Myself and a friend have kept up our swimming (without wet suits) into the winter. I thought I would share a few reflections I’ve had with it. I stay in for about 10 minutes.
1. I never thought I would be doing it
2. You adapt to the cold and jumping in no longer becomes painful
3. Experiences like this morning are very spiritual and make me feel grateful to be alive
4. It gets me out of my head and into my body. The altered sensation lasts most of the day and helps me feel present and alive.
5. Lots of other people do it
6. The rest of the day in work you feel as though you are floating and can even feel a bit smug knowing most others have not had the experience.
7. Our biology was never meant to live at constant temperature, with a constant supply of food, add other comforts _____. This reboots us by provoking biology in a way it normally is not.
8. It has things in common with meditation and intermittent fasting. All 3 require you to experience different emotions / sensations (boredom, cold, hunger) and make you realise you can survive them all and rise above them. We are not slaves to our minds.
Peter Francis 