I dabble in a bit of cool water but I feel like I’m dipping in luke warm tea in comparison to you... Especially since I live in the south of Spain, getting hold of cold water most the year is hard as it runs warm out of the taps. I digress, a very interesting read thank you!
In a teapot 🫖 what wonderful imagery! I want to be curled up in a lukewarm tea pot right now. 😴
I find cold water (my tepid water competitively) wakes me up and gives me energy better than a coffee, though getting to the shower is another story when I have fatigue, it seems so far! Also, cold water when I’m in pain my body is like no no no, life’s hard enough thank you 😆 I can feel it like contracting at the idea, and this is me not in real cold water haha 😂
it's so interesting how we all experience it differently. When I'm in pain, the cold water takes it all away. It's like a release. I do love a hot bath too, but with my current health the heat exacerbates things but the cold is so soothing x
Oh really! I find for days of inflammation my body craves my tepid tea showers and buzzes when I home in Ireland with proper cold water. But pain days it's warm, even scolding hot, water I want. So interesting the differences! x
This is gorgeous writing Emma, I love your sex analogies 😃 I am cold-water curious, but me and cold have never gone well together. From an ayurvedic perspective I'm very much a vata-type, and vatas don't do well with cold, so I wonder if it's more suited to certain body types than others 🤔
I'm not an Ayurvedic therapist, but I find it very interesting. It's based on the elements - Vata types have more of the air element, tend to be thinner body types and susceptible to the cold and anxiety. Pita types have more of the fire element and are more medium builds, more prone to anger and over-heating. Kapha types have more of the earth element and tend to be larger body shapes, more prone to lethargy and depression. I'm thinking the Kaphas and Pitas of this world may get more therapeutic benefit from cold water, but I'm no expert.... There's a woman who writes really well on this on Substack - Lucy Fleetwood - if you're interested, her page is called Your Wellbeing (I don't seem to be able to tag it here in the comments)
Sounds like madness to me, but a glorious madness the way you write it. I struggle to set the shower to tepid as cold causes migraine before I get the alive buzz.
It is a glorious madness but yes all our bodies have their own reactions and tolerances. I wonder how you’d be if you could just dip your toes in, take a paddle and keep your head clear x
So when you say cold water swimming, do you normally do it when it’s really cold outside, like during winter? If so, I’m thinking, I could never.. 😃 However, in Jamaica most people don’t have hot water running through the pipes so I grew up having cold showers, which my late grandma told me is good for waking up the body, rejuvenate your brain and let you think clearer and boost the immune system. So I still have cold showers, especially in the morning. Plus, our rivers and waterfalls are notoriously cold and when you go in at first you might shiver but then your body temperature adjusts and it’s one of the most calming experiences. P.S. Almost 8 years ago I skinny dipped in a private waterfall that was on a B&B property up in the mountains. It was fun!!!!! Was it as good as sex? I don’t know about that 😄 (Great read Emma!)
Yes! December is about my favourite month for it - especially if we get what I think of as a 'skiing day' (not that I ski!!). Clear blue skies, frost, and no wind but cold temperatures - just perfect. I've dipped in Dunns River Falls (with thousands of others) and that was magical - I can only imagine how beautiful some of the lesser know falls in Jamaica would be. Haha love skinny dipping 🤣
As a teen I used to swim from Sept (early spring) thru May (late autumn) in a bay fed from the Southern Ocean. I’ve tried to recapture that ability but without success. As you say, we’re all unique. I’ve reached a point where I’ve decided voluntary suffering & mortification of the flesh is contraindicated for me. I still admire those of you who do it & find it helps.
I guess for me it's not suffering - in many ways it;s a release from pain and fatigue. I feels absolutely wonderful. I wear neoprene boots and gloves when the water's cold because otherwise I feel real pain in my hands and feet, and that is unnecessary suffering that I don't need. The bodily sensations I feel really help me, ease my pain and just make me feel better for hours x
I love cold water swimming! R’s booked us into a hotel in the lakes for my birthday in January and we can’t wait to dip in the lake! Hopefully no dodgy shags that wkend 😆
Love your enthusiasm for it all Emma!! Truly infectious!! ✨🙏
❤️
I dabble in a bit of cool water but I feel like I’m dipping in luke warm tea in comparison to you... Especially since I live in the south of Spain, getting hold of cold water most the year is hard as it runs warm out of the taps. I digress, a very interesting read thank you!
I think I’d rather like to dip in lukewarm tea….when my fatigue is flaring I think of Alice’s dormouse and want to sleep in a teapot 🤣💕.
In a teapot 🫖 what wonderful imagery! I want to be curled up in a lukewarm tea pot right now. 😴
I find cold water (my tepid water competitively) wakes me up and gives me energy better than a coffee, though getting to the shower is another story when I have fatigue, it seems so far! Also, cold water when I’m in pain my body is like no no no, life’s hard enough thank you 😆 I can feel it like contracting at the idea, and this is me not in real cold water haha 😂
it's so interesting how we all experience it differently. When I'm in pain, the cold water takes it all away. It's like a release. I do love a hot bath too, but with my current health the heat exacerbates things but the cold is so soothing x
Oh really! I find for days of inflammation my body craves my tepid tea showers and buzzes when I home in Ireland with proper cold water. But pain days it's warm, even scolding hot, water I want. So interesting the differences! x
isn't it!! It also depends on the pain - I have huge problems with my skin and heat exacerbates that, but for muscle ache I'd go hot all the way!! x
I can see how that'd be the way. All the variables in our bodies! Hope you're having a good pain day x
This is gorgeous writing Emma, I love your sex analogies 😃 I am cold-water curious, but me and cold have never gone well together. From an ayurvedic perspective I'm very much a vata-type, and vatas don't do well with cold, so I wonder if it's more suited to certain body types than others 🤔
Ooh that’s really interesting. I don’t know much about Ayurvedic types - what is vata? And other types? This sounds so interesting x
I'm not an Ayurvedic therapist, but I find it very interesting. It's based on the elements - Vata types have more of the air element, tend to be thinner body types and susceptible to the cold and anxiety. Pita types have more of the fire element and are more medium builds, more prone to anger and over-heating. Kapha types have more of the earth element and tend to be larger body shapes, more prone to lethargy and depression. I'm thinking the Kaphas and Pitas of this world may get more therapeutic benefit from cold water, but I'm no expert.... There's a woman who writes really well on this on Substack - Lucy Fleetwood - if you're interested, her page is called Your Wellbeing (I don't seem to be able to tag it here in the comments)
Oh I wonder what I would be! I relate to bits of all those types! I'll look her up, thanks so much 🙏
Sounds like madness to me, but a glorious madness the way you write it. I struggle to set the shower to tepid as cold causes migraine before I get the alive buzz.
It is a glorious madness but yes all our bodies have their own reactions and tolerances. I wonder how you’d be if you could just dip your toes in, take a paddle and keep your head clear x
So when you say cold water swimming, do you normally do it when it’s really cold outside, like during winter? If so, I’m thinking, I could never.. 😃 However, in Jamaica most people don’t have hot water running through the pipes so I grew up having cold showers, which my late grandma told me is good for waking up the body, rejuvenate your brain and let you think clearer and boost the immune system. So I still have cold showers, especially in the morning. Plus, our rivers and waterfalls are notoriously cold and when you go in at first you might shiver but then your body temperature adjusts and it’s one of the most calming experiences. P.S. Almost 8 years ago I skinny dipped in a private waterfall that was on a B&B property up in the mountains. It was fun!!!!! Was it as good as sex? I don’t know about that 😄 (Great read Emma!)
Yes! December is about my favourite month for it - especially if we get what I think of as a 'skiing day' (not that I ski!!). Clear blue skies, frost, and no wind but cold temperatures - just perfect. I've dipped in Dunns River Falls (with thousands of others) and that was magical - I can only imagine how beautiful some of the lesser know falls in Jamaica would be. Haha love skinny dipping 🤣
December! You’re too brave!!! 😆 By now, I’m pretty sure you’re skilled at it.
Once you start there’s no going back…🤣
As a teen I used to swim from Sept (early spring) thru May (late autumn) in a bay fed from the Southern Ocean. I’ve tried to recapture that ability but without success. As you say, we’re all unique. I’ve reached a point where I’ve decided voluntary suffering & mortification of the flesh is contraindicated for me. I still admire those of you who do it & find it helps.
I guess for me it's not suffering - in many ways it;s a release from pain and fatigue. I feels absolutely wonderful. I wear neoprene boots and gloves when the water's cold because otherwise I feel real pain in my hands and feet, and that is unnecessary suffering that I don't need. The bodily sensations I feel really help me, ease my pain and just make me feel better for hours x
Clearly Emma! You write so compellingly about it ❤️ Its wonderful that you have that respite.
Ha ha amazing, you had me at sex😂🤣
I love cold water swimming! R’s booked us into a hotel in the lakes for my birthday in January and we can’t wait to dip in the lake! Hopefully no dodgy shags that wkend 😆
💕🤣🤣 brilliant. We so need to swim together!!! 💕
Yeah baby!! 🩱💦