"Cold Therapy": Sauna's Cool Sibling

Cold therapy:

Cold Therapy  might sound like a modern wellness trend, but the truth is this practice has been around for thousands of years, it is ancient, not trendy. And when something has been passed down through generations, and across the globe and cultures, it's usually because it works. Cold therapy has stood the test of time.

Let me first share with you what cold therapy really is; AKA: Ice Bath; Cold Plunge; Cold Shower, & Ice Facial. Boiled down they are all about exposing your body to cold, natural or controlled, for short periods  of time to activate a stress response that can lead to long term benefits.

It sounds uncomfortable, and I am not going to lie, it is , it’s the worst. But what’s amazing is how the very brief discomfort can lead to greater comfort and balance in your overall health. 

The goal of an ice bath is to reset your nervous system, reduce inflammation, boost your mood and resilience- meaning your physical and mental resilience- your body and minds ability to bounce back from stress, and recover from it faster and stronger. 

 When you step into cold water your body immediately goes into panic mode, your blood vessels constrict- this reduces inflammation and swelling, you will  start breathing super-fast, your heart rate spikes, you will get a burst of adrenaline  and your mind is screaming to get out. By staying in the ice on purpose you train your mind to stay calm under pressure, regulate your stress responses-override your fight or flight reaction and you also train your mind to tolerate discomfort and anxiety. And this transfers into your real life. You will become more composed in arguments , traffic, work stress, even your emotional triggers, because you  have practiced staying composed in discomfort.

That was the mental and Emotional resilience component.

 Now the physical resilience component- cold plunges  stress the body in small, controlled doses and this stress stimulates your circulation, boosts your immune system, you learn to adapt to muscle soreness, injury recovery, & fatigue, and it also trains your body to regulate  its temperature and blood flow more efficiently so overtime your body will handle physical stress- like workouts, heat, illness and lack of sleep better and recover faster. 

Some experts believe that frequent cold exposure may cut off estrogen and progesterone production, especially if done a lot during certain phases of your cycle.

Women’s hormonal cycles and thyroid sensitivity means that  too much cold, too often, can disrupt things like estrogen, progesterone and even fertility. During the second half of your cycle- after ovulation-is when your body naturally prefers to stay warm to support a potential pregnancy, and shocking your system with the cold can interfere with that natural temperature control.

Women you  should avoid this practice if you are trying to have babies, or if you are cold all the time, or have a low body temp, while trying conceive, or if you struggle with anxiety , adrenal fatigue or thyroid issues. If you feel worse (tired, foggy, or irritable after doing it- these are your signal to stop.

 Ayurvedic medicine is not a fan. Ayurveda likes warmth, especially when it comes to digestion, circulation and women’s health. Full body cold plunges are a BIG no, especially for women, it believes that it disrupts the bodies internal balance and weakens their digestion, which is especially concerning in the context of fertility, menstruation, and hormonal balance where warmth is considered essential for supporting flow, energy, and reproductive vitality. So while cold therapy is used in Modern lifestyle wellness, it does not align with Ayurvedic principles.

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