Cold, Calm, Collected: Finding Strength Through Breath Work and Icy Water

Submerging yourself in freezing water might not sound like your idea of a party, but many elite athletes and world-class adventurers swear by it.

They might be onto something.

Studies show that the practice, known as cold-water immersion or cold plunges, offers many physical and mental health benefits stemming from the body’s physiological response to cold exposure.

These benefits include everything from relief of muscle soreness and improved sleep quality to stress reduction and enhanced mood and mental focus.

One study found that cold plunges can increase the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine by up to 250%, with this rise potentially lasting for hours.

Sounds amazing, right? The catch is it’s no picnic, especially at first.

“The most common thing people tell me is, ‘I don’t like the cold,’” says Josh Hildebrand, a certified breath coach and the founder of Breath & Exposure STL. “Well, no one likes the cold! But a cold plunge is a shortcut to feeling better.”

Hildebrand speaks from experience. A combat Marine veteran who served two tours in Iraq, he struggled with PTSD and depression for years. Then he took his first cold plunge.

“The effects were immediate,” says Hildebrand, now a fireman in the St. Louis area. “It helped me get out of my head and back into my body. After more training, I decided to teach the practice.”

As someone who’s no stranger to therapy and depression, I decided to give cold-water immersion a try myself.

Feeling the Vibe
Breath & Exposure STL shares space in a low-key south St. Louis building with a fitness gym, a CrossFit box, and a Pilates studio.

I entered the space through an open cargo bay in the back. On the way in, I noticed two 100-gallon gray tubs, already filled with ice and water. Smoke from a wood-fired barrel sauna curled around them. The outdoor space had a pleasing, DIY vibe.

Hildebrand was rushing about, setting up for the day. Pausing to talk under a gray October sky, he explained the plan for the session.

We’d start with 30 minutes of breath work, followed by a three-minute cold plunge. Then we’d spend 15 minutes in a 200-degree sauna. For best results, we’d repeat the plunge-and-sauna cycle two more times. It’s a practice known as contrast therapy.

Finding My Breath
My plunge mates and I gathered on a blue mat in front of the open cargo bay. I was happy to learn that most were first-timers like me.
When everyone had arrived, we sat on the mat and waited to start our breath work.

“Breath work prepares the mind and body,” Hildebrand explained.

First, we rapidly breathed in and out. According to Hildebrand, this stimulates the sympathetic nervous system — our “fight or flight” response. Next, we performed deep breaths with longer and longer exhales. This tells our parasympathetic nervous system to calm down.

Finally, Hildebrand had us lie on our backs, close our eyes, take our deepest inhale, and hold it.

I felt deeply relaxed, with no urge to breathe. I entered a place beyond time, interrupted only when Hildebrand asked us to raise our hands if we were still holding our breaths. Soon after, I released my breath.

When I sat up, everyone else was watching me, waiting for me to finish. I had held my breath for more than four minutes. A round of applause went up. In that moment, I had found my cold-plunge community.

The main takeaway: We can control our bodies with breath. This would be an important lesson once my body hit the cold water.

Taking the Plunge
Before we stepped outside to the tubs, Hildebrand explained the best approach.

“You should dunk your head fully under as soon as possible, because that will lower your heart rate quickly,” he said. “Once you come up, keep the water at about chin level. That stimulates your vagus nerve, which is an important part of that calming, parasympathetic response.”

With those instructions, it was plunge time. Shivering in the rain in just my swim trunks, I quickly stepped into the cold tub up to my knees.

I don’t remember feeling the cold water on my legs. I just followed Hildebrand’s instructions, sloshing back deep into the tub. I let my head go fully under and bobbed back up.

That’s when I realized what I had done. My sympathetic nervous system shouted a single message to my brain: “Get out!” I could feel my heart racing, my quick shallow breaths, and pain in my hands and feet.

Hildebrand immediately began coaching me. He reminded me how to transition from my panicked breathing to slow, deep breaths — in through the nose and out through the mouth. As I lengthened my exhales, my body calmed.

However, the other people watching soon noticed that my shoulders were out of the water. They urged me to sink deeper to get the vagus nerve response. I dropped my shoulders, and the water rose to my chin. I allowed my hands to relax, settling into an open, Zen-like pose.

When Hildebrand announced that we had one minute remaining, I knew I could do it. I would successfully complete my first cold plunge.

When I emerged, my arms and legs felt electrified from the bones out — a strange, wobbly feeling, but not unpleasant.

Minutes later, wrapped in my towel, I started thinking about the sauna.

Accepting My Medicine
In the days leading up to my plunge, I had worried as much about the sauna as the ice water. I remembered how five minutes in the steam room at the South City YMCA had seemed an eternity.

But I was still shivering, and when I entered the sauna, the dry heat felt great. Five other plungers sat with me, and we struck up a conversation about our shared experience.

“Almost everybody who does contrast therapy needs the community and the coaching,” Hildebrand said. “Not having a brick-and-mortar location gives it kind of a food-truck vibe.”

After my round in the sauna, I considered getting back in the tub, but my body was telling me I didn’t have another two rounds in me. I apologized to Hildebrand.

“Don’t apologize,” he said. “Think of it like medicine. One round was your medicine today. Everyone’s different, and each day is a different experience with contrast therapy.”

Back home and still cold, I crawled into bed and enjoyed a long nap. Throughout the next week, I felt more confident because of what I had achieved. More importantly, my mind was calmer and clearer.

I’m not one to shy away from a challenge, so I plan to come back and try all three rounds of contrast therapy soon.

After all, as Hildebrand told me, “Contrast therapy is the best way to have a transformative experience right here in St. Louis. You don’t have to go to a jungle or climb a mountain. At Breath & Exposure, we make ‘shift happen.’”

***

Be Cool
Places in the St. Louis area that offer cold plunges.

Breath & Exposure STL 
Where: South St. Louis City
Why go: Guided breath work, sauna sessions, and fantastic community vibes.

Salty Spa
Where: Ellisville
Why go: A beginner-friendly atmosphere where you can set your own pace.

St. Louis Strength Academy
Where: Rock Hill
Why go: Top off your hardcore weights workout with a muscle-soothing cold plunge.

Float STL
Where: Midtown and Maryland Heights
Why go: Pair your ice bath with a massage — or better yet, a float session in a sensory-deprivation tank.

Author: Tim Fox is a frequent contributor to Terrain.

Top image: Coaches for Breath and Exposure STL pose with a couple of plungers. (Dane McCrary/All Day Media)