“Only voluntary suffering has value.” - G.I. Gurdjieff
“Suffering easily becomes pleasurable.” - G.I. Gurdjieff

Do you remember a time when you had to take a shower with a broken water heater, or ice-cold water hit your body before it had a chance to heat up? Do you think anyone in his right mind would suggest trying it out? Think again. A survey on earthclinic.org shows that 121 people give cold showers a “Yea” and 2 give it a “Nay”.

People take cold showers for health benefits, and this anecdotal evidence stares you in the face. There isn’t any salable product behind this therapy to motivate falsely positive reviews - certainly not from gas companies. The most popular benefits include detox, improved circulation, and prevention of colds and allergies.

The cold water does suck at first - when you are used to being doused in warmth each morning there’s nothing less welcoming than the shock of icy cold water. You will probably hyperventilate a little, but just ride it out and eventually you really will not feel cold anymore. The positive side is that it produces an endorphin rush. You feel exhilarated when done, and after a while you do indeed begin to crave the rush and refreshment of cold water.

For me there is always at least a mild discomfort at first, but I find this a cathartic experience. It is a reminder to myself that a little pain will not destroy me, whether physical or emotional. This reminder helps me face the day without worrying so much about the little ups and downs.

For those who need some extra encouragement, take a look at the scientific evidence. The author of the blog, Own Your Health has described some studies on cold showers:

“Boosting the immune system
A pilot study of immune effects from cold water therapy with a small number of breast cancer patients found significantly increased disease-fighting cell counts in every category examined, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes.(3)

(3)Kuehn, G., Sequential hydrotherapy improves the immune response of cancer patients. In: Mizrahi A, et al., (eds.) Potentiating Health and the Crisis of the Immune System: Integrative Approaches in the Prevention and Treatment of Modern Diseases. New York: Plenum, 1997.

Improved circulation and function in the legs
A Swedish group administered three weeks of alternating cold and hot hydrotherapy to the legs of patients suffering from intermittent claudication (reduced blood flow) and found that improved systolic blood pressure in ankles and toes, reduced pain, and markedly better walking ability went beyond the results of standard treatment and persisted for at least a year after treatment.(5)

(5)Elmstahl, S. et al., Hydrotherapy of patients with intermittent cluadication: a novel approach to improve systolic ankle pressure and reduce symptoms. Int Angiol. 1995;14:389-394.”

There is also an article on PubMed entitled “Adapted Cold Showers as a Potential Treatment for Depression”. But you can experience the mood boost for yourself. If, like me, you feel a little too “fragile” to jump straight into a cold shower, you can alternate between hot and cold water. This is also exhilarating and very beneficial. Enjoy the good health and lower gas bill!

Thanks to Pamir for featuring this post on his Reiki Help Blog.