Cold Water

---

We all need to feel more grounded at times, to bring ourselves out of our stress response, to be safe, secure and present in our bodies. This isn’t at a cognitive level, this goes deep into our nervous system and emotional brain.

The need to find ways to be grounded seems more prevalent since the start of the pandemic. It’s well known to help reduce stress and even those who don’t read up on these things intuitively turn to nature, feeling the benefits. Grounding can also be hugely important for survivors/victims of trauma (of which there are many!) and is proven to be beneficial in the treatment of trauma.

Yoga with a somatic (felt sense) focus can also be very grounding and healing, I’ll talk more about this another time. Simply taking off your shoes and socks and grounding your feet to the earth can also do the trick. I wouldn’t be without either of these practices, but nothing grounds me more quickly and powerfully than cold water swimming. It brings me into awareness, into my body, and connects me with nature in a way that resets my nervous system. During and for some time afterwards I glow with a sense of wellbeing and am pleasantly pumped with endorphins.

So this was my (very) cold swim this week in a local river. So refreshing and clean. The phrase food for the soul covers it.

If you can’t find the sea, a river or lake, try taking a cold shower at the end of your hot shower for a little longer each day, and slow down your exhale. I promise it’s only torture for the first week or so. I absolutely look forward to my daily cold shower now. Lets see if I can get more converts!