ICEBATH Series

The ICEBATH Series

Sadhana
Wellness
Ormoc

Hostel 7
Cebu 2

Icebath 2
Hostel 7

Icebath
Nawa Saraan

Alt_CNX
breathwork
icebath

23-Minute
Ice Bath

fun ice bath
Nawa Saraan

13-Minute
ice bath &
breathwork

5-Minute
breath-hold

4-Minute
breath-hold

12-Minute
ice bath

Wim
Hof

The Wim Hof Ice Bath

Location : Draper Startup House, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Facebook Event Page: Ice Baths on the Roof

Ice Bath in Chiang Mai
I'd been doing the Wim Hof breathing method in my yoga practice with remarkable results. Part of that method is to immerse in an ice bath, but never had the chance (not in Thailand). When I learned of an ice bath here in Chiang Mai, I didn't waste time signing-up. How cold does it get? How does it feel? How long can I sustain it? Many questions raced inside my head.

Duration
To give attendees an idea, the event page stated, "Hop in for a refreshing 30 seconds, or challenge yourself to stay in for a couple minutes, it's up to you!" Being my first time, I was happy if I could stay up for 30 seconds. The guys who already took the bath said the tub was colder than the usual because more ice was put. I counted about 5 bags of ice.

Pranayama
Some did some breathing first, but others just went immediately for the ice bath. Cautious, I did the full Wim Hof 3 sets of 30 deep breaths that took over 10 minutes. By doing pranayama with breath-holds (and bandhas + mudras), I was also generating some much-needed heat.

remaining calm and equanimous at neck-deep ice bath

Into the Ice Bath
The first plunge felt like an electric shock that makes you jump out of the tub. Staying longer felt like a million tiny needles piercing into your skin. This initial hurdle was the most challenging. Many instances when I felt I couldn't take it anymore but I kept observing the sensation without reacting to the cold. It was similar to Vipassana's adhiṭṭhāna (strong determination). It came to the point where the discomfort plateaued, enabling me to hold it much longer.

Other people have already come in and out of the tub and I was still there. At some point, Chris, the host told me that it may not be a good idea to stay any longer since it was my first time. He added that I will feel completely exhausted the rest of the day for staying too long. I listened and came out, even though I could have stayed longer. Total time - 12 minutes.

Shivering
I started shivering when I was out of the tub. This reminded me of my climb to Mt. Pulag (3rd highest peak in the Philippines and the coldest place in the country) where I was doused with cold water at the summit (at night) as part of an initiation rite. I was advised by the veteran ice-bathers to move around to generate heat. I did push-ups until my shivering subsided.

Fatigue
Not only Chris, but also Di, who already participated in a Wim Hof course, and another ice-bather warned me of the coming fatigue that would wipe me out for the remainder of the day. Makes sense - the body uses up a lot of energy to generate heat in stabilizing my core temperature. After that, there isn't a whole lot of energy left to function optimally for the rest of the day. I waited for the fatigue...and waited...and waited. No, it never came. Modesty aside, it's not surprising. I've experienced the superman-effect a few times with extended pranayama where I could no longer get tired.

Ending Thoughts
The whole ice-bath experience was special. It's not something you do every day. It's also a test of mental resolve. Highly recommended!

My yoga practice has all been about mental equanimity while observing discomfort morphing into pain and suffering without any reaction whatsoever. The ice-bath was simply another test. By holding the ice-bath for 12 minutes on my first attempt, it's a validation that my practice works.

Sure, it works, but what does it all mean in our day-to-day life? Plenty! We constantly react to our environment and we react to our thoughts. 99% of the time, we are not even aware we are on auto-pilot, repeating the same old pattern into a vicious loop. But by observing sensation (e.g. - a painful memory from the past, a misplaced comment by a colleague, worries about the future, etc.) with no reaction, we keep the balance of our mind and see what other exercisable options are available (instead of auto-piloting). Consequently, we make informed decisions. We remain present and in control.

Thank you Chris and the rest of the crew for hosting this!!!

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

pictures lifted from Draper Startup House event page

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Blogs about the Wim Hof Method

1. Breathwork & Ice Bath with Jason Ryer of Zen Strength May 23, 2021
2. Breaking the 5-Minute Breath-hold Barrier Feb 25, 2021
3. Breaking the 4-minute Breath-hold Feb 7, 2021
4. The Wim Hof Ice Bath Dec 3, 2020
5. Wim Hof: Mind Over Physiology June 1, 2020

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