By Gabrielle Bosnic 
I have always felt at peace in warmer climates. I live for hot summer days spent in the sun. Beach trips with my toddler are my favorite part of parenting, and island vacations have always been my go-to choice for holiday getaways.
That’s why it was so shocking when I decided to plunge my entire body into a bucket filled to the brim with freezing ice water while about a dozen total strangers cheered me on.
Prior to this moment, I never considered completing a cold plunge. The thought of voluntarily placing myself into frigid water to the point where my spine shook from the cold didn’t sound all that appealing to me. But this event was different. As a mom, I am constantly learning new skills, adapting to changes, and overcoming obstacles. When I heard about the opportunity to try a cold plunge after class at my local hot yoga studio, I decided to push my fears aside and go for it. Little did I know what was to come.
The cold plunge itself seemed pretty straightforward. There is a tub filled with ice water, you wait your turn amongst your classmates, and when you are ready, you enter the bath and focus your mind on your breath. The idea is to train your mind to avoid thinking about the cold temperatures and to focus instead on your inward abilities. I knew that logically the cold plunge would be beneficial; however, when it came my turn to plunge, I hesitated.
Suddenly, it felt like I was a little kid all over again. All of my classmates were looking at me, anxiously waiting for me to try something new. When I got up to the ice bath, I became keenly aware that all eyes were on me (hello, performance anxiety). Irrational fears popped up. What if I looked stupid in front of my peers? What if I said something dumb while in the ice-bath? What if people judged me for my reaction to the cold? What if I couldn’t handle the temperature, and I got sick? These irrational thoughts kept coming. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder.
One of the seasoned yoga teachers came up to me to offer support. She talked me through how she had completed an ice bath before. She told me exactly what to expect and assured me she would stay by my side throughout the process. I felt my anxiety lessen as I took in her calming words. Eventually, I stepped into the bath and completed the plunge. I felt amazing after! Clear-headed, light, and free of worries. But those weren’t the only positives to this experience.
As an adult, it is a rare occurrence that we try something new or scary in front of our peers. Most of our day-to-day interactions are mundane and repetitive. We have been through enough in our lives to understand what we are good at, and our adult lives are often organized around our strengths. We have a habit of avoiding our weaknesses, and when we do encounter something new or scary, we often have the maturity level and logical reasoning skills needed to conquer those fears independently. Children, however, do not have that ability.
In the moments before the cold plunge, my childlike brain took over. All I could think about was how new and scary the situation was. Fear crept in. However, once my yoga teacher, who was far more experienced in cold plunging than me, came to me and provided emotional and educational support, I was able to complete the challenge.
This cold plunge is a good reminder of how young children perceive the world around them. Our children do not have the life experience, education, or neurological abilities to think reasonably and logically when trying new things or learning new skills, and for children, the vast majority of their experiences are just that, new experiences. As parents, it is easy to forget the feelings of insecurity or incompetency that come with trying new things.
We tend to expect more from our children than we should. We expect them to sleep in their own rooms without fear or to use the toilet without confusion. We expect this subconsciously in part because of our own perception. We are viewing these activities and tasks through the lens of someone who has completed them a thousand times. Someone who is aware of the process and emotions that come with the task. Someone who is an adult.
The experience reminded me what it feels like to be in my child’s shoes. To be vulnerable, to be raw, and to be new at something. Moving forward, I will strive to act more like my yoga teacher did toward me. I will stand next to my daughter with compassion and understanding as I attempt to educate her on the task at hand. And maybe one day, she will dive into the ice water with me.
Originally published on the author’s blog
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