The Five Steps
1. Get Comfortable
Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Make sure you can expand your lungs freely without feeling any constriction. Do this on an empty stomach.
2. 30 Power Breaths
Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth in short but powerful bursts, as if blowing up a ballloon. Keep a steady pace and use your midriff fully. Close your eyes and do this 30 times. Symptoms could be light-headedness, tingling sensations in your body.
3. The Hold: Retention after Exhalation
After 30 rapid successions of breath cycles, draw the breath in once more and fill the lungs to maximum capacity without using any force. Now let the air out and hold for as long as you can without force. Hold the breath until you experience the gasp reflex.
4. Recovery Breath
Inhale to full capacity. Feel your chest expanding. When you’re at full capacity, hold the breath for 10 seconds. This is one round, the breathing exercise may be repeated 3 rounds after each other.
5. Tranquility
After completing the breathing exercise take your time to enjoy the feeling afterward. The feeling will be more and more like a meditation. Take your time recovering from the exercise. Then expose your body to a cold shower.
Summary
- +- 30 Times Balloon Blowing
- Breathe in Fully
- Breathe out without Force & Hold until Gasp Reflex
- Inhale Fully & Hold for 10 seconds
- Recover
Cold Exposure Commentary
The cold is a powerful force. Gradually build up your exposure to cold and your body will grow stronger in facing it. Train without force and listen to your body carefully. It is important to relax as much as possible and accept the embrace of the cold so that the body can process the signals and begin thermogenesis.
Cold Showers
At the beginning of the practice, end a warm shower with 15 - 30 seconds of cold exposure, beginning with the feet followed by the legs, stomach, shoulders, neck and finally, the back. Initial shock, shivering and hyperventilation is normal. Remain calm and breath easily. Close your eyes and embrace the cold.
Within 2 weeks you will begin to feel your tolerance grow stronger. Eventually the cold will be just as comfortable as room temperature.
Notice the renewed strength you feel after cold shower compared to the drained feeling of a warm shower. Cold exposure is stimulation.