Cold Plunging: Teneal Tula Wright’s Journey to Health and Healing

On this episode of the We Share Podcast, Alex and Julie explore wellness with Teneal Tula Wright, a business owner and health advocate thriving while living with lupus. Teneal shares her transformative journey, which began with holistic treatments after traditional medicine proved ineffective. She explains how cold plunging and sauna therapy—known as contrast therapy—became life-changing tools to reduce inflammation, boost energy, and regain control over her health.

Teneal recounts starting small with two-minute cold plunges and gradually increasing the duration, pairing them with sauna sessions for maximum benefit. She emphasizes the mental and physical empowerment that comes from embracing this practice, which has also positively impacted her family. She encourages listeners to try cold showers or simple steps as a starting point, highlighting the accessibility of wellness routines.

Through Teneal’s story, Alex and Julie discuss how taking control of one’s health can ripple into other areas of life, fostering better relationships and overall happiness. They remind listeners to be open to trying new things and to lean on others’ experiences for inspiration. As always, the episode concludes with a reminder to share the podcast and tune in next week for more stories of purpose and growth.

Transcript

When he told me I had lupus, it was kind of overwhelming. I didn't know anything about lupus. I knew that it was awful and that there's really nothing you can do but take medicine for it. But I cannot take medicine, he said. I have something for you to try. Have you ever called punch? And I was like, no, I hate being called.

That is the worst thing ever, you know? I said, well, I'm going to challenge you to try cold punching and sauna and see if it will help. Today on the We Share podcast, business owner and Health Thriver Tennille right.

Welcome to the We Share podcast I'm Julie, I'm Alex. We share ourselves and we provide a platform for others to share. We believe everyone has a purpose and a story to tell and are back on the We Share podcast. I'm Julie and I'm Alex, and we're on this wellness path for January, January and I think this one is going to be so important because we're discussing something that seems to be really evident in today's world.

And I think it's partly because there's been so much research done, and partly because we're just becoming more aware of our physical health. So introduce our guest and we'll dive into it. All right. Today we have to nail right on the on the show. And I've been watching her from afar. And we met about just over a year ago at an event.

She's a mother. Let's let's just get this on the table. She's a mother. She's a wife. She's a business owner of, Farrell's clothing. But she is also. I feel like a warrior. She's, been handled or she has been living with lupus. But the way she has been approaching her wellness path is just remarkable. And I want to have her share what she's been doing, how she's been living.

And these tips might help you or save you down the road. So this is truly a, podcast about sharing. Tanya, you tell us. Let's talk about this lupus journey that you've been on. When were you diagnosed? So two years ago. I had been going to several doctors. I wasn't getting answers. I felt the worst I've ever felt in my life.

And what are some of those? I was I had chronic fatigue, chronic illness. I was sick all the time. I didn't realize I had chronic inflammation, but I knew I was overweight. I just couldn't figure out why. And I was doing everything to try to lose weight and I couldn't. So I had a friend who was a therapist that said, you should go to the healing sanctuary and talk to Doctor Baker and just see if there's something he can do holistically to help you.

So I met with Doctor Baker. He did some tests on me and found that I had lupus. I also have Hashimoto's, which I already know about, which is your thyroid, but that's something that runs in my family. So I knew I had that, but something just wasn't adding up. And so when he told me I had lupus, it was kind of overwhelming.

I didn't know anything about lupus. I knew that it was awful and that there's really nothing you can do but take medicine for it. But I cannot take medicine. I just my body does not react to medicine and I don't absorb it like everybody's supposed to. So he said, I have something for you to try. He said, have you ever tried cold therapy and hot therapy?

And I'm like, oh, like a ice pack and a hot pack. You know, this is really what I thought when I sprained my arm. And I'm like, well, maybe. And he's like, have you ever cold punch? And I was like, no, I hate being cold. It is the worst thing ever, you know? And he's like, well, I'm going to challenge you to try cold plunging and sauna and see if it will help because it's supposed to help with inflammation.

And so I was like, okay, so at the time, I tell my husband, I'm gonna start cold plunge. And he thought I was crazy. And he still does. But, so I went to the Apple. I said, okay, I'm going to go on this cold water. It was 35 degrees. I'm going to do it for two minutes.

And you and you time me, you know, and I just thought, okay, I got to do this. Like, my doctor is telling me this is going to help me, I'm going to do it. And so I did it. I did it for the full two minutes. And it was that right there is where I was like, okay, this is going to change my life because I already instantly felt something.

I didn't feel better. I knew it was going to be a process, but I felt just fire in my body. It is just like a it's an aliveness, right. And empowerment. Yes. And so I was like, okay, I'm going to focus on doing this. So I started out doing it once a week and I also so I would cold plunge first and then I would sauna.

And then I kind of dig deeper into that. And I watched a few shows and read a few books and was like, this is not going to hurt me. It's going to help me. I was, I was I mean, when we think, oh, you fell on the cold water, you're going to die. You know, it is healing in so many different ways.

Yeah. It shocks your system. And then I, I used to do it that way too. But then I found out that you're actually supposed to do the heart first and end with, so that then your body learns to heat up after. Yes. So I did it. I bought a pod. One of those little I volunteer, and I had to buy a chiller in the summer because I couldn't keep it cold enough.

So I have a pod in a chiller on my back porch. And I have a sauna inside my house, and so I was like, oh, was going to do this and see what happens. And over the two year period, I've tried other things too. I do red light therapy. I do yoga, you know, just different things that are healthy that aren't medicine.

I have lost 60 pounds. Wow. In two years. Congratulations. Thank you. And I was doing everything the same. I just added cold plunge, sauna and red light therapy. Well, and they do say the cold water. It changes the the fat from the white fat to the brown fat. And then you burn your brown fat as energy. So it's truly like chemical processes that are happening in your body.

Well, and I just felt better. I was out sick all the time. So there's something that it does to your immune system where it shocks and it gets rid of all the free radicals in your system and kills them off so that you're less susceptible to getting sick. And I proved it to myself, like, I haven't been sick for a year, and if I not been sick, I'm sick all the time.

And it was, dude, so were you like, literally chronically sick like now? Yes. I was always in bed. My kids said, you're in bed all the time. So I got a new mom. They're like, they are like you or so. And now it's kind of funny because I bought this pot and I'm out there doing. My kids are like, your mom, you're crazy.

It's freezing. It's like 20 degrees outside. And I'm like, come try it. They all cold plunge now. And so I'm like, okay, you know, maybe if I'm not helping other people, I'm at least helping my own children. But I've actually had more people message me and say, tell me more about this and tell me what to do and how to do it.

And, you know, tell us more about it. Do you have a degree that the water has to be because you said you chill it in the summertime? I've heard lots of things. I've heard like it needs to be about 50 degrees or lower. So what do you chill the water to? So I like it colder. I feel like 40 degrees is where I like it.

I have cold plunged in colder. I broke my way through the ice up in Highland Park by our cabin and went in the river with a friend that also plunges. And that was probably my favorite, because there were snowy trees around us and the ducks swimming in the river with us. It was kind of scary because I'm like, what if I go down?

You know what? If I go down and I can't get back? No. But anywhere from 40 to 60 degrees is considered a cold plunge. Okay. So if you can only handle 60 degrees, I say do it. And it's better than what you've been. And what what is your duration now? You started with two minutes. What's your duration now on the cold plunge.

And then also when you do the sauna. So I start with the sauna. And I actually got a plunge here in town that just opened. Yeah. Oh yeah. They have a sauna right in the same room as the cold plunge. And it is a hot sauna and it is so amazing. Oh it's so hot and it feels so great.

Yeah. And they make it smell so good. So I start with the sun and I do ten minutes and then I do two minute cold plunge in 40 degree water. And then I repeat that. But I also increase the sauna to 15 minutes and a four minute plunge, and then 15 minutes and a four minute plunge, and then I end on cold and just let my body bring its temperature back up.

And that has actually helped me with, so I used to just have an intolerance to cold. I no longer have that intolerance. My body has learned to regulate its own temperature by cold punching and sauna therapy, and they call it contrast therapy, because you're going basically from one extreme of cold to the other extreme of hot. Some.

And you've done it, I know. Well, I do it in it and I ski and I hate to be cold. I have Raynaud's, so my hands will turn black when I get cold. Have or circulation. And I when I cold plunge I keep my hands out because they literally. Yeah it will look dead. Yeah. So, but yeah, I, I love it, I love it how it makes me feel alive.

I, I would be lying if I didn't say I do like the relaxing in the sauna a bit more, but do you go all the way up to your neck? How far, how deep do you plunge? So most people just sit on the bench, which is about here, but I dip as far as I can get. And then I also try.

It's so hard for me. I try to dip my head fully under and come back up at least once a week. Okay, so this is podcast. So for referencing for those people, she said most people sit on the bench. So that's about chest level. And then you you try to go clear up to your neck. And then once a week you go all the way.

How many days a week do you plunge? Three, three. Okay. Unless I'm busy. And then, you know, I'm like, okay. Like, you know, I was thinking that because as you were explaining it, I was thinking, man, some of these listeners are going to think that's too much of a commitment. But then I went, but why is it any more of a commitment to go to the pharmacy and get your meds and all that?

That is a quick fix though too, that you can do. Anyone can do at home. Okay, let's talk about that cold shower. Yeah, yeah, that's how I started with, 75 hard years ago was I started with that five minute cold shower. Yeah. And and I can't do that. I can't do five in a plunge. I can't because it's solid.

But something about the break and the like. And I dance the first 30 seconds. I'm usually swearing I time it and like. But a cold shower, it has many, many benefits. So even start there if you if you don't have the funds to go, you know, get a membership to plunge but or you don't live near a river.

You can take a cold shower and you're going to get some really good benefits from that. Or you can even fill your bathtub. Yeah. Just straight cold water that's cold and some ice. Yeah. And some ice. That's the temperature we were talking about. I've heard lots of like the ideal is about 50 degrees. Well you can easily get that in your bathtub.

Oh yeah I, I my ideal is usually 4042. Yeah I, I like it colder which is everyone's like you're not and I'm like maybe but, but it feels better to me and I feel like I get more benefits. But my doctor honestly said starting out if you do it once a week for two minutes, that's enough. If you stay in for some people, stay in for 10 to 15 minutes and you cannot stay in longer than that, or you will go into hypothermia or your blood pressure can drop and it can be really scary for your heart.

So I would say starting out, if you did it once a week for two minutes, that's enough. That is all you need. That's how I started. And for the first six months that's all I did was once a week. But now I've learned to love it because it does release endorphins and dopamine and serotonin and all these things that we need this time of year.

There's a lot of seasonal depression here where we live. We don't see the sun a lot, and this is a healthy way to help yourself. Yeah. To get those endorphins going, get the dope. I mean, here I am, so not a psychologist, but when you talk to people about when they get low, whether they have depression, whether it's diagnosed or they're just saying they feel low, and especially in this area when it's seasonal like that for the like, resounding, like collective of getting rid of that is to get back in control of your life.

And I think that's one of the things that we haven't talked about with Cold Plunge, you're totally in control of what's going on there. You controlled the body. Everyone's listening and going oh my gosh she can sit in there for four minutes. How does she do that. You are in control of your body. Mental toughness. Yeah. And what that creates for you is the ability to fight off those things that help us feel like we're completely out of control, because you're actually controlling something that's very difficult to do.

Right? It's that it's that confidence that comes from doing something hard. Well, and I, I am not a tough person. I really am not. I'm very. You weren't all over now. You are. But I have learned also that we get in our head a lot. And if you tell yourself you can or can't, you're right. If you convince yourself, I cannot do this, you won't be able to.

But if you tell yourself I can do this, you really can. And I've proven that to myself because I do not like to be cold and I do this because it's helping and I'm going to continue to do it. I always tell people I am a lifer. I will cold plunge for the rest of my life because of the way it changed my life.

Let's talk about that. What other things have changed now? You've gotten control of our lives? Have you gotten your blood work done? You change. In fact, I went to the doctor a month ago and they told me that I am healthier now than I was when I was 20. Oh my gosh. So I had chronic inflammation type two diabetes, thyroid issues, hormonal issues.

I was sick all the time. Just chronic illness. You know, all of that is gone completely. And I had high blood pressure. My blood pressure is actually low now. So they're like, add sodium to your diet. And yeah, why are you taking anything to do? I am not taking anything. The only thing I take is my thyroid medicine because my thyroid tends to react to that better.

But for a while there I wasn't taking anything at all. So that is literally amazing. And I hope that people listen to this and try like you really can take control of your, your life. What's the worst thing? It doesn't work for you. Yeah. You get cold is the worst. Yeah. What's the worst thing? Well and when you try it and you actually prove to yourself that you can do it, it's like, oh my goodness, it wasn't that hard.

And actually I kind of like it now. And I, you know, so I would say there is an addictive, thing to it. And it has to be something to do with the dopamine and the way your body, when the blood rushes back down your legs, it tingles. Yeah, it's uncomfortable for a second, but then it feels so good.

Yeah. And I actually were, you know, something where I can monitor my heart rate and different things because you don't have to put your arms in. When I have cold plunge, I always leave my arms out or something mental to me. If I have my arms out, then it's like, okay, I'm not so cold, my arms are out of it, so you can leave your arms out and still get the benefits.

Yes. Yeah, I definitely do leave them out. I do like to dip in though. You said like you're smiling. And this is just a tip from Andrew. Yeah. For me, when he started, because I do occasionally drink alcohol and it can just immediately cure a hangover. It shrinks your blood vessels in your head and you have no headache.

It helps get rid of all the toxins. And so I'm not encouraging anyone to go out there and drink, and then do this. But you can. But it just really is good for your brain and the blood vessels in it. That's the other thing I was going to add is if if you find that in the morning when you're going to work, I get up at 415 and the brain fog is real.

Like some mornings I am just still cloudy when I get to work. This is a good way to just dissipate that up and a cold shower is actually to do that too. So yeah. No, I will be a lifer. I and I challenge anyone to try it. You can message me, ask me questions. If you have questions, I it has been life changing for me.

So where can they find you on your socials. So I am to nail Tula right on social media or mama to know. Okay, so we will tag her in this drop and yeah, like ask her questions. DM us if you have questions as well. I'd love to help. I want to congratulate her because lots of times we, we would say, oh, the big win here is the health journey, right?

But I think that the under, you know, focused win is that your kids got a better mother. Your husband probably got a better wife. And so all of your relationships not because you were purposely harming them. And she's gonna live long. Yeah. They're you're you've you've added value to every part of your life, not just your health.

I agree and your quality of life. So you've because I've seen you you're like going on lots of trips, going to football games, doing things that you probably didn't do before because you didn't feel good. I did not feel good. I didn't want to go do anything either. I had no motivation to do anything. So yeah, it's, that makes me so happy for you.

That's so awesome. Yeah. All right. Would you leave us with a bit of advice? We always ask our guests to do that because it's the We Share podcast, so we're sharing it. So it's two nil ism. Yeah I would say don't be too hard on yourself. Just start somewhere and reach out to other people who have done things that you've seen have helped them, because that is what it helped me.

So just just be positive, try something new and just remember that if you think you can or can't, you're right. Thank you so much. Thank you. Hey.

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