Taking a plunge — Foreign Grammar

““The only limits in your life are the ones you create with your mind.””

— anonymous

A few years ago I noticed that I wasn’t challenging myself mentally or physically to the extent that I knew I could. I would quit as soon as I heard the little voice inside my head telling me it’s time to stop. I became very aware of my ‘quick to quit routine’ and how it showed up in other aspects of my life. I am naturally quite introverted so I began isolating. During that time I started experiencing seasonal depression like symptoms. (that’s a different story you can read about here)

A friend had recommended I start taking cold showers every day. I thought he was crazy! …I did it anyway because a month prior to that, I saw Wim Hof (The Iceman) speak at a Tony Robbins event I attended - so I was highly inspired and intrigued. He was right.. my energy levels were increasing drastically just from adding cold showers to my morning routine.

This began my journey in working on my mental conditioning and practising internal gratitude. I started implementing celebrating my accomplishments (even if they were small).

I have since then become so fascinated with what my body is capable of and the internal language I choose to use towards it. Something I have struggled with throughout the duration of my life are my own limiting beliefs and how hard I can be on myself. I find it mind blowing how quickly my brain would tell me to quit when my body was no where near it's limit. For so long I allowed myself to live so far beneath my potential.

Bringing awareness to my internal dialogue has been such a game changer and a really interesting learning experience that I want to continue practising and improving on while still being gentle and kind to myself.

Changing...
"ugh, my legs hurt I need to stop" to "thank you legs, you're doing amazing!"
"You're going to freeze!" to "Breathe. I know I can do this.”

It's little tweaks here and there that have allowed me to progressively push my limits and I'm really proud of that. I think the most important things for me to remember are;

Pain Is Temporary
Most of the things I fear aren’t actually putting me in real danger.

One spring morning in 2018 my friend Sara and I went for a trail run at Lynn Valley Park. Getting out into nature energizes me more than anything. No one else around, the birds chirping, cold crisp air, the lush green vines growing on the trees. The water was a beautiful clear emerald green - It was truly magical.

That morning I decided I'm going to swim there the following week.

We posted an open invite on Instagram and a few days later we had an awesome small group of people meet at 5:45am in North Van. My friend Andrew drove out from Chiliwack (What a champ!)

We went for a 6km trail run and Andrew led us through a Wim Hof breathing method before we took ‘the plunge.’

The few times I have experienced cold plunges in the past, I lasted no longer than a few seconds. I thought my body was freezing and I was going to die! It was also at the Scandinave Spa right next to a hot tub, sauna and steam room which was far more appealing.

I know for some people doing Cold Plunges are no big deal. For me, it used to be a serious struggle and it still is. However, it does get easier and it’s highly addictive.

That morning I had the intention to jump in and get out right away. Andrew mentioned that "we should be able to stay in the water for 2 minutes no problem." For a split second I thought "there's no f'n way I'm staying in that water longer than 5 seconds, it's 7am, 8 degrees celcius and we're jumping into water straight from a waterfall. He's nuts!' ...I became aware of my dialogue and changed it to "I can do this!”

We dove in... I kept breathing through the initial shock of the cold and Andrew coached me through the process. The first 40 seconds felt awful and then my body adjusted. 1 minute went by, 2 minutes and next thing I knew we were in the water for over 6 minutes. My fingers were tingling but I felt ok. I kept focusing on my breath. Oddly, it felt great and I had a shift in perspective!

I don't experience this often but it was an experience I was FULLY present in. That’s what I was seeking - true presence within a moment. The following week I went with my friend Lucas who coached me through staying in the water for 13 minutes.

I started to notice the amount of people who had already been implementing this practise into their lives (for years). I couldn’t believe I was just learning about it!

This past summer my friends and I were inspired to start going regularly. Every Wednesday morning at 7am a group of us meets at the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge parking lot. There is a very diverse group of strangers who join in every week who quickly become friends. We’ll take the short hike down, gather around and someone in the group will volunteer to lead either a meditation, a form of breath work, tai chi, kundalini …you name it.

Anywhere from 5-25 people will come out. It’s a practise we love sharing with others. It takes a special type of person to meet a group of strangers in a pitch black forest - most times in the rain, go for a quick hike, participate in some type of meditation and/or breath work and then swim in 4 degree water. Especially on days when there is a ‘Vancouver snowstorm’ and -3 out.

This is a caring bunch…In October everyone brought in clothing and non perishable food items they wanted to donate. We ended up collecting 3 trunks full of clothes and food donations for the food bank.

I’m highly inspired by the people who continue to come out to the Cold Plunges and by Wim Hof who has made this practise so accessible for people. If you haven’t read his book ‘The Way Of The Iceman’ I highly recommend you do. There have been so many studies done on the benefits of breath work and cold water exposure. I can say that both have changed my life for the better. He has a lot of valuable information on his website. You can see the benefits (here). The list includes the following;

Boosts your immune system
Improves mental health
Relieves stress
Increased energy
Better sleep
Boost Concentration
Natural anti-inflammatory
Arthritis relief
Asthma relief
Auto immune disease relief

There are only three rules we have for Wednesday mornings;

Kindness
Acceptance
No ego’s allowed

The other day Vancouver had quite the snow fall. The roads were a disaster the next morning and there were still 10 people who showed up for the morning plunge. I skipped out on the plunge that morning but I had the opportunity to capture the magic. I did feel like I was missing out on a snowy plunge so I joined some friends at the beach in the afternoon to get my fill. It was quite the Canadian Experience

For those wondering why I do cold plunges regularly - I no longer experience seasonal depression like symptoms. Mentally I’m so much stronger and my energy is better than it has ever been.

I love our cold plunge family. Because of them, Wednesday mornings have become the highlight of my week. I feel a deep sense of love, support and community in this group.

“You can call me crazy but I’m not the only one. ”

I wanted to highlight a few of the special people who come out just about every Wednesday morning and share what they had to say about the “Cold Plunge”;

“My first week in Vancouver, I was introduced to the cold plunge crew. I thought I was just going for a dip in the water but what happened was I made a whole bunch of friends that created an incredibly supportive network for this newcomer. Now this event is a highlight of my week and I regularly spend time with people I’ve met through the community.”

— MATT GRIST

“I never regret a cold a plunge! Conquering the cold water in the morning makes conquering other tasks in the day feel like a piece of cake. It’s always a good time with great people. People who are open minded and willing to push out of their comfort zone. I instantly found meaningful connections from my first plunge. ”

— ANDREW SANTOS

“I was welcomed with literal open arms to this group.. being new to the whole concept of why people would put their body’s into freezing water at 7am baffled me but I had to try it anyway. I’m so happy I did! I remember going to the office straight after my first plunge and just feeling so great, getting so much done along with wanting to be more active during the work day - which I always struggle with. I’ve learned, and continue to discover the natural way our body’s can heal with just a simple morning walk down to the water. ”

— BRODIE YOUNGER

“The cold plunge to me is more than just challenging myself in the freezing water. It’s about taking a moment away from the demands of the business world and everyday life to connect with myself, my surroundings and the community know as the Cold Plunge Crew. Starting the day in nature with such an incredible group of people is always a highlight in my week - ”

— TYLER RICHARDS

“Let’s be honest, who in their right mind wakes up early; rain, shine, or snow for a cold plunge. I’m far from a morning person, nor do I have great circulation to keep me warm, but that didn’t stop me from joining the Wednesday morning Cold Plunge Crew.

The experience is not just a bond between incredible people in a beautiful environment, but a deeper connection between our inner strength to overcome the subconscious obstacles in life.

Wednesday mornings are now filled with meaningful hugs, smiles, laughter and inspiring human beings. We’re all there for one another as we may struggle with what may be holding us back from walking into the cold water.

We all set a purpose for showing up. We want to make the best out of what our intensions and focus on the moment. We talk about our experience, where our heads at, our breath and more.

I overcame a huge obstacle during our Wednesday morning Cold Plunges. I came to realize, I stopping myself from fully submerging my body into the water past my chest. I knew this was happening, but didn’t understand why. I discussed while driving back to work with a friend (Juno), and had an epiphany.

I wouldn’t have come to this, if it weren’t for my friend asking me deeper meaningful questions. Breath work doesn’t just prepare you for cold dips, but also in meditating, sports, yoga or relaxation. What I came to realize, is that I was holding back past traumatic experiences, needing to express my feelings or thoughts more freely without the fear of being judged.

The following week, my intension was set, and I wanted to feel my heart and break this tight feeling in my chest. I was focused, and walked in past my heart. It took my breath away for a few moments, but soon came a rush of electricity throughout my body, through my chest, into my head. The experience was intense, scary, and filled with emotions. I felt like I broke out of a cage.

This experience is just one of many, and the reason why I enjoy being apart of our small group of cold plungers.

#coldplungecrew”

– LAURA RAMSAY

“I love going Cold Plunging and with the Wednesday morning group up in Lynn Valley every week, rain or shine throughout the year! There are so many health benefits including clear, tight skin, fat burning, nervous system strengthening, improve digestion, memory, focus, and the list goes on! Super grateful for this group in the camaraderie that we have built together. So much love and support in this amazing group of adventurous humans! ”

— WILL BLUNDERFIELD

“I had a personal fascination and love affair with water ever since I can remember. I have very fond memories of being drawn to different natural bodies of water - whether it was backpacking through foreign countries, skinny-dipping at night, hiking to secret lakes hidden in mountains and diving in, or cold dipping in lake louise - bathing suit or not - any time I roadtripped past it. There was some thing about the cold water and how sharp and invigorating it made my body feel in the moment. I have had the wonderful privilege of being raised with the practice and awareness around the benefits of what cold water could do not only for you mentally but also for your body physically. And over the few years in particular, cold water has been a regular ritual embedded into my recovery program. My body went through one of the most difficult health challenges it’s ever gone through over the last two years and part of recovery program was to regain my physical and mental strength and conditioning back with circuit of cold water blended other forms of physical therapies.

That combination, I believe, has directly led to my recovery and rehabilitation.

Getting to then share this ancient practice with Nat and with our amazing community has been a wonderful addition to my week personally, also so heart warming. The kinds of people who continuously show up are always kindred nutbars who are just as open to bettering themselves and connecting to likeminded people. Spending early mornings together, humbled and in awe in nature, honoring our physical bodies is - in my opinion - a fantastic and healthy way to start the day.”

— SARA MCKENNA

If you’re an adventurer wanting to join our community of wonderful humans who swim together every Wednesday morning at 7am, we’d love to have you. You can join the Facebook group with details (here.)

Remember only 3 rules; kindness, acceptance and no ego’s.

Loads of love,

Natalia

Pardon my…

.foreign.grammar.