Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World
It is Polar Vortex 2 week here in DC. The government closed for a day, and I decided to work from home. Hooray for flexible workplaces! I really did not want to jump into my ice bath today. It was snowing outside, I was nice and cozy and warm in my apartment, and I just
I mentioned in my previous post that, while the ice baths are not easy per se, I do not fear them like I did before I started my month of Stoicism. Yesterday’s ice bath was about the same as the previous days. My friend, who has been kindly commenting on my posts, asked “I wonder
I finished my first week of ice baths yesterday. The ice bath was the same, but it felt good to stick with something for a week. I could have made an exception based on various rationalizations “oh it’s Sunday, no one takes ice baths on Sunday!” or “I have friends coming over, I don’t want
Yesterday’s ice bath was easier, but again, the shivering is getting a little out of hand. I had to throw on a jacket, gloves, and hat and sit underneath my blanket for about 45 minutes before I was back to normal. Now my anxiety is not about the ice bath, it’s about the post ice
The ice baths are getting easier, but the post-ice bath shivering is getting worse. I’m not sure why. But the anxiety of taking an ice bath is mostly gone. There is a little bit of nervous pacing while the bathtub fills up, but I don’t dwell on it too much. Yesterday, a co-worker sent out
I completed my fourth ice bath yesterday. I think they are becoming colder. My shivering started about 5 minutes in as opposed to 15 minutes in. I also shivered for quite a while afterwards. However, the ice baths are becoming easier. The pre-bath anxiety is decreasing. It’s hard to say if this is making me
I completed my third ice bath yesterday evening and this one felt colder than the other two. I think this was because I felt a little more tired than usual. The first evening I was pumped up to get this project going, so that helped. The second evening was moderately cold, but nothing unbearable. Yesterday,
My second ice bath was, for the most part, uneventful. I extended the immersion period from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, did not take any pictures today (sorry), and did not have to plug the bath with my foot. Again, the anxiety before getting into the ice bath was worse than the ice bath itself.
I am a new man. Today I feel zero anxiety and I appreciate everything that I have in my life… Just kidding, I feel the same. Yesterday, I took my first ice bath. I went to CVS to buy two, 7-pound bags of ice. I came back to my apartment, looked at my bath tub,
The first month of The Ancient Wisdom project will be dedicated to practicing the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that is rooted in practice rather than dogma. It is not so much a belief system as it is a life practice system. The fundamental lesson of Stoicism is that there