FLOAT . FREEZE .
ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL
Steve Kirsch
Mindfulness is a word heard frequently in the world of health and fitness , and meditation is often touted as a way to achieve a mindful state . More than just a cool way to chill or relax , meditation has scientifically proven physiological benefits . An eight-week course of meditation shrinks the amygdala , the region of the brain associated with the initiation of the body ’ s response to stress . 1 Simultaneously , the prefrontal cortex — responsible for concentration , awareness , and decision-making — grows thicker . 2 The brain changes . New neural pathways are established . 3
Meditation is " mental floss ." Just 5 minutes a day of sitting down in a quiet room , on a pillow , and contemplating nothing more than the blank wall in front of you is enough to reap the stress-reducing and cognition-enhancing benefits .
But for some , the idea of sitting idly is intimidating and unsexy . Fortunately , there are some alternatives to traditional mindfulness meditation .
FLOAT
The concept behind flotation therapy is simple : If meditation empties the mind of clutter by limiting distraction and increasing focus , what if the mind and body were deprived of almost all sensory input ?
Floating takes place in a soundproof , pitch-black tank ( or pool ) of body-temperature salt water about 10 inches deep . Inside , you disappear in weightlessness . " The Epsom salt solution is so dense that you float , and Epsom salt is skinsensor neutral , so you lose a physical sense of your body ," says Keri McGinn , owner of Halcyon Floats , a float spa with two Philadelphia locations .
That ’ s where the mindfulness magic happens — as long as you stay awake . In fact , napping in a float chamber is quite common , and while there ’ s nothing wrong with a nice snooze , napping is not exactly meditating .
For those awake , the emptiness of a float is profound . Brad Warner , a Zen author , has this to say about emptiness as a primary goal of meditation : " Emptiness is not meaninglessness . Emptiness is that condition which is free from our conceptions and our perceptions . It ’ s the world as it is before we come along and start complaining about stuff we don ’ t like ." 4 Emptiness allows a person to focus almost immediately on mastering the primary skill of meditation : " If something comes into your mind , let it come in , and let it go out ." 5
" Some refer to floating as meditation on steroids ," McGinn says . " In the tank , the extent of mental training to get to the coveted Theta state — where the brain is best in relaxed ‘ free fl o w ’ 6 — is minimal . Just get through the first few minutes of boredom and a 90-minute float session gives you enough time to get into , and also linger in , the Theta meditative state ."
If floating sounds like meditation , ideally it is . In fact , if you fl o at e devery day , your results would likely mirror those of daily meditation . Avoid the siren song of the float-nap and it ’ s a perfect meditation substitute , to the extent that one can afford it .
Float when you can . It ’ s amazing . 7 Meditate when you can ’ t .
FREEZE
Dutch adventurer Wim Hof is all the rage right now in fitness circles . His patented eponymous " method " combines hyperventilation breathing techniques and cold-water exposure through either ice baths or showers .
Hof ’ s broad claims about the benefits of the method go well beyond mindfulness . Does exposure to extreme cold really trigger hidden reserves of brown adipose tissue to burn fat from the human body ? 8 Maybe . But our focus is much narrower : If you train yourself to take daily cold showers , the meditative effects can be stunning .
Tony Federico , vice president of marketing at NaturalForce . com , is a cold-shower aficionado . " Cold water has a way of focusing your attention . This is good medicine for our smartphone-addled brains ," he urges . " Taking cold showers reminds you that it ' s not the ‘ here ’ or ‘ there ’ that ' s difficult — it ' s the transition between the two that challenges us ."
While the meditative benefits are significant , when you first transition that shower faucet from warm to cold , your immediate thought when that icy blast hits might not be , Hey , this is great ! Something along the lines of , Gaaahhhhh ! is more likely .
But that ’ s the point . Safely find the " edge ," and then expand on it . That " empty " focus on the present is the hallmark of meditation . In a cold shower , it ’ s there in spades . Work and other outside sources of stress disappear . The " here and now " simplifies .
But go slowly . Progress in cold-water therapy is often measured in seconds . Freak yourself out early on , and you ’ re likely not going to give it another try .
So , first , do your normal thing in a warm shower . Th e n turn the water all the way to cold and try to breathe your way through the adventure for as long as you can reasonably handle . Seconds ? Minutes ? Whatever . Relax . Go slow . Enjoy the ride . Observe the progress .
Tony Federico advises : " You should take cold showers for the same reason that you should make your bed every morning . It ' s an easily accessible way to start the day with a win over resistance , fear , and the monkey mind ."
6 October 2017 Paleo Magazine Insider