When I first started cold plunging close to 5 years ago now, I was a mental mess. Anxiety, panic, severe mood swings, depression, and an overall lack of self-confidence in myself. When I first got out of the freezing cold river that was the site of my first-ever experience, I knew there was something special to this ancient practice. I felt more calm, the anxiety was gone, and there was a newfound resilience and confidence more than anything that I had experienced. 

If you can get through a couple of minutes of deliberate cold exposure, you feel like you can handle any of the other stressors more effectively in your day and in your life. It’s an anchor that you can use. It’s a “baptism” of sorts where you can renew yourself every single day. It’s a letting go of who you no longer want to be, and coming out of the water as a powerful, confident being. 

But there’s just one problem amongst all of these profound benefits (which I haven’t even gotten into the physical benefits yet). 

Getting in cold water sucks.

We are hard-wired to avoid what we think are difficult situations and so there’s resistance. Even for me, 5 years into this practice and well over 1,000 cold plunges later, there’s still a moment of “Oh shit, here we go.” Many people are incredibly disciplined and can hack through the weeds of discomfort and create a new habit and practice. But most people need some support. 

That’s basically what I did until I found myself going through the curriculum as a Wim Hof instructor. I was out in nature on my own, sometimes in sketchy situations with no training, and often wondering if I was “doing it right”. Once I found the support of a community and got certified as an instructor, a lot of things got much easier. 

Having support and community is everything, and this is why I created the 21-Day Cold Plunge Challenge. 

It’s a way for someone to learn a new practice correctly, have the accountability of a new habit and the support of a community. My life was changed dramatically after just 1 plunge and has exponentially improved over the years with every plunge I’ve done. And you know what’s cool? 

I’ve NEVER had a cold plunge I regretted. 

The benefits are strong, and they make YOU even stronger. The world needs more strong people right now who aren’t always willing to just sit home and scroll TikTok videos and order Uber Eats. The world needs resilient people, who can emotionally regulate better and who can tap into their power and give their gifts to the world more effectively. 

The world needs you.

It’s time to step up and say this is my time to get strong. If you don’t do this, do something. There are obviously other challenges out there and things you can do. But from my experience, and in the words of my mentor the “Iceman” Wim Hof, “The cold is the greatest teacher.”