Copy

Deep Breathe, Deep Freeze


Hello TAO Athletes,


I hope this message finds you in great spirits and vitality!


Today’s essential holistic training tip significantly enhances your ability to deal with stress through intentional response training.


Let’s dig into it:

The Theory

I am sure you are aware of the host of benefits cold plunging has to offer, including:

  • Mood and endocrine optimization

  • Reducing inflammation

  • Speeding up recovery

  • Invigorating the body


However, the key to reaping the full benefits lies in learning how to manage your internal state through breath.


Here’s a little biology refresher:


When you immerse yourself in freezing cold water, your body naturally goes into a fight-or-flight response. In other words you just want to GTFO (the flight response).


This is your sympathetic nervous system alerting you to an unsafe environment.

Breath becomes rapid and shallow, heart rate quickens, the mind races.


However, this response can be detrimental to us in non-threatening situations, such as in athletic competition or public speaking.


When the stress response takes over, it is merely concerned with survival and doesn’t give a rats bunda about performance.


With this technique today, you can train your body to tap back into the parasympathetic nervous system, and access a calm, focused state for peak performance.


Just as your breathing changes with your state, your state can be changed by your breathing.

a man with a beard in an ice plunge

Story Time

I have been utilizing this technique on practically a daily basis for the last several years.


Most notably this has helped me operate with more freedom under pressure in my professional tennis career.


For instance, I went through a 6 month stint where I kept putting myself in positions to win matches and just wasn’t getting it done.


I would arrive in a winning position, but in a stressed state I would either rush and going for too much, or be too tentative. This was my fight or flight response tasing over.


Needless to say, it was frustrating and led to many close losses.


Around the 6 month mark of this slump, I began Deep Breathe, Deep Freeze and began to catch myself before undesirable states took over.


A notable result of this training is that I am now able to continue to play the way that got me to the winning position.


Sure, I still feel the pressure building but I am able to become aware of the quickening of my heartbeat and the racing of my mind in real time.


I breathe in deeply, exhale slowly, and my focus arrives back to the task at hand.

The Practice

Combine cold plunge with Slow Deep 7:11 Breathing


As you enter the cold plunge, start with slow, deep breaths.


Inhale deeply through your nose for 7 seconds, hold for a moment, then exhale slowly through your mouth for 11 seconds.


Repeat this cycle until you feel yourself become calm.


It should take roughly 2 minutes to tap back into your relaxed parasympathetic nervous system.


The shift in state occurs in 2 ways:

  1. The Mind: These mindful breaths help to divert your attention away from the discomfort and gradually calms your nervous system.

  2. Heart Rate: As attention and breath change, your heart rate will slow down and shift from a state of stress to relaxation. This controlled breathing helps signal to your body that it is safe, reducing the stress response.


By incorporating this breathing technique, you can turn a cold plunge from a stressful experience into a peaceful one.


What other stressful experiences in your life could you alchemize into peace using this breathing technique?


Remember, the goal is to move from a stressed sympathetic NS response into a calm, composed parasympathetic state. This will allow you to choose your response thus gaining freedom to show up as your best self!


Breathe, stay calm, and keep pushing your limits.


Namaste,


Stefan Menichella

TAO Founder