D O I T Y OURSELF IN 30 D AYS—G ETTING R EAL AND T AKING A CTION

R eading a book is all well and good. But, it would be a shame if this knowledge were to remain at an intellectual level and you didn’t take action.

We want to encourage you to really start working with the breathing exercises and cold training for 30 days.

Do this breathing exercise every day:

     —  Breathe in deeply, and then exhale

     —  Breathe at the pace and rhythm that feel most comfortable

     —  Repeat 30 times

On the last repetition, breathe out completely, then inhale again very deeply, exhale again slowly, and then hold the breath.

You want to breathe in deeply and out again slowly and without exerting pressure. By not fully exhaling, a small amount of air remains behind in the lungs. After breathing in and out 30 times, hold your breath after the last exhale, and wait until you feel the need to breathe in again. Practice this exercise until you feel tingling, light in the head, or sluggish.

You can check whether your body changes during the breathing exercises by measuring how long you can hold your breath. Time how long you can hold your breath before doing the exercises, and again afterwards. If you can hold your breath longer and longer, that is a good sign.

C OLD S HOWERS

Take a warm shower, as you always do. Then, while the water is still warm, start doing breathing exercises. Breathe in and breathe out slowly. Do this a few times and then turn the shower to cold. Try to keep breathing calmly. Stay under the cold shower for a minute. In the second week, stay under the cold shower once for two minutes. In the third week, do the same once for three minutes. And in the fourth week, stay under the cold shower once for five minutes, without taking a warm shower first.

It is also good to give your hands and feet an ice bath once a week. Fill a bowl with cold water and add lumps of ice or ice cubes. If you don’t have an ice-maker, you can buy ice cubes at the supermarket. Put your hands in the ice water for two minutes and then do the same with your feet.

Would you prefer to sit in an ice bath or swim outdoors in the winter? We certainly encourage that but it is advisable to try it first with someone who has experienced it before.

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