I’ve had the privilege of guiding nearly a thousand cold plunges — and let me tell you, watching people meet discomfort and pain head-on is endlessly fascinating.
One thing is always clear: the moment someone stops fighting the cold — the moment they allow it, accept it, and drop the resistance — that’s when they lock in.
That’s when the magic happens. That’s when the benefits rush in.
It’s the perfect metaphor for life.
The more we resist, the harder things feel.
The more we push away, the more life seems to push back.
So… where are you resisting right now? Can you try leaning into acceptance instead?
I'll share a little personal story here.
I have fligth anxiety (which is wild since I'm on a plane at least once a month but it's a personal practice in mental resilience for me). Recently I was on a really terrible flight where the crew was in their jumpseats the entire time. I was staring out the window, doing my breathwork, moving my body, all the things. Then I remembered: I’m resisting the turbulence. I’m gripping. Can I just accept it? It's uncomfortable but its temporary. It was as if a heavy weight lifted off of my body in that moment. I leaned back and surrendered to the discomfort and it made my anxiety go from a 10 to a 3.
This week, play with that.
Try acceptance instead of resistance.
Let it be uncomfortable — and trust that it won’t last forever.