1.

THE COLD

"The cold is a warm friend." - Whim Hoff.

@SYNOPSIS & POINTS DISCUSSED: About whim; brown vs. white fat ;
observations ; what it is, why it works and how it works; safety and utilisation
ideas ; brown fat - white fat ; personal experiences ; breathing techniques

There is a man, who went up Mount Everest in his shorts. He can be submerged
in ice for hours with no ill effects, holder of 20 Guinness records. He was once
touted as a freak of nature, and then as a superhuman. It was later found that
his ability was a transferable skill. Consider that for a moment, transferable skill.
A learned or taught behaviour that could be passed to others.

Everybody hates the cold. We are conditioned to hate the cold, but we have been
given to biological tools to adapt to it. We live in a time and place - if you are in
modern western culture where needs are met.

We have radiators and hot showers on tap. So much exuberance that it is often
taken for granted.

Our bodies are not readily used to the cold from this modern perspective of ours.
We can condition our selves, if we work outdoors, we wrap up daily - over time -
if you are out all year round, you will become conditioned to the cold. Thats one
way of doing it...

I could tell you about white-fat versus leaner brown-fat. I could talk about its
improved thermal qualities. I could talk about how denser it is and thus lower in
volume. I could say about how many calories are burned in a cooling period or
yomp on about, how it strengthens the immune system.

The Vice Production - Becoming the Ice Man is publicly available on You Tube. It is
less than 40 minutes long and I urge you to watch it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMjhwFE1Zw&t=299s
Whim Hoff Meditating on Ice Bank.

It is the source of my awareness and will quickly explain the positives. It is truly
fascinating and if you are not intrigued within 15 minutes, I will give you the
money back you spent on the cinema ticket. It will be one of the best 40 minutes
you ever spent be sure to bring your inner student to the table when you
watch.

Now, Im not suggesting you start having Ice baths or standing under waterfalls
in the middle of winter. Nor is there a need to master Yogi breathing in order to
start reaming the benefits of cold therapy.

Chances are you already know people in your circle that practise this intuitively
or with blissful ignorance. Its just something they do, or that comes with their
own lifestyle, the way in which they live, perhaps due to work or a hobby they
are passionate about.

These people may work in the building industry, landscape gardening,

scaffolding or just anyone that spends time outdoors all year round and more
importantly in the cold. They will be unaware of their practise in cold therapy, as
it is just something that comes with the occupation.

Such people will usually dress in accordance with the weather and are prepared
for spending long durations in the cold. You dont need long in the cold to
activate the beneficial effects and need a lot less if you dress light. Short
exposures to the cold as you are comfortable with, is all that is needed. Think -
Controlled doses.

Most people enjoy the feeling of being invigorated. This is all it needs to be.
Indeed, prolonged exposure to anything becomes chronic. Chronic - is never
what we should be shooting for. Think over training, over exposure and over
done it - Less can be more.
 "If you know the art of breathing you have the strength, wisdom and
courage of ten tigers."
Chinese adage

Observations.

Having experimented with cold therapy over the last couple of years, I can make
the following observations. You do not have to make yourself freezing cold in
order to derive benefit. Cool, slow and steady is the way to go. Work your way up
at a speed and coolness that is right for you. Observe the breathing technique
and the "letting in" of the cold.

It can be gradual, gentle, and pleasant. At cooler temperatures, getting out and
into the warm is very pleasant especially once you *realise what your body
gives you back in return from the exposure.

As a further consideration, I believe the things we are most likely to adapt into
our own lifestyles are in-obtrusive to us, if it benefits us and is little trouble to
incorporate into our existing patterns, we will generally turn it to habit. This isn't
something that needs to be employed as a whole thing your life revolves around
for a few Months till the gimmick of it wears out. This wouldn't ultimately serve
anyone.

A gimmick is only a gimmick, if you treat it as such.

Incorporate it to long term habit, and it becomes a powerful and
accessible tool.

So how does it work?

Saturated breathing Relax, let the cold in, breathe deeply - and let go. You dont
need to sit in buckets of Ice for this, climb mountains or practise breath
meditation for hours on end. You breath, and you over oxygenate the body.
Consume the air, into the lungs as if you were feasting on it - then let it go - and
repeat. Thats all you need Slow, deep, and measured breaths.

Nature made us as creatures that could adapt to our changing environment. She
equipped us with this skill set. We are no strangers to the cold. Nature bred us
with resilience as we grew from our earliest origins. It is encoded in our genetic
makeup as a challenge we have been pre-equipped to overcome.

We have done so well in overcoming it with our grand radiator systems and gas
boilers, that we have forgotten the positive ways our bodies respond to the cold
in a time where being cold is no longer the problem. Being warm all the time has
now become more of an enemy.
The cold, can teach us a lot about ourselves and how our bodies work. We are
more than we think we are and we are capable of more than we imagine. When
you are in control of cold exposure and it stops when you say it stops, it becomes
a totally different animal - One you can train and one that you can make work for
you instead of one that makes you feel uncomfortable.

"What we challenge, if we challenge gently and within limits, does not

break, it becomes stronger."

If you spend a lot of time getting in and out of cars and spend little time outside,
this can be ideal opportunity to practise initially. Just dress down and practise
breathing during your exposures.

I would advise newcomers to begin in spring/summer when the body is less

under stress from the cold. Its a god time to ease into it. Cool showers tapering
off at the end of the year and then just using what you wear and the outdoors as
the tools of your further explorations.

I usually chicken out of further cold showers sometime in November. I will remain
then in shorts and T-shirt for as long as possible, adding layers if weather
becomes more severe and recognizing how long Im likely to remain outside for,
for any moment in time.

One friend of mine - told me she had no place in which to practise. The logistics
of how to engage in this therapy are yours to decide. It may involve an
underdressed brisk walk around the block whilst being mindful of breath and
letting the cold in. Or it may involve a cool or cold shower. But you do not have
to sit in ice blocks or underneath waterfalls for hours to discover the biological
benefits.

Seek to find the switch in your exploits, "I hate the cold" and throwing it to "I
dont mind the cold".

Finding such a switch comes easier to some than others. First we must
understand the cold and see it for what it is. It is after all - just a little cold. It
wont kill you, and it certainly wont if your exposures are planned and
purposeful. I think that the worse kind of cold to suffer in this life is the cold
which is unplanned for and is unwelcome and is prolonged much like anything
else un pleasurable.

In order to throw that switch we must recognize the cold, get close to it, open up
to it, dont fight it when you are exposed, open up let it in.

Remember its only for as long as you say, and when done you can go get a nice
warm heater or blanket to huddle with and a hot drink. You will build tolerance,
and you can come to see it as an activity that intrigues as preferred to that of an
unwelcome guest.
 The deeper the breath - the better the result.

You dont have to base your whole life around being a Whim Hoff
clone until the novelty wears off.
You should only practise it when it is right for you.
Be aware of it as a technique - even if you decide it is not for you.
It is a powerful tool to have on your belt as is the breathing
technique which can be used for other things (discussed later).
Dont ever place yourself in danger (hyperthermia)
Build up slowly and gradually over time. Safe, gentle, but
progressive. You will become more confident as time goes by.

If you look for opportunity to practise in your daily activities I am sure you will
find many.
Perhaps a quick walk to the local store, a cool shower, walking a pet, in and out
of the car or even simple supermarket trips. There are several small windows
that can be exploited simply by dressing light and going about your daily
routines.

You could opt for just sitting in a room where the heating has been off and with
windows wide open playing video games in just your shorts for half an hour or so.
When your body or mind says you have had enough, then just make yourself
warm again. Address your core with a warm drink if you need one and change
location or layer back up. Simples!

The idea is not to punish or put yourself in danger. You do not have to go as hard
and as fast or as grand as Whim. Just be mindful to challenge your system in a
gentle and safe manner remembering that consistency is key.

I found that by beginning in the spring/summer I could begin with cool showers,
then becoming as cold as I could go, and tapering off toward the end of the year.
In the colder months I would just use the outdoor temperature as my cold source
and dress down.

On particularly cold days I would layer up or on extreme occasions wear some

trousers! I would make sure I had other layers to hand so that if it became too
cold or too inconvenient I could simple add a layer. The object being to
strengthen my immunity and not give myself a cold.

The take away here, is that you are not getting stranded outside in cold winter
months in t-shirt & shorts in sub zero temperatures for hours. Such a thing would
will bring obvious consequences. You don't need much to feel the benefits from
cold therapy, just make it deliberate and practise often.

If you do feel to test yourself with a cold outdoor hike in minimal clothing, please
don't jump into the thing too soon. Pack a hot water bottle in your pack, make
sure you go with a friend, have additional clothes or blanket with you and DO
NOT BE FOOLISH with what you attempt. Above all else be safe. Give yourself a
bad experience and you will likely be turned off and miss out on the benefits this
offers.

For me, I found that showers at their coldest were too much for my noggin,
inducing a potential headache afterward or head cold. If you think you may be
prone to such s thing, you may opt to keep the water from your head area.
Likewise if cold hiking, wear a beanie.

I also found that too much in and out or too many bursts in a day could make me
stuffy. Feel your way gradually and observe what your body tells you in feedback
as you progress.

A friend of mine who has spent years in the building trade would think nothing of
spending a whole day roofing in the coldest months. He eats what he wants,
drinks, smokes yet is the picture of health and vitality. He is out in the weather all
year round and he is so conditioned over time, it doesn't seem to have an effect
on him. He is always the first one into the sea or the river with a dive bomb and
most look on in disbelief from the comfort of their thick arctic coats. I find this
very thought provoking.

I should point out as I end this chapter of course that I am not Whim Hoff, nor do
I have Whims experience of the cold or discovered his kind of success in the cold.
I hold no Guinness records.

But I do have a message, and it is a message of accessibility. You don't have to

stand under waterfalls or go through complicated breathing routines or walk up
hills in a blizzard to get a return here. You can simply go outside for a period
where your attire makes it cold for you and you can keep things simple,
accessible, gentle and above all else - safe.

That said, I would encourage anyone to look into Whim Hoff and consider his
technique and lessons. He is a very special spirit with a very special message for
us all. If you wish to know more about Whims breathing technique it is similar to
Tummo (inner heat) & Pranayama (yogic breathing) - a good video can be found
here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW1C_3OXhEs&t=12s

I would also like to highlight the effect this has on the strengthening of the
immune system as well as developing brown fat. The purpose of brown fat is to
burn calories in order to generate heat. That's why brown fat is often referred to
as the good fat, since it helps us burn, not store, calories. Brown fat is derived
from muscle tissue and is found primarily in hibernating animals and newborns.

Tim Ferris, another bio-hacker found in his studies, within the book "The four
hour body", that the cold had a direct positive influence in the sperm count of
males.
 Breathe deeply often.
Pi Dialogue (based on Bohm Dialogue on future of humanity)

Whim Hoff Practises Cold Therapy.

Cold exposure will raise your base metabolism. Cold exposure following a meal
will raise your metabolism and boost the rate in which your body will absorb the
food. Cold exposure will increase Thyroid Gland activity. See also chapter 11.
Trouble Shooting. re thyroid cleaning and repair.

Afterthoughts: Coming back to the fire. This is the essence of survival. A test
followed by non-test forces adaptation and growth and strength. But we must
come back to the fire. Too much and it becomes chronic, too little and we
dystrophy use it or loose it.

About the skin elasticity and how hot and cold and just cold, invigourates the
service and maybe some info about dangers of dropping weight too fast. How to
combat, though maybe needs to be in another chapter, can certainly say about
the benefits to the skin.

Observing the breath, to assist the body to reach greater goals,

consider that a normal person my do 20 pressups, or having over-
oxygenated the body may perform 30 off the bat to understand how
powerful a thing is taking deep long breaths in times of stress. It can be
as a beacon. Once you master over-oygenating your body inbetween
sets later in Body hacking you will see where i am going with this..

More examples on chapter 1 the cold. How I do it and more detail and
ski care with the scrubbing and firming lotions. The presence of
collagen. A note about the effects on the skin.