Winter swimming with chi

[den32]

I somewhere (but not remember where) read that there is very good way how to temper the body. Going into winter swimming can reduce cold type ilnesses by 60 times and other types of diseases by 30 times.
It was said that there are special self regulation techniques that can help endure swimming in ice water.
My father went into ice swimming years ago but he dindnt used any techniques.
Does anyone know here in forum how chi kung can help not to be frozen in very cold water?

[Paladin]

Chi is energy (also referred to as a life force in many traditions and cultures). If you are well versed in the art of chi, you can use it to regulate your body temperature. I do not know how deep into this particular branch of Chi Kung Shaolin Wahnam Chi Kung goes, but I do know that there are traditions like my own that focus on this particular skill set (including other similar skills) quite a bit.

[Mbyte]

One branch of Buddhism delves into this kind of thing. I have been taking cold baths for a while now. I wanted to get used to the Irish cold and reduce my colds, flues & sore throats. The school of Buddhism is vajrayana, I think. It's mostly about visualisation instead of simple Zen and mindfulness. Basically vajrayana has all the mystical powers. One such power is "G Tummo", the art of inner fire. This art is literally scientifically confirmed and these Monks who practice G Tummo can indeed keep their body temperature in ridiculous conditions.

There is a man who never learnt G Tummo but from his own determination has achieved the same thing. His name is Wim Hof and he has 14 Guinness World Records all associated with cold temperatures. One record is a 25 km run above the Arctic Circle in only shorts; he ran barefoot. Wim Hof claims that your heart rate reduces by average by 20 beats if you train in cold water for a week. I mean that your heart rate reduces all together not just when you train in the water. Wim hof has tried to climb Mt Everest in shorts and shoes. He got pretty high but a reoccurring injury he decided to stop and turn back. I think two people died in the group he was in.

You can learn a lot about this kind of thing. Type in Wim Hof in youtube, he has been in a few documentaries with Discovery Channel. He goes around the world to different locations where he will attempt to break his world record for being submerged up to his neck in ice. At the moment his record stands at 1h 42m. Again just shorts. I think it's remarkable.

[George]

I have been taking cold baths for a while now. I wanted to get used to the Irish cold and reduce my colds, flues & sore throats.

I'm curious how this works from a Chi Kung / Chinese Medicine perspective. I know that it does work - it was not an uncommon method of preventing illness where I grew up. Could anyone explain?


Thanks,

[Paladin]

I'm not entirely sure how it might be explained from a chi kung point of view, but from a slightly more scientific point of view, a cold is commonly known as a cold, because we tend to get them more when it is cold out, because the cold weather tends to slow up our immune system. If we are immersed in cold water and spend time in the cold every day, our immune system gets used to it, and so it doesn't slow up as much in the cold.

[AlexBaranosky]

Paladin,
I like your theory.

[den32]

I have contacted one master from Russia and he told me that ice cold baths help harmonize yin and yang in the body as it does high level chi kung. He said that nervous-endocrine systems start producing chemicals that optimizes the body bioenergetically and metabolically and make the mind and spirit strong.
With time meridians are cleansed to make free energy flow possible to nourish the body and spirit. There will be better chi circulation in organs.
Last week I tried some swimming in ice water in the lake near my house And experience was beautiful. I was totally refreshed (but reddly blue too), my mind was clear and calm. I felt really warm some time but then ran fastly in my room.
While in the water I simply relaxed, let go and concentrated on the Dan Tian. It helped a lot.
Den

[Mbyte]

It is well known amongst people that when you spend time in a warm environment that you get colds and coughs much easier when you go into a cold environment. I heard a lot from people not to where your jacket inside because when you go outside it won't work as well.

I know of a man who fixes radiators and boilers for a living. The funny thing was he never fixed his own so his house was always cold. Eventually he fixed it and it was from that point on he started getting runny noses and sore throats.

I'm much more used to the cold now then I was last year. I would say I'm cold free, they never seem to be getting worse; always better if I happen to catch one. Every September I would get a cold for about three weeks. Chi Kung is quite effective at getting rid and preventing them. I'm surprised. I am no longer afraid of the cold. At the moment the Irish weather is freezing. It's -2 and the roads are frozen and there is snow in some areas.

One thing that's interesting about Wim hof is that he doesn't get the Gasp reflex. When you enter a pool or go into water your heart rate will jump up to about 110-120 depending and you will gasp in a load of air. Wim Hof's heart rate stays at 50 beats a min and he his breathing stays the same.

[Paladin]

In one of the threads about winter chi kung practices, one of the instructors mentioned that the first year he practiced outside during the winter he was bundled up and still cold, and a few years later after practicing outside in the winter every year, he was finding that he was actually quite warm outside in the winter.

[George]

I recently read a very interesting book by a Russian doctor (Galina Shatalova).

The health system that she teaches includes cold water/snow application as one of the components. One of the benefits she mentions is that this promotes the flow of blood closer to the skin surface. This in turn draws out toxins from the body, which are then breathed out through the skin. This was interesting to read, as I have on occasion felt myself breathe energy in and out through my skin during practice.

It is fascinating: at one point, to prove the benefits of her system, she undertook a journey of several hundred kilometres on foot through the Karakum desert with a group of her patients, who recently recovered from serious illnesses thanks to her teachings.

It was also rather pleasing to find that she uses Chi Kung exercises as another part of the system, including the "Three Circle" stance training.

Those fortunate to speak Russian can read the book here.

[AlexBaranosky]

This kind of stuff always gets me excited.

Then I find out it's in Russian....

[Omar]

There is always google translate.. or you can ask one of our Russian family members to help translate for you

[AlexBaranosky]

But can you use google translate on an ebook?