Summary

(02:53) When did embracing nature and the cold become a part of N’all’s life?

• He was brought up going to the beach at Portmarnock, Ireland

• It’s a big expanse of beach and he learnt to appreciate nature

• Cold water forces you to respect it

(05:09) Learning to appreciate cold water

• The interconnection of the breath and cold

• Regulating your breath has a big impact

• Niall started looking for ways to de-stress, and he found cold water immersion and breathing was a great release

• Niall and his family were deeply impacted by a death in the family, and they were looking for a way to get out of the hole they found themselves in

• They came across Wim Hof’s course

• Being in cold water stops you from thinking about things

• He decided to train as a certified Wim Hof Method instructor

(13:21) Learning how to breathe and meditate

• Went to Shifu Shi Yanzi (a Buddhist fighting monk of the Shaolin Temple in China) to learn how to fight ‘ instead,d he learnt how to breathe and meditate

(15:58) Wim Hof: his methods and who he is

• He is an incredible, charismatic character

• It’s about listening to the body and surrendering to the cold

• Training to become a Wim Hof instructor was a very deep experience for Niall

(24:34) Some of the scientific benefits of cold water exposure

• Using the breath to find the calm in the fight or flight

• Deep changes take place in the nervous system

• The body can restore itself despite the cold exposure around it

• Cold water temperature is identified by Professor Susanna S’berg, PhD as when we feel cold, as opposed to what’s on the thermometer

• We feel the cold more when it is damp

• It balances the hormones by bringing us back to homeostasis ‘ balance ‘ from being less acidic and more alkaline

• It is great for treating inflammation

• Being in the cold for too long can cause excess stress

• The body learns to adapt, so expose yourself to cold water over time

• ‘We can never fight the cold, we can only surrender to it’

(35:17) The benefits of surrendering to the cold

• There is a path down into the cold ‘ no matter what it is, e.g. cold shower, cold weather, etc.

• The path begins with chaos and no control

• It’s about harnessing the calm amidst the storm

(39:10) What does cold water exposure do at a neurological or mental level?

• We need to activate our vagus nerve through long, slow breathing

• Focus on the long exhale then the body starts to restore itself

• Mentally, it proves to yourself that you are resilient

• You learn to find comfort in discomfort

(49:43) How cold water exposure is good for curing as well as prevention

• It reduces inflammation, and stress and boosts your immune system

• It improves your pain management

• It helps you feel more in control of your body

(56:57) When is a good age to introduce younger children to the cold?

• If children want to run around in the park without a coat, let them

• Introduce to them that cold water can be a part of their experience

• Never push or force them

• Allow teenagers to explore

(59:53) How to shift your attention to your breath

• Our breathing reflects how we feel, but how we breathe affects how we feel

• Spend ten minutes every day to just listen to your breath

• The more we bring our attention to our breath,they more we can breathe properly