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Drystone
United Kingdom
31 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 22 2023 : 3:49:20 PM
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Hi guys,
I just wanted to share an experience and ask if anybody can suggest why this may have happened.
So today is a wet and windy day in the midlands of England, me and my wife decided to make the best of it and go out for a swim.( being as it was wet anyway!) We drove out to the moors of the Peak District, parked up and walked into a nice secluded swimming spot, where a few local ducks greeted us. I got changed into my swimming shorts and dipped my feet in, getting used to the cold temperature of the water. I was keen to be fully present during the experience and as I looked out onto the black, peaty water the rain drops splashing on the dark surface made me think of the visions I often wake up to at night. I dived in, keeping my head above the water and the shock of the cold made it difficult to swim so I swam back to the edge to acclimatise to the temperature some more. I steadily returned to the water and we swam over to the other side, about 30m or so, being mindful along the way to take everything in whilst keeping thoughts at bay.
On the lap back I started to feel this intense heat take over my whole torso and thighs. It was a deep burning sensation like being in a steam room or sauna. It was actually quite alarming, I’ve never felt anything like that before, in fact it was almost panic-inducing. When I got to the other side I was breathing deeply and was completely amazed at how ‘hot’ I was, stood there in the wind and rain after a cold swim, with not the slightest shiver. Even waiting to use the towel in the wind and rain I was really, really burning hot inside and out!
I wondered if this was a normal symptom of purification of the nervous system, and instantly was reminded of pictures of people doing tummo in the snow, drying out wet blankets on their backs?? Is this related?
Many thanks x |
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Blanche
USA
873 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2023 : 05:04:21 AM
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Hi Drystone,
It sounds like a fun cold-water swim! I have gone swimming in very cold waters and have experienced sensations of heat and burning. Also, a certain warmth and resilience to cold that persists for a while. I would guess that very cold water triggers an intense contraction of the skin, our largest organ, in an effort to avoid rapid drop in the inner core temperature. This skin contraction may be responsible for the sensations of heat and burning.
If the exposure to cold water is prolonged to an hour or more, the skin starts to relax as it cannot maintain the intense contraction and the core temperature starts to drop gradually. Even with intense swimming, it becomes difficult to generate enough heat to compensate for the drop in body temperature. Slowly, the sensation of burning and then the sensation of heat diminishes. After a long swim in freezing water, one of the most bizarre sensations is to feel the cold bones inside a body that is starting to warm up. It can take hours to fully warm up.
This is not directly related to tummo, a practice involving meditation, visualization, breathing techniques, and asana practices that increase the core temperature. Instead of sensations of hot and burning skin, in tummo one experiences inner heat and sweating.
Keeping in shape makes for a fun journey in this body-mind!  |
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Drystone
United Kingdom
31 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2023 : 09:15:54 AM
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Hi Blanche, Thanks for your reply! Ah, maybe I’m just reading into it too much!  Strange not to have experienced this before though at 36 years old. It’s definitely made me interested to do more cold swims this winter.
Yes exercise is (as I’ve discovered recently) of paramount importance for maintaining the body and grounding the energies when they start to get out of hand!
All the best,
Tom
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Zaelithe
United Kingdom
33 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2023 : 7:32:16 PM
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That’s interesting - I regularly experience something similar when sea swimming and it’s a bit of a mystery to me (and to my fellow swimmers). About 2-3 minutes after getting into the sea (usually about 16-17C) something start up, beginning in my solar plexus region, a warmth that grows and spreads. Gradually it spreads throughout my body and leaves me with a tolerance to cold that is quite unexpected! When I get out I never shiver or feel cold in the way my companions do. I cannot be certain, but this has really only come about over the last few years and it does seem linked to practice and energy movement. I tend to get quite a bit of heat if I practice more than 20-30mins each day. I’ve no idea if this is helpful but it’s an interesting phenomenon.
Z |
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Drystone
United Kingdom
31 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2023 : 07:09:09 AM
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Yes! Sounds like the same thing! My friend suggested that it could be something to do with the Endocrine System? I’ve not had chance to read up on it yet. I bet Wim Hof would have an explanation.
quote:
Originally posted by Zaelithe
That’s interesting - I regularly experience something similar when sea swimming and it’s a bit of a mystery to me (and to my fellow swimmers). About 2-3 minutes after getting into the sea (usually about 16-17C) something start up, beginning in my solar plexus region, a warmth that grows and spreads. Gradually it spreads throughout my body and leaves me with a tolerance to cold that is quite unexpected! When I get out I never shiver or feel cold in the way my companions do. I cannot be certain, but this has really only come about over the last few years and it does seem linked to practice and energy movement. I tend to get quite a bit of heat if I practice more than 20-30mins each day. I’ve no idea if this is helpful but it’s an interesting phenomenon.
Z
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Heat in body during cold swim
