Cold ocean plunge, anyone?!? I did it for my first time in OBX last week.

There was LOTS of mental gymnastics that went on in my brain - pros/cons, can/can’ts, shoulds/shouldn’ts. There was FOMO and curiosity. In the end, I just started running in.

It was COLD! And once I stopped fighting and resisting the cold, well, then it was just cold. It was exhilarating and painful. Afterward, I could feel how it reset my nervous system…and I felt clear, confident and full of vitality.

I ended up going in 4 more times over the next few days. I’d like to say it got easier each time, but it didn’t. The mental gymnastics was still there. But it moved into the background, and something else - that’s hard to put into words - moved into the foreground.

And I couldn’t have done it alone…so, thank you to everyone that was on Alicia’s retreat.

The experience built resiliency, and it was an opportunity to get to know myself better.

We learn and grow when we play at the edge of our comfort zone. Too far outside our comfort zone, we shut down or cause our self harm (for example, you can get hypothermia from being in cold water too long!).

But if we don’t stretch our comfort zone, we stay on the shore. We think we’re safe…but since life is always moving us in the direction growth and change anyway, we can feel thrown by it instead of consciously choosing it.

Luckily, there’s lots of ways to reset the nervous system in addition to cold plunges. Two of my favorites are vigorous shaking (try it for 1 minute and let me know how you feel!), and Kundalini Yoga.

Pop-up Kundalini Yoga classes at Chimborazo Park

This Sunday, April 28

Saturday, May 18

Memorial Day Monday, May 27

9:30-10:30 am

Kundalini Yoga also offered every Wednesday at 9:15 am at The Innerwork Center

All are welcome to these sliding scale offerings