18/08/2025
I’ve been noticing something deeper beneath all the “doing” in our pursuit of health and wellness. In particular the approach people have to cold plunges, breathwork, yoga, saunas. When we jump in without asking why, we lose the point. These practices can reshape us, but only when we listen - not just perform.
People tend to sit on one end of the spectrum:
- Those who push their boundaries, chasing the edge, ignoring the body’s cues.
- And those who stay firmly in the comfort zone, opting out the moment discomfort arrives.
It’s beautifully illustrated in yoga with the A-type personalities racing into vinyasa, bikram, or ashtanga. The kapha types gravitating to yin and restorative practices, avoiding anything more activating.
In breathwork, I see people chasing the high, breathing 100 miles an hour, unwilling to pause even as the body begins to release or venture into an experience. On the other end are those who barely move air, drifting into sleep rather than meeting what’s present.
In the sauna, some avoid heat altogether, convinced they “can’t handle it”. Others treat it like a contest, staying in until their system is overwhelmed - forgetting that with infrared, it’s not meant to feel unbearably hot, nor to go on for hours. The benefit is in gentle, sustained warmth, not in endurance.
And the ice bath… There are those determined to beat their “personal best,” staying in so long they ignore their body and nervous system’s clear signals that its time to get out. And those that allow their mind to overcome them within seconds demanding they run from the scary situation.
And remember the edge isn’t the same everywhere. You might push harder in yoga, but pull back in the ice bath or breathwork. We’re all wired differently, and that’s the beauty of it. Neither extreme is the point. These practices are not about proving something, or escaping something. They are about balance. About listening. About learning when to soften and when to lean in.
The magic lives in the middle - the dance between push and pull.
Where do you find yourself on the spectrum?
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