I have been in the cold plunge three minutes each day for the past thirteen months. When I am integrated in my heart, body, mind and spirit, the time passes quickly and effortlessly. When any part of me is off, the water is cold and the time goes slowly. And it hurts.
I have my head and hands out of the water. My hands grasp the side of the cold plunge. My eyes are focused on nature outside the window. My mind is focused on counting to twenty seconds, nine times, to equal three minutes total. My breath is focused and regular.
My friend Joshua went to the gym with me the other day and noticed my hands were out of the cold water. “Put your hands in the water, it’s a more healthy experience for you,” he suggested.
When I put my hands in the water, it was like my very first day in the cold plunge. It was shockingly frigid and painful. But only for my hands. Odd. The rest of my body was fine, but my hands were shouting at me to take them out of the water. “Too cold! Too much! We want OUT!” they said.
It has been a week of practice. I will keep my hands in the water until they get used to it like the rest of my body. What I notice is this is like anything new and challenging. It is uncomfortable and perhaps even painful at the start. Part of me wants to quit and be comfortable again. Part of me wants to play it safe and stay with what I know. But the invitation to evolve is right there. Again. I get to choose to move forward or stay where I am. Moving forward will have me thinking and feeling many things. Some positive and some resistant.
So I keep my hands in the cold plunge, and I take the next steps in my life.