing for everyone but with an open mind and sense of adventure you can change take the plunge and give it a try.
Now, go take a cold shower—you need it!