The Cold Plunge is Quite the Teacher

I recently submerged myself in freezing cold water for the first time at a spa in Riviera Maya, Mexico. That experience sent me on a deep dive into cold plunging—and into the lessons it can offer when viewed through the lens of yoga.

After reading this, you might even decide to give severe cold a try. It will take some grit. It will go against your instincts. But it may be worth it.

Cold plunging has been associated with benefits like improved mood, cognition, metabolism, immunity, and circulation. Some reports also suggest reductions in pain, inflammation, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Research is still catching up—but until it does, the question becomes: are you willing to take the dip? Are you willing to make yourself uncomfortable?

At the spa, hydrotherapy involved alternating between a hot tub and a frigid ice bath. I was told that five seconds in the cold plunge was a good starting point.

Five seconds.

As I stepped into the icy water, it felt like daggers piercing my skin. My body rebelled. I could barely tolerate those five seconds before fleeing back to the comfort of the hot tub. Meanwhile, a couple who entered at the same time as me stayed in far longer.

How?

We returned to the hydrotherapy circuit each day, and something interesting happened: I adapted. Slowly, incrementally, I stayed in the cold a little longer each time.

That’s when I began thinking about Tapas, the yogic principle of disciplined effort—the willingness to do hard things for growth. Tapas is the practice of getting comfortable with discomfort. It’s the inner fire that pushes you to act, even when you don’t feel like it.

Our nature is to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Tapas asks us to challenge that instinct. To burn through limiting habits and thought patterns. To choose effort, even when it’s inconvenient.

By the end of the trip, I could stay in the cold plunge for a few minutes. And with that came a quiet but powerful realization: when you do hard things, you reinforce the belief that you are strong and capable. That is empowering.

While moving between hot and cold, I also reflected on the concept of polarity—yin and yang, opposites that define and balance each other. In yoga, this relates to the three gunas: sattva, rajas, and tamas.

• Rajas is active, intense, and energizing—sometimes to the point of restlessness or anxiety.

• Tamas is heavy, slow, and grounding—sometimes to the point of lethargy or stagnation.

• Sattva is the balance between them: clarity, peace, and harmony.

  
  

In this context, the cold plunge felt rajasic—sharp, activating, intense. The hot tub felt tamasic—soothing, heavy, deeply relaxing. And the moment afterward—wrapped in a towel, feeling both calm and alive—that was sattva.

Maybe that’s the beauty of polarity: experiencing extremes makes balance more meaningful. The more we know discomfort, the more we appreciate ease.

We all encounter situations that feel intolerable. Under stress, the nervous system shifts into fight, flight, or freeze. Breathing quickens, cortisol rises, and rational thinking takes a backseat.

This response is automatic—but how we meet it can be trained.

Yoga gives us tools to observe our reactions and respond with intention. The cold plunge becomes a controlled environment to practice this skill. A microcosm of life.

What if we could train ourselves, in moments of chosen discomfort, to stay steady? To breathe. To soften. To remain present?

Then maybe, when life feels overwhelming, we don’t need to escape or resist. Maybe we can meet it with more resilience.

It may sound counterintuitive to seek discomfort. But growth often lives there. Through challenge, we build both physical and mental strength. Through Tapas, we burn away the old and make space for something new.

It’s just a cold plunge.

But it can also be much more.

If you don’t have access to an ice bath, try ending your shower with cold water. Observe yourself. Where does your mind go? Can you steady it? Can you stay a little longer each time?

And when it’s over—when you’re wrapped in warmth—notice how you feel. Is the peace a little deeper? A little more earned?

Try it, and let me know what you discover.

In the near future, I’ll be speaking with my friend Arie Jay on her podcast about yoga as a tool for mental health. If you have any breathwork or yoga practices that have helped with anxiety or depression, I’d love to hear from you.

With gratitude,

Chris Vanneste