Planning to do more cold plunges and my breathing over the coming months 🙏

Ohh yeah! I'm very curious to hear what you'll experience 💪🏼

Actually, there is a very practical reason behind it. I am a scuba diver and will be doing a lot more diving in the coming months. I have already made a conscious effort to reduce my oxygen intake on dives, and I am interested to see if cold plunges and breath work reduce my oxygen usage on future dives. There are many variables,but the difference can be measured on the dive computer. I will keep you updated my friend. 🧡

I can relate to the breathing part and inner connection. But how does cold exposure do this, can you give a little more color there? Have done a little but more for the physical benefits

He is a phenomenal example of dedication towards a practice in our modern age.

Arighty, I see! But I need to say that you better not mix the Wim Hof breathwork directly with diving. I learned that breathing techniques for (free)diving are much different! The Wim Hof breathing consciously creates stress through hyperventilation, followed by a relaxation period during the breathhold. It pushes out CO2, brings CO2 levels way down, which is why the urge to breathe comes later than usual. That's why O2 levels can go down so very low into an intermittent hypoxic state. That's very healthy and insightful in general. However, right before a dive, this can result in shallow water blackout and you'd drown! So, while Wim Hof breathing has enormous benefits, don't practice right before a dive and to attain extended breath hold underwater 🤙 Keep me updated on your experience, for sure, my man!

Yes, I also related to the breathwork first before the cold. But I met more and more people for who it was the other way round. For them (e.g. ADHS diagnosed) experiencing the cold, was like an immediate soothing trigger to quiet the mind, to be in the present moment, connect with the body, for the sake of finding comfort in discomfort, to survive. There are studies confirming that cold exposure activates awareness and brain power. One is the "Brain Over Body" study done at Wayne State University, Michigan in 2018. In short, it showed that through mind power alone, you can activate a specific area of the brain (periaqueductal grey area) that alters your perception and response to pain. When done, over time it changes your experience, you overcome previous expectations/limitatuons and create new neurological connections. Your mind forms the brain, your brain creates a new experience for the mind, and you become a new (clearer) person through gradual change.

Copy that. Understood 💯 thanks 🙏

Interesting. I’ve been leaning into heart led feeling sense lately. And so of course I recognize that my brain is quite active, but it is also so repetitive and patterned in a way. What I’m hearing is that we can in a way un-condition the brain from previous patterns.

Mh, heart led feeling sense sounds good. And yes, you're hearing right. You can decondition thought and behavior patterns with the Wim Hof method. Practicing the method certainly helps to quiet the mind, but that's not the goal. It rather increases objective awareness of thought patterns and body sensations without the need to unconsciously react to them.

I really admire what you’re learning & doing!

Thank you so much 🙏🏼 You know that Nostr is lots of void-posting these days, so refreshing to hear 😄