IMMERSION
Research has shown that cold showers and/or cold plunges in the sea, lake, river or ocean are very beneficial to people with anxiety disorders. Some have taken it as far as ice baths and ice plunges. A method developed by Wim Hof, also known as the iceman, a Dutch motivational speaker who has found power in immersing his body in ice.
I have been reading about this for quite some time now, daydreaming about the far possibility of trying it myself. However, you need to understand that yours truly is naturally a very cold person. The type of cold person that, if the temperature drops below 75, would put on a sweater and begin having an internal dilemma about whether the heater should be turned on. So, put simply, I didn’t think this was for me. So I just watched in awe and admiration as other people from around the world did this.
After parting ways with my therapist, I have found myself holding onto the tools I molded and found helpful to tend to my mental health on hard days. And while tools such as daily movement, reading, and having a routine have been wonderful saviors, I needed something else. Something new. Something that would reset my mind, body and soul.
April 1st was a beautiful day. Weather-wise, it was chilly and cloudy. But it was a beautiful weekend day because I had just spent it with my husband running errands and looking around the farmers’ market. It was a joyfully productive day, if you will.
Being in great moods, both of us, we decided to go for an afternoon run. My husband has always been an avid runner, and I recently grew to love it. We ran for one mile by our neighborhood beach finishing it up with a nice sprint. A mile was all I could run because my shins were starting to burn, in a very unpleasant way - something I’ve had to deal with for a while. Having had a very good run the day before, I decided to listen to my body and stop.
My heart was pumping and I was staring at the glistening water. There was no sun, it was cloudy but the water managed to sparkle. It was beautiful. I felt invited in, the sea telling me I was welcome. It was as if a siren was using her magic to lure me into the sea. And if it were, it worked.
We didn’t debate, we didn’t rethink, my husband and I decided to go in. We found a nice couple with whom we could leave our stuff before sprinting into the water.
It was cold. I only had my legs in the water and I was starting to question my decision. I refused to look back and I kept staring at the endless body of water in front of me. I breathed deeply, told myself I could do it and dove!
It was… exhilarating! It was invigorating! It was everything everyone who tried it said it was. I felt reborn. When the freezing water enveloped my warm body, I couldn’t help but surrender, a peaceful surrender. I opened my eyes underwater to fully give in and I saw the bubbles, sand and seaweed. I felt transported to a Disney-like world.
When I raised my head above the water, I was laughing, screaming, breathing rapidly. I couldn’t help but plunge three more times, not ready to leave this experience behind.
Walking by the beach on my way home, I finally got it: I am capable. I’m strong enough to surrender. Albeit, surrender to the water but nonetheless, I can give into the unknown and be vulnerable while doing it. Honestly? I can do anything I put my mind to.
Perhaps, that’s the lesson here. Or perhaps, it’s the bodily sensations that reset your mind and help with anxiety.
Or perhaps there’s no lesson. For me, it’s the sea. That’s where I feel most safe.