It has been a few weeks since I have gone for a fully immersed cold swim. Summer travel, home projects, and time with the family has been a bit of a priority. But the laminate floors looks awesome, the Irish Fair in Minneapolis-St. Paul was a blast, and Micki and I came out of it all with matching claddagh rings.

So that happened.

Rowan’s response was basically a roll of his eyes and to inform me that it was about time.

Now the school year is rushing towards us and classrooms need to be set up, units planned, and all the beginning-of-the-year stuff completed. It is a hugely busy time. It also means fall is coming, and the weather will be turning. Time for a few more dips in Puget Sound before it gets too nasty out. There have been a few mornings before everyone else is up, and a few evenings when the house is quiet, when the water has been so calm that it is has been hard not to pull on the suit and go for a dip. If I give in I will try to record it in pictures, because I would love a shot of my head bobbing above the waves with a PNW sunset behind me.

The combination of Wim Hof breathing and cold showers (or baths) has been hugely effective. My overall energy level is greater, muscle fatigue has been reduced (particularly after installing the laminate flooring), and the connection with mindfulness training has been significant. I have struggled in the past with meditation practices- the most successful was chanting while meditating. Having a place for consciousness to land is helpful. I have found that noticing mental distraction carries much less judgement when there is a strong physical focus such as deep breathing or chanting. So the practice continues.