About 4 months ago I got a Cold Plunge Pool. Yes, countless Joe Rogan podcasts and the talk of “how great it really is, and the benefits” won over my ego of never wanting to follow the trends or cult followings.  (The cold plunge I got is linked here:  Portable Ice Bath – nurecover (it’s the best) and I don’t make any money off promoting them.) 

Also check out the benefits of cold plunging in this article Cold Plunge Therapy & Ice Baths: 15 Science-Backed Benefits (plungejunkies.com)

Day one I was ready. My teenagers were around me laughing and telling me what a waste of money it was, and how I would “never be able to do it!” I set the timer for 4 minutes. Easy, right! As everyone crowded around me with the timer, I jumped in literally hard and fast with both feet. To note, I live in Vancouver, Canada, where the temps at the time were about zero to two degrees Celsius. (cold AF!)

Right away I could feel my breath shorten, my body tense up, my mind going to a place of “oh f*ck what was I thinking, I can’t do this!” I couldn’t catch my breath. All I could hear was yelling around me. The overwhelm finally got to me as I was almost burning, shaking, and jumped out very quickly. I lasted not even 30 seconds. I was so upset with myself. I had FAILED! This clearly wasn’t for me. I wasn’t as mentally strong as I thought I was.

Then I sat back and realized that it wasn’t my strength that failed me. I KNOW how to do this! I KNOW how to go inward and breath. I can do HARD things; I can do ANYthing! 

It was the distractions around me that ensured I lost my focus. Plunging in without first clearing my thoughts and focusing inward and on my breath. Losing that flow of breath. The noise around me is not helping but hindering my ability to listen to my body, calm my breath and focus. Cheering me on wasn’t helping me, it was angering me as I didn’t need anyone to “help” me. 

I decided the next day to try it again. This time TOTALLY ALONE. (Except with my 2 dogs, they are my quiet support circle… they don’t speak! lol) I set my timer, took my bathrobe off and before I hit start and got into the pool, I started to regulate my own breath. “I can do ANYthing!” I got rid of the ‘hard things’ because HARD is such a negative word. Life is hard! I don’t need to magnify it by shedding light that this will indeed be HARD. “I can do ANYthing!”

I hit start on the timer, then as soon as I calmed my breath, I slowly entered the pool (not pouncing into it this time). One leg at a time, slowly descending, even though I had expected this would make it harder it didn’t. It was slow and steady. I was able to continue to ease into what was coming at my body. To take the waves of “omg this is freaking cold” and turn it into “I CAN do this!” Long flowing breaths in through my nose, and equally if not double the length exhaling out my breath. I allowed thoughts of “I can’t do this” to come into my mind, and then allowed them to exit with every calm and steady breath. 

The only distractions around me were my two dogs who weren’t looking at me, or analyzing anything I was doing. They weren’t giving me tips or tricks on how to get through it. They kept sniffing around the yard, giving me the space to do what I am setting out to do. I can see them look over to check on me every so often, but more in a way of “she’s got this” and allowing me to know their presence is still here. I focus back inward, but also allow myself to hear what’s around me. Calm. Quiet. Trees blowing with the wind. Birds chirping. I find stillness, and breath. I don’t let my mind wander, but instead focus on what I am doing right now, in this moment. 

When the timer goes off, I can’t lie, I was happy! 4 minutes. Was it HARD? Sure. But…. I continued this same method of cold plunging every day, for weeks, and now months and months. Is it still something I dread? You bet! But I understand it all better now. I reframed at how I looked at it. It was painful, challenging, grueling. But I wasn’t suffering. I choose to do this. I know there is an end game. It won’t last forever. I can do ANYthing. I created and cultivated a space that allowed me to do the HARD things and make them feel LESS HARD. 

I realized BREATH is more important than I think. SILENCE and MINIMAL DISTRACTIONS are also key when doing HARD things. I also realized that when it’s something that isn’t a negative experience, I mean I choose to do this, the benefits I am getting are WHY I am doing this. I can do ANYthing. My body can do this!

I tried this same method with a friend. I became their cold plunge Doula. I said I will be here with you, but I won’t be the cheerleader. I won’t be DOING anything. 

I will be there with my presence, and my positive energy knowing you can do this without me. You can do ANYthing. 

Rather than guide you or yell BREATHE next to you… my gentle reminders to help you calm your breath will be crouched down next to you or within ears distance where you can hear the vibrations or sounds of my long and calm breath. As my friend yelled, I can’t do this and started to take short shallow breaths, I noticed she looked to me to help calm her breath, but by breathing myself and not using any verbal cues. I didn’t even make eye contact. My eyes were closed. I was calm, quiet, and supported with my breath and belief in her. As I slowed my own breath next to them, they also slowed theirs. I reminded them to take one breath at a time and go back inward. And they made it the whole 4 minutes!

Now, I am not going to pretend birthing is the same as cold plunging. Birthing is in a realm of its own. I won’t use the word HARD…… birthing is birthing. But birthing is also not suffering! It’s painful! Sure! It’s intense! But it ends! It doesn’t go on forever! You can do ANYthing!

I approach birth like the cold plunge story. I approach how I am as a birth Doula just as I was as that ‘Cold Plunge support person’ and just as I know how I needed to be when I was the one doing the “things”. 

You can do ANYthing! Breathe through it. This isn’t suffering! This WILL end!

Commit to each moment, and get through it with the strength of SILENCE, FOCUS, and BREATH. 

No one needs to instruct you on how to have your baby. You know how! 

No one needs to tell you what to do, how to move, or how to birth your baby. You already know how. 

No one needs to study you, look at you, stalk you, coddle you, guide you or talk to you. 

Birth is a positive and amazing experience. It’s not a hard thing. It’s something you choose to do. 

It is also something that has an ending. The baby has to come out eventually. So, flipping the script of I CAN DO ANYTHING! Going internal and blocking out anyone questioning your ability to do the hard things. 

Happy Cold Plunging! And Happy Birthing!

Lori