My Cold Dipping Journey

Julie Turner-Adkin
May 26
3 min read

Chill and Dip and Sparkle — **My cold plunge journey – here’s how it all began.** Photo credit: Anastasiia Alaverdov

Why I Thought It Wasn't for Me

I would’ve said that cold dipping was not for me. I really don’t like the cold, and it’s not something I would ever have voluntarily chosen to do.

That is, until Pippa of Pippa Newman Reiki invited me for a cold dip followed by a Crystal and Reiki healing. That appealed to me much more and gave me the push to try it. Pippa has a permanent setup for her plunge pool with a chiller to keep the temperature low — but, as I was to find out, anything below 15°C is considered acceptable for a cold dip.

The First Plunge

On the day, which was beautiful and sunny, the chiller was set to 6°C. Pippa and I first had a chat, and she outlined the benefits of cold dipping for both physical and mental health. She also described a breathing method she recommended to help me get in, and reassured me that she’d be with me all the way.

So, without thinking too much about it, we went outside to the pool. As I said, it was a very sunny day, which made everything seem easier. It was just going to be three minutes in the water. I can do this, I thought — with the thought of a wonderful, relaxing healing at the forefront of my mind.

The Moment of Truth

I stepped into the plunge pool and stood still for a moment. Yes, the water felt cold. Pippa said to take a deep breath in and let it go — and on the next deep breath in, to lower my body into the water as I exhaled. She advised keeping my hands above the water, as extremities can be more difficult to acclimatise.

Deep breath in, deep breath out — and I lowered myself into the water, keeping my shoulders out at first. To my surprise, it didn’t feel as cold as I expected. Pippa was talking gently to me, encouraging me to relax and let go. With each breath in and each breath out, I felt myself calming.

Pippa told me there were just 30 seconds left, and I was amazed how quickly the 3 minutes had gone. I lowered my shoulders into the water for the final stretch. When the time was up, I stood up and felt the glorious sunshine on my skin. Again — I didn’t feel cold. I stepped out, and Pippa suggested I get some movement in, so I started marching on the spot and circling my arms. Still, I didn’t feel cold.

Letting Go of Old Beliefs

I know where my fear of the cold comes from. And I’m really not blaming my mum, but she always told me to keep warm — don’t get a chill, if you get cold, you’ll get ill. Maybe that was her story, but I had taken it on as my own. My mindset had changed.

I went inside, dried off and got dressed. Pippa made me a hot herbal tea. We sat and chatted for a while, and I began to feel tingly — really alive. My feet in particular were buzzing, but my core felt warm.

Healing and Hooked

Then it was time for my healing. We went into Pippa’s therapy room, and I lay down on her couch, wrapped in blankets, and simply relaxed.

I felt totally hooked on the euphoric feeling from the cold dip. I began researching it more at home, and by the end of the afternoon I had ordered my own plunge pool! It arrived the next day, I set it up, and my journey began. Four days later, I ordered a chiller unit with a filter, and then came the Ozone cleaner.

My husband has got on board too, and now he’s been dipping as well. I’ve listened to Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast, and read Wim Hof’s book. I feel blown away that I’d never heard of all this before — but I’ve heard it now.