The article below is a personal experience, shared to us by a member of the RITUAL community. Those who have tried cold plunge and / or sauna, often report transformative effects to their mental and physical well being, especially when practiced with consistency. If you have a story or experiences you may like to share, you can do so using this form.

A Life of Struggles and Triumphs

I still remember the first time I surrendered to the cold plunge pool. Afterwards my body felt like it was humming. My mind was oddly quiet, like someone pulled the plug on an old radio that was stuck between stations. I felt what I can only describe as lightness or joy, which for me had been hard to grasp for so long.

I am uniquely wired.

In 1996, at the age of 15, I was diagnosed with ADHD. It was a rare diagnosis at the time, especially for a girl, but I was making enough impulsive decisions to get noticed by my parents and teachers in every negative way imaginable. At the time it explained so much. I never quite felt like I fit, and this caused me a lot of anxiety and depression.

I went to university later in life and found success through various strategies. I got married and started a challenging and fast paced career in a field known for its chaotic nature. I was masking my struggles well, receiving accolades and making friends with colleagues. I really thought I was doing okay, until I wasn’t.

Sometimes the harder parts of life sneak up on you in the most insidious ways.

The Breaking Point

The pandemic was very hard to manage, and when we came back my job was harder than ever before. For two years it felt like one tragedy followed another. I witnessed things that stayed with me. I started feeling like small problems were insurmountable, that slights were grievous insults, and that I could no longer muster the resilience that my job required.

Then the nightmares and panic attacks started. I would be driving to work and my heart would be pounding so hard I’d have to pull over. I could no longer hide how badly I was struggling. Most days ended in tears. I had been wearing a brave face for so long, but now my struggles were on display. My brain felt like it was on fire. This time doctors told me I was experiencing PTSD. I needed help badly.

Finding Healing at Ritual

My story has a happy ending. I found the support I needed and life is getting better. I’ve learned that the best healing comes in the most unexpected ways.

A huge part of my recovery has been finding contrast therapy and becoming a Ritual regular. The hot and cold therapy is the exact salve my brain needs to find calm. You have to work to think when you are in the cold. Every part of your body gets to hone in on the discomfort of being in 8 degree water, and when you breathe past the shock and sit with that discomfort, you get to float away to a place where you are merely existing in your body.

Pair that with the heat of the sauna and the ambiance of the salt lounge and you leave feeling like a new being. I don’t use the word euphoria often, but how else can I describe this feeling of lightness that stays with me for hours, sometimes days? Some people call it sauna brain because you can become so relaxed that you forget your belongings. Some people say they feel like they’ve hit a reset button on their mind.

I like to call it the afterglow.