Journal

Over the last two years, Joie has seen the at-home wellness trend becoming more mainstream. Catapulted by the Covid pandemic when thousands had more time on their hands to sit at home and contemplate their wellbeing, mortality, and how to get more from life. Joie And with that, people realised they had to take more responsibility for their own health.

“I try to go in three times a week. I had a period over the summer where I didn’t get in much because of childcare. It was pure hell! And that’s the time when you need it the most. I was kind of neglecting myself a little bit by paying so much attention to my daughter and not paying enough attention to me.

Rosie Marcel is a British actor from London. You might recognise her as Jac Naylor, the senior surgeon from the BBC drama, Holby City. We asked Rosie, what was it that attracted her to cold water immersion, and how did she know it was time to buy an ice bath? Rosie began her journey with the cold in November 2022 and her life-changing results compelled her to share her story. 

Stephen Manderson, also known as Professor Green is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and, most recently, mental health activist from London. His relationship with the cold went public when he appeared on Channel 4’s Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof (2022) as one of eight celebrities who took on extreme cold water challenges to help tackle different aspects of their mental health. 

If you’re not feeling well and have doubts about doing your cold exposure, always talk to your doctor. But there’s one clear rule that’s useful to know. If you have flu-like symptoms with a fever, don’t get into the water. 

Cold showers are a great entry point when you’re starting your cold water immersion journey. Most people have access to a shower and you can easily play with the temperature and length of your cold exposure. 

If you’re wondering what the options are for starting your cold exposure journey, there are a couple of things to think about:

  • What’s your budget? 
  • What are your needs? 
  • Where do you live? 
  • Everyone breathes. But when it comes to breathwork the word ‘work’ is very deliberate. 

    With our modern lifestyles, stress, poor posture, and low awareness of how to breathe ‘properly’ have meant that for the vast majority, this completely free and incredibly powerful tool has fallen by the wayside.

    This is one of our most asked questions, and Daniel gives us a great top-level summary of the most well-known benefits of cold water immersion. But let’s have a quick overview of the full range.

    Daniel is often asked about the frequency and the length of cold dips. The answer is as unique as the person asking the question. 

    You don’t get good at press-ups or handstands, juggling, ju-jitsu, bench-pressing, knitting, playing music or whatever by doing it just once. We know this to be true. CWI is a practice. Show up daily, design it into your routines and reap the benefits.

    The most important thing to do when you emerge from your ice bath is to warm up naturally and gradually. 

    Yes, it’s tempting to wrap up in your dry robe or dash to the sauna - but hold off! Allowing the body to create its own heat is all part of the process, and where many of the benefits are found. 

    The cold is a very personal thing. We each practise the cold in different ways for different reasons and your journey is your own. Only you can get yourself through it and only you can conquer the cold. But there are some techniques that can help you prepare. Here, we explore the three ways Daniel Kluken prepares for the cold to help you get the most from your practice. 

    In this 3-minute guided cold exposure, Daniel invites you to surrender to the cold, reminding us that the cold is always stronger than we will ever be. 

    We are not trying to fight it or control it, we are trying to make peace with it. 

    As Wim Hoff puts it, “When you go into the cold, you cannot think. You have to be. You learn to be, to be the best version of yourself.”

    In this video, Daniel guides us through a 1-minute cold exposure session. Before entering the water, focus on the conscious decision you made to face the cold. Understanding your ‘why’ is an important part of your mental preparation every time you’re preparing to enter the water.

    Dutch-born Daniel Kluken has been exploring and teaching cold exposure for over 10 years, working with people from over 40 countries as a high-performance, leadership and mindset mentor. 

    Up in Scotland’s Speyside Valley lies the whisky trail that winds alongside the cold rushing waters of the Spey River. This famous fiery amber nectar is carried in casks and barrels all over the world, but it’s right here, in this beautifully remote spot, where our story begins.