My first cold shower

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

It's called Ishnaan Therapy, and it consists mainly of one thing: an ice cold shower.

(Here's a great video of a yogi talking about Ishnaan.)

I know what you're thinking - "who in their right mind would shower in cold water?"

I said the same thing when I first discovered it through kundalini yoga practice (as taught by Yogi Bhajan of 3HO). I couldn't understand what it had to do with yoga. But then I learned that 1) the word yoga means "union", which makes a lot of things make sense now, and 2) the idea is to get your blood out of your capillaries, to the surface of the skin, and then after the shower the body sends the blood back to the capillaries. In this way, your capillaries and glandular system gets a thorough flushing.

Ah! It makes sense now. A thorough flushing is good for most things, especially living bodies. And a cold shower is a great way to do it.

But I still wasn't totally sold. "It might be a good idea, but I aint doing it. Sounds like hell to me."

But then I started thinking about all the aches and pains my body goes through. I have sinus problems, seasonal allergies, occasional breathing problems, low stamina, low endurance, low strength, etc etc. You get the picture. If I don't get serious about taking care of my body now, I could really pay for it later. And my dad's side of the family has a history of high cholesterol and blood pressure...

I decided to give Ishnaan at least one go and see how I feel. But boy was I hesitant. Who in the West would give up the luxury of hot showers?

As per my normal Sikh practice, I woke up around 4am and prepared for the frozen hell that is a cold shower. I walked around, rinsed with mouthwash, contemplated, thought and did virtually everything I could do to stall time. I convinced myself that I would be bothering my housemates showering so early, or someone would hear me, or any reason not to do it.

And then I said: "just do it. If you really can't stand it, you don't have to do it again. But at least give it one try."

So I cranked the knob to the far left and stepped right in. The good thing about cold showers is you don't have to wait for the water to get cold - you save a decent amount of water.

When I stepped in, it felt like I was transported to another dimension. I lost my breath - I literally gasped to the deepest part of my lungs and had to hold it just to make sure I could breathe out.

It felt like the coldest water I've ever felt. My body was shaking and my breathing was shallow. It was quite unpleasant for the first few minutes.

But then I started to notice my limbs and torso come alive. I felt the blood rushing to the surface of the skin to keep it warm. It was intense. I could feel my blood moving, even through the cold water.

It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience feeling my blood rushing up, but it was different and new. I could see how it would be a good thing over time.

Of course, the skin and hair was stiff. Not sure if that helps or hurts.

I scrubbed down with soap and washcloth and definitely didn't spend as much time as I do with hot showers. That's another good thing I guess.

As soon as I turned the water off and got away from the cold, I could feel my body getting warm. The blood had spent so much time at the surface of the skin that the warmth was already there. It was a welcome change from being cold after hot showers.

The warmth was great. And since it was already humid in the house it worked perfectly. Usually in a humid room after a hot shower, the body begins perspiring and it takes a bit longer to dry off. But after a cold shower, you're left with a pleasant, dry warmth with no extra time needed to dry.

I also noticed that my sinuses didn't close up as per usual after a hot shower. See, people, including myself, use hot showers as a way to clear out sinuses. It works while you're in the shower. But usually they close up again a few minutes after the hot shower is over.

This time, however, my sinuses didn't close up after the shower. And even right now I'm breathing fairly normally through my nose. I don't know if the shower is causal for that, but it's just something I noticed.

So all in all, I'd say it was a worthwhile experience and I will definitely do it more often. I don't shower everyday (instead I wash at the sink most days as a method to save water), but the days I do shower they will definitely be cold. I think it's totally worth it and I would recommend it to anyone.

If you decide to do it, don't think about it too much once it comes time. The more you think about it, the more hesitant you will become and the less likely you are to do it. Just wake up and do it without thinking. Get in the cold water and allow yourself to shout out loud or whatever you need to do to cope. Scrub down, shampoo your hair and get that blood pumping. When you're done you'll feel that wonderful warmth as your blood retreats and I guarantee you'll be fully awake! No coffee needed!

Some pointers from the experts:
--Before the cold shower, massage your body all over with almond oil if you have it. It has lots of great minerals, and you won't be oily after the shower.
--Go in and out of the water 3 or 4 times, massaging the body until the water no longer feels cold (or as cold). Massage all over, even the tops and bottom of the feet.
--Chanting is a good way to get through any spiritual or exercise practice. You might try chanting something familiar from your own practice. If you don't necessarily have a particular spiritual practice, try chanting "Waheguru." As a matter of fact, try shouting "Waheguru" loudly once the water hits your body. Ha, you might do it automatically without thinking! I did!

Tips for women: don't do Ishnaan during your monthly period and don't do it after the 7th month of pregnancy. Take lukewarm showers instead.

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh