Michael (New Zealand) on 09/10/2021
This tough Kiwi farmer is doing the Hard Yard in raising money for farmers' mental health concerns.
(You should be aware that it is winter Down Under eh?)
You can check her out right here.....
Cheers,
M
Cindy (Illinois, Usa) on 08/30/2020
...it occurs to me - you know how the universe sometimes puts things together in awesome and amazingly huge and "coincidental" ways? I've been looking at cold showers and, by the effect they have on the body, it appears to me to trigger a sort of reboot to critical systems in which, cold water over the head, in particular, appears to have a singular effect of its own.
The practice goes back thousands of years as both a spiritual and medicinal ritual. It feels so good to the body and mind that the horrible awesomeness of it is craved when it's not available because the effect is so immediate and profound and that got me wondering about the effect it might have on ALS. What if...eh? What might it be doing?
Dissipating an acute adrenaline attack? Breaking up loops of crippling thought patterns? Regardless of the PHYSICAL effects on the circulatory, renal, digestive, immune and nervous systems, I think everyone would agree that one's mental state is critical when it comes to serious illness. Particularly in this day and age, when it comes to the media's criminally negligent and deliberate horrification of the world around us.
Might it happen that an ALS patient who has found both his footing and his sense of humor might have a prayer answered? And might it happen that a universe/God with a divine sense of humor might answer and spread the results of such a prayer in such a light-hearted manner as the "viral" impact of something like the Ice Bucket Challenge?
A shallow lake is awesome for boat racing but it's horrible for cold water in a heat wave which got me wondering about the singular effect of dowsing the head first, The immediate effect on one's mental state, Lavina's idea of putting a camp shower bag of water in the fridge, ice water over the head in a pinch which made me think of the ice bucket challenge which turns out to be all about ALS which made me think about how I stumbled upon EC "way back when". And since 2 + 2 is 4, I thought about how AMAZING the universe/God is.
It probably seems silly, I know, but the most profoundly amazing things often are! Just a thought.
Teddy (California ) on 08/27/2020
I first tried it a few weeks ago before I went to sleep and it felt so calming. The shower helped me feel asleep quicker and it literally left my body feeling refreshed, clean, and happy. In the morning, when I would have to wake up quite early for sports tournaments, I would rely on cold showers, and they 100% made me play better, act better, and it increased my concentration.
I completely recommend anyone, no matter your age or health to at least try cold showers. It may change or life!!
Cold Showers Rosina (East London United Kingdom) on 08/26/2020
I never use my heating and am charged £15 a week for heating I never use, I have fans whizzing round in every room, and even when the snow is down you will find me strolling along is summer clothes and short sleeve tops. I only own 2 long sleeved blouses!
Everyone keeps giving me weird looks, I have beautiful skin for my age, and good little legs! Lol. I don't know if its the cold baths I had continuously over the years, but I walked into a pub last week and got chatting to a 50 year old woman. When I told her I had a 50 year old son, she looked at me and burst out laughing and said "oh come on! You can't have a son that age?! You look 30 years younger. It definitely boosted my confidence but then I'm told that all the time.
You know for people who love everything hot and pjs and hoards of blankets, try getting into a warm bath, and slowly run the cold tap, you will find it much easier to cope with the cold water, I tell my friends, but none of them will try it cos they complain they feel the cold.
I love everything about the cold weather, it makes me feel healthier and can't wait for October when the clocks go back because I love the Autumn and the winter time. For all those that did try the cold showers, you keep it up! If you find it is doing you good, brilliant!
Sadly I can't have a shower fitted because I don't have the pressure for a shower, so I have to put up with the bath, but providing the water is ice cold that suits me fine! Well done to all those trying it, you won't be sorry!
Spirittlk (Phoenix, Az) on 08/26/2020
Greg C. (New Zealand) on 10/28/2018
Cold Shower Feedback Catherine (San Diego, Ca) on 08/09/2018
Megan (Cos Cob) on 03/06/2017
Cold Shower Feedback Lillian (Houston, Tx) on 02/02/2014
I was talking out loud to myself, saying "They said put your armpits up there!! "
OMG, I had to force my arms up. I could only stay a few minutes, not the full 10 minutes. Anyway, once I got out, dried, dressed for bed, put on some nice music - I felt I had absolutely no body at all. I was floating in mid-air, I felt so good! I went out today, it was around 40 degrees and raining - it didn't bother me one bit. Normally, I'd be bundled from head-to-toe and shivering. It was nice out. I'm working on making all my showers cold.
Thank you all for sharing your lives and thank Earth Clinic for enabling us to do so!
Lillian!
Cold Showers for Anxiety and Depression Tim (North Dallas Area, Texas, Usa) on 05/12/2012
Only about 2-3 days ago I came home from a jog and checked my Facebook and happened to notice a page "cold showers after a workout" and decided to try it out as I was pretty sweaty and hot from running (I live in Texas it starts to get warm/hot this time of year). I had my first cold shower probably about 3 days ago. I felt very refreshed and energized and almost anew after my first cold shower.
Now after only 2 days of practicing cold showers I have to say, it's definitely got some sort of therapeutic value in it for me. My thoughts seem clearer and a bit more focused but most of all I noticed the energy and motivation gain. I didn't have to make myself want to jog anymore, the jog was no longer an endurance. It was fun and I kept pushing harder and felt like it wasn't a chore but a pleasure. Everything seems the same way, it's no longer something I just have to do I enjoy doing more things. I guess to sum it up it's helped with my depression which I have also been suffering from since my recurring anxiety.
The most amazing moment during a cold shower is when you flip from hot to freezing water and nothing is there but the shock and the feeling of the freezing water rushing around your body. It's almost like a spiritual release of stress because your mind goes into a shock and all you can think of is how uncomfortable the water is, and on top of that it's healthy! My acne seems to be smaller, still breaking out but it's not huge bumps anymore more like dots which is amazing because severe acne runs in my family. It's been 3 days since I started and it's almost like hot water is uncomfortable and cold water is where the relaxation is at. It's just amazing. I highly reccomend this to anyone, don't be scared I encourage you to flip that shower handle from hot to no heat whatsoever. You'll know when there is no heat in the water when the lever or whatever u use to adjust your water temperature gets to a certain point and you can hear the pipes make a lighter noise.
To get the best mental results ( ie not skin health or hair loss but the mental clearness and motivational feeling) I would recommend no Luke warm. Endure the cold and it will gift you with a fortitude of mental strength and clearness. It's like a high when you first flip it to cold, don't focus on how cold the water is just try to think of something else while that waters rushing around you and you'll realize your completely stress free! Ok ive written too much! I hope you all can find the same experience with this as me. Good luck and glad I found this site many other remedies I intend on trying.
Srividhya (Chennai, Tamilnadu/india) on 01/23/2012
Marissa (Williamstown, Nj) on 12/20/2011
Dave Murray (Derby, Uk) on 08/31/2011
Kp (Punjab, India) on 05/07/2011
Earthy (Dearborn, Mi) on 03/12/2011
Jaymie (Newport, Nc) on 12/18/2010
Yggdrasil (Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway) on 10/05/2010
Teresa (Bentonville, Ar) on 09/05/2010
Lorica (New Albany, Indian) on 03/22/2010
This is what works for me to make the whole experience kind of pleasant instead of shocking to my system.
It helps to have a hand held hose with a spray. If not, I guess one could modify this approach. I start with one foot at a time, spraying it. Very quickly the cold does not bother me there. It seems to help to get the strong spray very close to the skin, as a kind of massage & blood stimulation agent, then spray quickly back and forth one section at a time, working one's way up the legs this way as much as feels comfrotable.
Once you past the thighs, the skin becomes more sensitive to the cold water. What can help is to first hand splash some of the cold water on the next area to get the cold spray, or use a washcloth to get the cold water there. It's amazing how much more easy it then becomes to not flinch with the spray following. As someone else said, don't forget to get the arm pits and all those nerves there.
For some reason once I have sprayed all my body up to my neck, when I lean over to spray my head it doesn't bother me at all, but feels good. Oh, pre preparations: First, if you have a space heater, use it in the bathroom! Get the room a little uncomfortably hot even. Have some cayenne pepper in something like yogurt to cool it down (wonderful stuff for your health - tho it might cause you to start seeing "white rice" in your stools, i.e. tapeworm segments, which means you gotta do a parasite cleanse).
Do some light exercises. Yes, slick your face & neck especially with your favorite oily moisturizer. I use plain ol' olive oil w/essential oils that are good for the skin. For me anyway, the face gets dry from cold showers but the rest of my body does not, if I don't just some oil before & after.
If you really, really don't wanna take a cold shower or health prevents it, you can modify with cold packs. You know those old fashioned ice packs for the head, neck wraps, etc. If you don't have the resources, you can make your own cold packs with freezer bags stuffed with cotton pads placed in a sock & put in the freezer. Putting cold packs simultanaeously on the head, down the spine, under the arm pits, under the feet, down the abdomen, can make one feel similar to taking a cold shower, tho it is not quite as invigorating or powerful against depression.
George (Cherry Hill, Nj) on 01/22/2010
I started taking cold showers about a month ago now and at first I just stayed with cold, I enjoyed this but sometimes it would cause my stomach to become inflammed, I'm not sure why but it wasn't pleasant. Now I alternate hot and cold a few times then end on cold for 100 seconds. Now to why I'm writing this, my allergies and stomach issues are almost completely remedied!!! I just did a test with a supplement made out of fruit and it had magnesium stearate in it and no burning under the tongue no redness or irritation and after five minutes I swallowed and guess what almost no reaction at all.
The same goes with liquids from fountain machines!I drank from one yesterday for the first time in I cant even remember with no reaction. I plan on continuing this and the way things are going I think I will be free of allergies within the next month or so! This site is truly one of the best things that has ever happened to me I'm slowly gaining my old life back and for that I am truly truly thankful. To think all it took was some cold water.
