Welcome to Week 5!
This week is no less than a challenge! Are you ready to fully experience your inner power?
Watch the video and follow the instructions- but be always respectful of your body- do not force yourself, just tailor the challenge on your own needs- and enjoy!
Read the text, practice the meditation and explore with responsibility.
My experience with the Cold
I used to not like the cold at all. Then, I started practicing TaiChi, and I discovered a new way to get warm- not adding an extra coat or blanket on, but by warning up from the inside.
Around that same period of time, I started swimming in the sea all year long, wearing only a normal bath costume.
When going out of the water, even during Winter, I always experience a huge wave of heat, as if it was Summer! I still think it is incredible but it is real, and it brings an unique feeling of joy, aliveness, strength…
Ten years ago, I discovered the Wim Hof Method, whose core is breathing, exposure to cold and yoga. I started watching the free video course, practicing, then I decided to sign up for the 10 weeks course. I thought it would merely help me stay in the water even longer in the cold season. Well, it did, but it also brought me so much more.
The combination of breathing and exposure to cold allows our systems to simply function better, so that we can sleep better, control our mood, energy and even immune system. If you check the Wim Hof Method website, you will see that those statements are actually proved by science.
Among all my practices, exposure to cold, especially to cold water, is the one I usually consider the most efficient.
A thought that came to my mind though, is that it may not be for everyone. My father used to swim in cold water very easily, and I really have no difficulty at all doing it too, while I know many people, even practitioners of the WHM struggle.
Cold is something that is working for me, and I always invite people to explore around it, but I think each of us is different and may find different ways to obtain the same results.
I want to share with you my “cold routine”- starting with a morning cold shower, after which I go sport in my backyard in shorts and t-shirt in any season.
I try to go sea/lake/canal swimming at least once a week, and on occasion, I even have an ice bath.
If you are tempted to try that, start gradually, as I adviced in the video.
Read about exposure to cold. There are a lot of misconceptions about the cold, that it can make us sick, that it is uncomfortable…cold has to be respected of course, because it obviously presents a danger if not handled wisely, but it also triggers strength in our body, warmth, a sense of euphoria, health.
It triggers a very antic and powerful survival instinct. It allows the body to switch on so to say.
The funny thing is that when I go out of the sea in the Winter, I am warm, I usually spend some time doing Galactic TaiChi on the beach. Then, I go to the heated changing room, I dry up, put clothes on me- and then, I am cold! This happens simply because at that moment, my body switches off because there is no more reason to produce heat as the clothes and heating are doing it!
Usually then I turn back on the beach for more Galactic TaiChi and in few minutes I am warm again.
When you are cold, the best way to get warm is trying to warm up naturally, because then you can experience your inner fire!
The meditation I linked below is working on courage, strength and communication- or daring to speak up.
Angel Star Coaching 