So, I recently cut my Afro and then wanted to do something out of the ordinary, because “a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life,” right?
There is some truth in that sentiment attributed to Coco Chanel.
The change I have been yearning for in the past year is healing – healing from myself and as well as others.
I wanted to be fabulous in 2024, and the only way to do that was to experience life as myself because, for the past few years, I haven’t felt like myself.
I have been detached and just existing, phambili nge war and stuff.
But when I started talk therapy, it took me out of that dark space and reintroduced me to exploring.
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It was in January when one of my friends told me about ice baths. From the conversation, it didn’t sound like such an intense thing to do.
Honestly, what's the big deal? You could just fill a bathtub with ice from the filling station to achieve this, no?
No.
Turns out, it's not that straightforward. It's wise to probably do this experience in a controlled environment with someone who knows what they're doing.
“Since you are the poster girl for healing, I want to go for an ice bath, do you want to come with me?” my friend propositioned me.
Yes, I said before I'd even given it enough thought.
So off we went to Namaskar Wellness Hub in the leafy Joburg North suburb of Bryanston where, upon arrival, I could almost immediately feel the chills.
We were introduced to a man called Howard, who ushered us into a calming space where he would proceed to explain how we needed to prepare ourselves for the ice bath.
We started with breathing exercises, which helped a lot when I eventually got into that ice-cold water!
However, staying true to form as the clinophile that I am, during the breathing session, I fell into a deep sleep which was taken to mean I had slipped into a “trance”.
But I am certain it was just a nap.
While we prepared ourselves for the experience, Howard was filling tubs with ice-cold water, ensuring it's below seven degrees Celsius.
When I dip my feet in the water, he warned, I would pull the Kim Kardashian crying meme face.
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However, in that moment, my inner child was excited to get into the water – not knowing that I would become so overwhelmed by so many emotions that all I would be able to do is just focus on my breathing in order to still my mind.
Deep breath in, hold, then out.
But two excruciatingly long minutes inside the water, I almost cried and wanted to give up.
Howard reminded me of the reason why we did the breathing exercises, which helped convince me to sit in the tub just a little longer.
Remaing in that tub became deeper and deeper on a soul-level.
Eventually, even though I was freezing, I wanted to see it through just to be able to say I did it.
And I found myself present. In. The. Moment. Taking it all in. One. Breath. At. A. Time.
It was a scary but also fulfilling experience. I'm glad I did it.
Coming out of the ice bath, I felt a strange shift inside; a feeling of assurance that I have everything that I need inside myself.
I just need to be present to feel it and be in it.
I'd gone into this thinking seven minutes was nothing.
But that turned out to be the longest, yet most fulfilling, seven minutes of my life.
Honestly?
I feel like I came out a different person.
I now know how to take a breath, see things through, and give myself grace if I can’t show up as me.
