“Life begins at the end of our comfort zone”
author Neale Donald Walsch
When walking to the lake with Kati and her friends a few weeks ago, Kati told me about the story of the “inventor” of the ice bathing trend Wim Hof. Kati has been practicing ice bathing regularly on most Sundays for many months now. At first, it was her boyfriend and her. Meanwhile, there is a handful of people who meet at the lake every Sunday to take the plunge in the cold. They even attracted the attention of the local press. I met them with my camera this Sunday to do a film clip about Kati ice bathing.
The ice bathing Wim Hof
Of course, I asked her: Why would you put yourself in such discomfort as to take a bath in ice-cold water? Well, Kati told me the story of Wim Hof: His wife who had a mental illness died by suicide. After that, Hof suffered from extreme anxiety. Until he jumped into an ice-cold lake near his house. In the few moments in the icy water, he didn`t feel any emotional pain or grief, but he finally felt alive again. He was absolutely present in that very moment, unable to think about the past or future.
Leave the comfort zone
“If you are able, wilfully, to go out of comfort, you get real power – that’s real comfort,” says Wim Hof in an interview. “There is still every reason for healthy people to take cold showers or swim outside in cold water. It gives you the feeling that you are alive.” And: “We need a little bit of stress and stimulation if we are to thrive. Modern life, with all its easy comforts, has deprived us of this.”
That`s so interesting, isn`t it? “Life begins at the end of our comfort zone” is a famous quote by Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God. He also has an amazing life story showing that discomfort can lead to great things. It`s not without reason that difficult circumstances and situations that push us out of our comfort zones will make us stronger and often more creative.
What`s your cold water experience?
Not everyone may be in for an ice bath. And what`s good and healthy for one person isn`t necessarily beneficial for another one. But I guess we can all name something else that represents the ice-cold water in our lives. Some challenge that makes us feel uncomfortable and alive at the same time and that makes us braver once we take the plunge and do it.
Read more: London on Film
