Modern wellness often turns recovery into a collection of tools. This conversation brings it back to something quieter: the way deliberate stress, breath, heat, cold, and consistency teach the body to adapt.
Tulā - Community frames the subject through practical experience and accessible science. The strongest thread is simple. Resilience is not built in one extreme session. It is built through a ritual the nervous system can trust.
Welcome back to the Tula Community podcast. I have wanted to do this episode, but outside of the podcast, not just this episode, I have just wanted to sit down and hang out, shoot the [__] with Cambria for a really long time. Uh, we've followed each other for a few years now and I I think that I, you know, roughly got connected with her in the online space through one yoga and through her her yoga teaching. And when I found her profile, we talk about it in the episode quite a lot, but when I found her profile, I saw that she had connected the sutras to hiphop and that she was like really big into hip-hop and all of these these things. And um and I love hip-hop. So I was like, this is so cool that she has been able to pull, you know, these teachings from from these lyrics and from this music and from this culture. And I just was all about it. And so, you know, we've exchanged a few messages here and there. And of course, we've chatted a little bit, but this is this was our first time having a a back and forth in real time conversation. So, I'm feeling really happy that we opened up to these virtual conversations. And I remember when I was recording the Zoom episode with her, um the last episode that we did, when I recorded the video, it it recorded both screens at the same time, so you can watch the conversation kind of go back and forth between um Andrea Morris and I. And what so I thought that it would be the same for camera, but when I uh downloaded the video to start to edit it, it seemed to have done kind of speaker view where whoever's talking is the one that's actually being recorded, so you can't see the other person. And I really wish cuz when it was happening and when we were talking, I was thinking thinking to myself, I just feel like I'm smiling the entire time that her and I are having this conversation. But I also was like, man, I I feel like I'm just fangirling the whole time that I was just in it with her, you know, like it was just it was
her, you know, like it was just it was such a good conversation. we've had, you know, all of them are so good and I I love each like type and style that we kind of get, but some of them don't even I completely kind of check out from the fact that you're you're recording a thing and that you are doing an episode and that you are working, you know. Um, and this was one of those times where that um that got to happen. So, I feel really happy for that because uh it's not all the time that I forget that this is like being recorded and there's like a I'm sure that many of you will know like as soon as you hit record there's like a little bit of an energy shift and change and so um sometimes things become a little bit like uncomfortable or like awkward and you got to kind of like figure out how to work with that new energy as soon as things are are being recorded or whatever. But between Camry and I, like it just um I don't know, it just flowed so well. So, um I'm yeah, really happy to have sat down with her. And I I know you'll see me like smiling a lot if you happen to be watching this or you choose to watch it. Um but I really wish that it recorded both screens at the same time. Oh, because I my cheeks hurt. My cheeks hurt by the end of it all. Um, so I think we could have talked for hours and hours to be honest. So I mentioned that I've been, you know, following her and and watching her journey and things like that. And of course I kind of got um, you know, interested in what she was sharing through, you know, the sutras and hiphop and all of that. And then in more recent years, I've been witnessing her uh, you know, start to shift a little bit more and like go into these cold plunges and cold therapy. And um, it's something that I dabbled in very little. Uh, there was a time where I started to do that. And so I have a bit of an understanding of it. I respect it. And um, I guess I kind of know what it's like, but not to the level that she knows. And I think that by the time this episode comes out, she'll be done. this most
comes out, she'll be done. this most recent like 100 day challenge that she's in um where she plunges every day for a 100 days. So that's not something I did, but because I had I've done it a few times and I started to kind of get into the world of cold plunging, when I see her do it, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, this is so amazing." And the discipline and um you know, I connected it to yoga as well, of course, right? like there's uh there's so much uh connection between our disciplines and and the way that the yamas nyamas come into our world and um yeah I just wanted to sit down with Cambria. I just thought you know yoga teacher to yoga teacher you can say the words and they know what you're talking about. It's so good. It's just so good. So um here's a little bit about Cambria. Cambria Olding is an Atlantic, Canada based yoga practitioner and teacher, mother, certified cold water therapy coach, and founder of East Coast Plunge. Her work is rooted in both tradition and lived experience shaped by over a decade of practice and years of guiding others through movement, breath, and presence. In 2001, she took her first cold plunge, an experience that shifted something deep and became a steady part of her life. Since then, she has been exploring the connection between yoga and cold water, where breath meets intensity and practice meets real life. Through motherhood, music, movement, and moments of discomfort, Cambria is interested in what it means to live the teachings, not perfectly, but honestly, her work is about bringing the sutras off the page and into everyday life in a way that feels real, human, and accessible. I will link everything Camry related. I think it's below for most of these streaming platforms, but below beside whatever it is, uh I will link her personal Instagram and East Coast Plunge. And then some resources that either her and I chatted about or things that she finds to be worthwhile if you want to kind of dig into different things. If you want to dig into some yogic philosophies and if you want to
yogic philosophies and if you want to dig into cold exposure and research, there's some stuff there for you as well. And uh yeah, I hope that you connect with her and support her journey. I love to witness her and uh just see what she's getting up to and uh I find her to be very inspirational and um she just she shows up. Not only does she show up, but I find that she's really real. And I think that's probably why our conversation was just so easy and like flowed between us because there's not like um like whoever she she says she is or whoever she presents out is exactly, you know, who she is. And um you don't always of course find and get that. So I I really like people who are just straight up and uh you know you just get a sense of who they are right away and and that's that's what it is you know and so and I find her wonderful to witness and I I like watching her journey even though I don't cold plunge anymore myself. Maybe I might dabble in the casual in a casual cold plunge here and there but uh I I love to watch what she's getting up to. Okay. And then I'll share a little bit about our sponsor, Everest, which when we record these episodes, you know, primarily all of them have been in person. It's it's something that we, you know, only recently opened up to doing these virtual episodes at a distance and and what have you. And so I had to kind of rethink uh my strategy and ways of going about uh gifting things to my guest. So, usually what we do is I end up taking photos of whoever I have chatted with um you know before or after we we have the conversation for the podcast and then that becomes not only of course what I share the episode with on you know socials or whatever it is, but also I I gift those photos to the guest as a thank you for being on the podcast. And now that we have these distance ones, I'm like, well, I can't really be the one that takes the photo. So, I need
the one that takes the photo. So, I need to, you know, offer something and I would like to share something as a, you know, an offering of gratitude and my appreciation for people's time and, um, you know, being keen to chat with us and share. So, uh, I ended up sending Cambria some products from Everest. and um ever since I got connected with Everest, it's only been a few months since we've been part of their um affiliate program. But uh they've been really supportive and kind to us and like always getting back to me whenever there's something that has to shift or you know taking suggestion. They've just been really kind and um I love a Canadian womenowned company. So uh I'll share the link below for Everest and uh it automatically applies a discount at checkout. So, if you want some products, uh, I've gotten a few people onto them now because they just do such a good job. And like I think that everybody's hair has just become so much healthier and like so much more beautiful and shiny and like nourished since they started using Everest. And uh, yeah, I'm curious to see what they get up to. But if you want that link and you you've been wanting to try the product or you need a a replenish, it is below there for you. Okay. I know you don't know this, but uh this was a lot of cuts. I made a lot of cuts in this intro. It was not a single take. Oh, what a dream it would be to do a single take intro, but it was not. Um, but thank you so much for being here and supporting us. Thank you for supporting Cambria and uh yeah, and all of our work and all of the cuts that go into making this podcast and all of the uh the restructures of whatever I'm saying here uh behind the scenes that you don't get to listen to, but I have to edit out. So, okay. Thank you. And I hope you enjoy the episode. Okay, Cambria. Uh it's so good to be here with you. We've already chatted for a little while because that's just the way that that ends up happening. And like I said when I we started on this Zoom call, you know, right away I was like, "Finally
right away I was like, "Finally here we are together after all these years." So if you'd like to take some time to introduce yourself and uh yeah, share a bit about yourself. Yeah, absolutely. So my name is Cambria. Um I've been on the journey of I don't know what you call it anymore. I I used to say yoga, but now it's just I think wellness. Um so I've been on the yoga journey. It started for me about 10 years ago. Um, I've been teaching for eight of those years now. Um, and then the past five years actually, uh, I've gotten really into, um, cold water therapy or cold plunges. And this isn't necessarily like what some people know it as of maybe a polar dip on New Year's where you run in and out of the water. Um, cold water therapy is where you're going in with intention to stay in the water. Um, a lot of people do it obviously for their different reasons, which we can uh, find out later or talk about later. Um but for me it is again about finding that wellness for mind, body and soul complete. Um so now on my journey I I incorporate both yoga and uh cold water therapy together to to just offer it to people to also find their way to bring it into their practices. Um, and for me, the reason why I began all this, I don't know, like there was one point in my life where I was just kind of felt like what's the point or what do we do here anymore? A lot of like stuff was coming up. Um, I was going through a pretty hard relationship at the time, too. And so, when I found yoga, it was more just about like my friend inviting me out to hot yoga because it was the cool thing to do then. Like, oh, come to a hot yoga class. It's Friday. I'm like, okay. Right. And if anyone remembers Mocha, their name's Moto now, but Mocha back in the day, that's how I started. And I was like, "Oh man, this feels good for my body. This is great." But then like as stuff was coming up in my life, I was like, "Wait a minute. This yoga is actually making me like feel really good in my mind and my heart and like it's helping me heal some stuff."
helping me heal some stuff." So, it was from those early stages that I was like, "Okay, like I want to take this a bit more seriously than just showing up and rolling out some hot yoga poses." Like, so I made an adventure trip, like a soul soul experience to um sell most of my stuff, get rid of my place, pack my car with just my dog at the time, um and travel, drive out west to Vancouver where I think I always call it like the rest is history because the yoga out there is like the realest yoga there is. But like I shouldn't say that because like I'm sure if you go to India and all these places where like obviously that's the realist. But on the western honestly on the western side of things like it is you get a lot of great teachings, a lot of great teachers, teachers from all over that will come to this space. So I I was very grateful to interact with all of the trainings that I got to do, all the teachers I got to meet um and then have just taken it from there. So right traveled to my back home in Ontario that's Kitchener Waterlue did a lot of teachings there from what I learned from Vancouver and then I met my partner at the time um in Waterl actually he's from the Maritimes he was moving back home and because I'm this gypsy soul I was like okay let's go but at least I could take my teachings with me so that's what I that's where I live now this is what I've been doing along with cold plunges so it's been a great experience Oh yeah. And it's something that I like deeply appreciate about when I found your profile many years ago or when I got connected with you was just that, you know, you had a a real deep honoring for, you know, the the practices and the teachings and the um and the literature and like the supras and things like that, you know, and you were like all-encompassing about the practice. And so like when you started practicing it at Moha at the time, did you approach it from um
did you approach it from um like a physical kind of standpoint and then eventually it started to unravel as it does sometimes in yoga cuz I feel like even for myself it was very physical but then I would be sitting in these classes and I was like I think that there's something more to this you know and that was my exact experience too like and there was obviously a lot of people have the you're lying there and you're like why am I crying right now? Like I just I only just moved my body like there was something moving inside. Like that's exactly my journey too. Like I didn't come out with sutras and was like oh I want to learn more about these sutras on the mat. Like you probably wouldn't experience it much especially back then. I think now more so which I really appreciate. there is more awareness about some of these ancient texts that are involved or more about oh yoga can be more than poses and breath work like there people want to learn more and with the accessibility of social media and the internet like where there's ways to bring it to the forefront. So definitely for sure my practice was physical and then it was very healing inside from the poses and maybe like introduction to breath work but not necessarily like deep breath work. Um, and as I explained, like it wasn't until I got to Vancouver, my first training was I don't Do you remember uh Karma Teachers? That's where I did my training. Stop. Okay. Yeah, I remember it. Okay. So, that was in 2017. I did my training with um with Karma Teachers and the main teacher at the time was Kevin Adu. Oh, nice. Yeah. to Kevin and he like I find yoga teacher trainings they are all especially the 200 hours depending on what studio you go to which is like no hate or like wrong against it however they want to operate but like you get different you get a different um what's the word like uh trying to like curriculum for it um it can be different at so many
um it can be different at so many different studios or trainings that you go to so with karma teachers I found it was very at least with Kevin Nadu it was a very spiritualbased practice and teachings and then they brought in guest teachers along the way so you got to experience like so much of yoga that I like in there I was like whoa this is a lot and there was a lot of like stuff I let go of in that training and because it's only 200 hours I was like no I need to keep learning like there's more to this like and not to say like that could have been enough I could have started teaching like I'm sure I could of but like I just knew there was more and that's where I started started to get into like more teachings and learnings and through each teacher I met along the way I was like okay and then you find what you really resonate with right like so it was when I did trainings with um one yoga and all the teachers there background is a lot in the yoga sutras or at least more the philosophy side the the text of yoga um so it was with them that I'm like Okay. Yoga sutras. Okay. And uh yeah, like from there then it's just like I've always wanted to then share it in an accessible way. So like for me when I started doing my teacher training, I'm like I want yoga to be accessible. I don't want it to money to be a barrier. I don't want your body to be a barrier. And I don't know all the poses. I'm not saying I'm an expert here, but I want to make it accessible for people in either way. But then same with the sutras. Once I found the sutras and then found out how many translations I keep pointing here because this is my bookshelf. I feel like I don't even know what they are, but I know that they're all yoga and there could be more. This whole thing could be yoga sutras, but that top shelf is just yoga sutras because there's so many translations. Yeah. And that's what I was like, okay, so this is why maybe some people fall into like a bit of like a h not it's not for me because of the translation they
for me because of the translation they might be reading. So I was like, okay, let's make this accessible now. So then when I started picking up the translations and reading them, I would find a similar thread, which I love the sutra. I would find a similar thread and find the truth into what that sutra actually might mean or what it might be more accessible for people. Um, so then I went through a phase on social media where I would share once a week. I would share a sutra, make it accessible. And at the time I was like a deep hip-hop head. I was a hip-hop head my whole life. I won't I'm going to be honest. I'm not a hip-hop head right now. No way. If anyone asked me to name a new artist, I'd be like, right. Yeah. Well, I think that there's a, you know, there's a wonderfulness to 90s hip-hop, obviously, right? Like I'll still be 90s all the way, but that kind of ended there. Like that's that's my ship. Um, so I would apply it actually to hip-hop music and and that was my way to make it like relatable and accessible because I think there is such a culture to hip-hop outside of the music and um there was a lot of the sutras that I could see relatable to that of just just keeping it real. Right. And yeah, like this is what I was saying too, like when I reached out to you, you know, and and of course like when I found your profile, you had already kind of finished that series of shares, like it wasn't really like super active by the time connected with you. But when I scrolled down through your, you know, your your shares and your teachings and whatever, I saw that there was this like, yeah, this big uh pull from from hiphop and, you know, the culture and lyricism and things like that and like from a person who loves hip-hop as well. Oh, I was like, this is so not only so cool, I was like, she's so but I was also like, okay, like for me, I've read a lot about the sutras as well and like I've led some teachings as well and workshops and what have you, you know? Yeah. And you know, something about the sutras that I really like is
about the sutras that I really like is that, you know, today I could read one and it's going to have some sort of u I'm gonna have some understanding of like what that might mean to me today, but I can read the same one 10 years from now and it might bring up a whole different teaching, you know? So true. And so I can see sometimes where I can like pull, you know, parts of life and and parts of stories that I'm I've lived or whatever from certain sutras, but never have I connected the worth of hip-hop. And I was like, man, and you got me thinking in like a whole new way, you know, like I know it's like all yoga for sure, like it's all whatever, but I like she's really got me like switching my mind frame towards this. And so I would like love to hear about how that kind of came to be and how you were able to like I don't know like decode some of these words and like attach them to the sutras. And you know what? Like, man, I'd have to like go back to that younger self then, which wasn't it that long ago, maybe like 5 years or something. But like there was no Chad GPT. There was no Grock. Like I think if it was, it obviously wouldn't have the soul or like some of the essence that I brought to my teachings as well. But like I I honestly like I just love to study and learn. So which translation did I start with? Um, can I pull some out? Yeah, I was going to say we can if you want to. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, of course. You know what? I don't have what I tried to do. My um my baby when he used to like when I thought I cuz side note here, this doesn't have to be on the record, but I I didn't want to do the cry it out sleep
I didn't want to do the cry it out sleep training stuff. So, I was like, "Okay, you're going to sit in your crib and I'm going to read to you." So, I'm like, "I know what I'm going to read. Let's just read the yoga sutras." Yeah. Still still in his room there. But you know the blue copy by um I'm gonna butcher the name Sachin Nandanda. Oh yeah. That one was the first one I started with um because I loved how it was a bit more relatable. Like sometimes the sutras when they're translated it's like I don't know what the hell that is even about. Um so I had that one and then I came across um Living the Sutras. This one's a very easy read, but it's with um Cali Dinardo and uh who's the other one? Amy Piers Hayden. So, anyways, these these two they really got me inspired to just um to really start just applying it to my life. Mhm. And because I was a hip-hop head and loved hip-hop music so much, um I was like, "Okay, that's how it means in my life." And I'm listening to this song, I'm like, "Wait, this artist is talking about the same thing right now."or there I'm watching an interview cuz I would watch interviews all the time with hip-hop artists with a new album coming out or whatever or or sometimes like going in the digging through the crates and like listening to an old Tupac interview or something and I would just be like while I'm listening to the hip-hop not even reading the sutras like I'm just listening to the interview or the music and I'm like that's a sutra like every time I'd be like oh my god that's a sutra so then I would start writing it out and it's funny that we have this interview each day cuz I'm in the process of moving and I I'm like going through all stuff doing a pride graha like getting rid of things I don't want to hold on to anymore and I came across like all my journals like I don't I'm don't know if you went into that journey through Oh I have them right here right like you're just writing and like I would write out a lot of my sequences at the time because I was such a nervous at the beginning. Yes. And so I'm going through these books I'm like I ain't looking back at this sequence like what why am I keeping this anymore? side like I started ditching
anymore? side like I started ditching some of them but then I was opening up the ones where I was studying the sutra like and then I would see how I compared it to the hip-hop. So it's funny that this interview is happening and I just came across I wasn't looking for these books. It just happened so that I'm moving and you're coming up. So that's honestly how it was is I would be listening or going to the hip-hop first and then remember reading a sutra and be like there's the connection right there. So why not let's share this with more people that maybe relate to it and like I don't want to discredit like there are obviously people that are studied in this like this is their PhD and stuff. So, I'm not trying to discount what they do. And a lot of people will say like, "Oh, this translation is the only way." And when you're interpreting your own way, you're kind of taking away the truth from that. But it's just like that's not my goal. All I'm trying to do is just really make it accessible for people or for those that can relate it to their lives or to music like that might help them read them or apply them in their life, right? Yes. And I feel like, you know, some some people have this misconception about hip-hop that it's like a violent genre, you know, whatever. And I'm like, no, but it's not a violent genre. Yes, it can have those aspects, but any genre can go any way. It doesn't really matter, you know. And so that's a big aspect too where it's like well no these texts are talking about you know like peace and like overall well-being for us individually and as a collective and I'm able to you know pull from this violent music some also reflects that peaceful statement. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Totally. Um one of the projects that we did so did you do a training with one yoga at all? So no I haven't done any trainings with with them. Um, I did like a few things through Karma Teachers before transitioned out of being, you know, and then I've done some like other random things, but I have yet to to do one with one. Okay. Highly recommend it.
Okay. Highly recommend it. Yeah. But um so at the end of the training and again like I'm obviously at this time and I still am like I love that we had that conversation at the beginning like before this was recording that like we can still get those nerves pop up in interviews or even before teaching a class and no matter how many years you've been teaching for it's like that still that little butterfly will be there. Um where was I going with this training with one? Yeah. So my trainings were still in my early days of teaching and my early days of learning and all that and one of our this was online cuz it was co times. So our online training at the end of it we had to or towards the end we had to like do one share and that's all they said just share because I think it was just about getting comfortable in your voice talking like being comfortable speaking to people. If it was in public in person, it would obviously be like a bit more like there'd be more soul there, but through the screen there still is like a bit of like Tai. Um, so they're like just share anything and they didn't have rules. They're like just share whatever you want to share. So I like sitting I think about I'm like okay well like I don't know I had a cool story about like my first training learning about Ganesha and I was like but I'm like h that's not really like part of my big practice though. like it was just a portion of what I learned and how I applied it to my life at the time. But I'm like, I don't know, man. Like maybe I'm going to share about hip-hop because like that's just my life. That was how like I've it's hip-hop' s just been such a big part of my life since I was little. So I was like, "Okay, I'm going to share a little hip-hop class, like a little talk on hip-hop." But then so I was like, "Okay, what do I want to do?" So I was like, "Wait a minute. Let's do Woo Tag." And so I pulled out Yeah. I pulled up the 36 chamber album like okay let's let's think about this and do something here and then what I did because I my background actually before yoga um I was a videographer
before yoga um I was a videographer photographer and editor. Oh I didn't know that. Yeah. I I made lots of great connections in the yoga community in that way too, having that experience. But yeah, so for my project, I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna talk about Wuang. I'm going to talk about this album." And then I So I went through interviews of Wuang. And I'm like, "Oh, wait a minute. I can make a whole thing on the yamas and nyamas right here, just taking little clips out." So, I made a video presentation of why Wuang is yoga like and relaying it or matching it to the yamas and nyamas. The way I would have these little interviews along the way and I remember like people that were watching that were hip-hop heads like in the room like through the screen. They're just like this is [__] awesome. I can't believe this girl is doing this right now. like like I don't I unfortunately I was like I think sync the day that some other people were present uh doing their presentation. So mine was like one of the last days. So I had no idea what else anyone else did. But I'm sure it wasn't like listening to the Wuang album because I gave them a warning. I'm like I'm sorry but there will be a lot of f-words maybe on this album. But it was and I think that's actually where it all began was like doing that project for my teacher training and seeing how okay these guys just talked about the yamas and nyamas because that's a big thing that you do in yoga teacher trainings anyways like a lot of times you will learn that whatever training that you're in but it's from the sutras so then that's where it kind of all start to unfold right and do you find like in your study of you know kind of um pulling in from hiphop uh you know as a culture and and as a music you know and then kind of weaving it in with yoga. Did you find that there was you know certain artists that you just had more moments where you're like whoa whoa like because like to me I would think like yes Wuang would probably have a lot because they do talk about a lot of these principles and like universal laws.
laws. Yes. Um, definitely there's more artists than some, but I still wanted to because like what you mentioned, it's like yo, not yoga, hip-hop can have for outsiders, it can look very violent or they're not saying much, but like even with like artists at that time that you wouldn't think would be saying much, like there still is something that they're sharing in that song that is very truth of Satya. So, I wouldn't just like obviously it's easy to go to Wuang and Tupac and more of the like real artists, the conscious rappers like J. Cole was another one of my favorite ones of the time. Kendrick Lamar. Um Nas is a good one. Like there's so many like I'm not Did you listen to KRS1 as well? Not too much actually. Surprised because he has a lot of that too. Maybe maybe dig a little bit. I know. Now it's going to all come out and be like, "Okay, we're back to the sushi guys. on Instagram. Check me out. Right. No. And that's the thing though, like you could just keep deep diving. But what I did want to do too is bring out some artists that you wouldn't expect. So like Nip Nipy Hustle too had some really good stuff that I found relatable. Um Drake surprisingly at the time had some things like it was just about hearing a song and relating it. So it was just always there in front of me whenever I heard it. Right. Okay. And then uh and then you kind of stopped making that content I guess. And then that like when you I don't know is that when like cold plunging started to happen for you or what was the Yeah, honestly I think it was just around that time too. I was also getting more into the third and fourth chapter which is just like those when you're getting to that point in the sutras it's like okay you've done the like the first two chapters it's more about like this is what happens this is the process how to do it. So, the practice of it all, but then they're like, "And these are the cities that
these are the cities that you'll get from it. These are the experiences you have." And like I couldn't I felt like I couldn't relate that if I didn't know how to feel that for myself or have gone through it or like found some way to talk about it. Like I was just like I started doing chapter 3 of the sutras and I was just like like I can if I read enough I can do it. But I heard a great example my partner shared with me. He's like, and this came from his teacher. He said, "Do you know the he said, you know the words, but do you know the meaning behind the words?" And I was getting caught up there. I was like, "Okay, I know the words because I'm studying and I'm reading and I'm going through all these translations, but I I can't really know the meaning behind it." So, I can talk about it, but I don't have the real full meaning in my own self. So I I was like, h this is getting sticky. I don't feel like this is real for me anymore. So that's where I started to kind of be like, h and then at that time too, I believe cold plunges was starting to to come into my life. And what's a cool kind of transition then is because I've had all those studies so deeply with the sutras and going through each one each week and learning about them like I was knowing the meaning behind the words at the time and when I got to cool plunges I was like whoa this is it right here like it was just like that's that suture like I'm feeling it in my body right now in this water or this is the experience when I'm out of the water with this like I was just like and I haven't gone into like that would be I think a cool thing but like it's interesting because the cold water therapy community like it's it's not so many that come from a yoga background so to then be like listen to me talk about the yoga sutras they're like what sutra what like what is she on right now with the yog with the hip-hop people like
like like so I was just like like maybe one day it will come out but like it's honest Honestly, it's been such a beautiful blend in my practice of using sutras, yoga, and cold plunges to kind of experience what they're saying. And are you saying that like when you started cold plunging is when like chapter 3 started to make more sense to you? Is that No. Still chapter three and four don't make sense. Well, you know, and like it's such a good reminder that you we can't fast track. No, that book, you know, like there's books that you can, you know, like I can read a book about trees today and I could totally pound through it right now all day and I could have this great new found understanding, but one time I was leading like a Zoom, it was like a four-week sutra study. And uh even yeah, for myself, I think we we kind of started to get into chapter 2 and then like I same thing like when three came up, I like said to them, I was like, I'm not gonna be able to help you with this. Yeah. like it just extremely complex. It does. And the thing is is like in yoga teacher trainings, they don't really go into them. And some of the translations, they'll even say like, "We're just going to give you some of the sutras, but not all of them." Because I think even for authors, it's sometimes hard to go into that depth. Yeah. So, why not just kind of leave it to the unknown for now or when that mystery unravels itself for us, then maybe we can speak to it. So, I'm I'm glad that you recognize that in yourself, too, because it's like I think that that's what makes teachers like good teachers is when they can be honest to say, "This is a bit out of my realm. I can't lead you further." Like, we can only lead people so far, right? If they want to continue it and they want to go and study it and maybe they'll get the experience and share it back to us so we become their student. Like, I think that's the beautiful thing. At least we led them to that direction, right? Yeah. Totally. You got to be honest with yourself. Yeah, you do. You know, and I've said that a couple times in the different shares that I've had of just knowing
shares that I've had of just knowing that I'm in the company of a great teacher is like one that tells me that I don't need them and that like that they'll say I don't have the capacity. Whether that's saying I this is out of my wheelhouse. I don't understand it myself. I cannot teach it to you. or even knowing when you're going through some uh part of your life where even offering a your class is just not you know like I've seen a lot of people operate from like this empty cup place teaching and I'm like well maybe you just don't have that like we were taught a lot of the time like my teacher is like Peter Elmas right and so he would teach us that like we should and we well not should but we we can teach from this place of um you know like teach from our um hardship like if we're going through a tough time, show up still and teach that class and teach from that place. And that's been extremely helpful. I totally have done that many times and just like brought that in. I'm like, well, here's where we're at and this is where we're going for it. But then there's also times where you're just you're like maxed because life is just like it's like too much. Like so many hardships have happened and you're like going through grief and you're like I can't, you know, and so there's like this this balance of like knowing when like your Yeah. when your role as a teacher and like what you can give is like at its max. Yeah. And a lot of I've learned obviously I've learned a lot like since becoming a mother that it's like there are times where I'm like I can't show up for anyone else today. Yeah. Like I have to show up for myself because I poured myself into my baby today. Yeah. And I can't I there's nothing else I can give from me today. So there's I I'm working with two great studios right now here in Monton and the teachers on there are they're they're out to help and sub anytime and I'm so grateful to have that space because there's some studios that like no one's sub and no one and you're like great I'm on my own right now. I'm drowning and no one's here to save me like show up like
like show up like Yeah. But there's two studios that I teach at, they both have a lot of great subs that will come in and help out. And I never have that problem to be like to admit it that I'm like, I don't have it in me today. Like, and I don't have to say it. Like that's the other thing. It's like sometimes, yeah, we should explain like, hey, I got a headache. Can anyone sub? But other times it's just like, I need a sub today. Period. Like because I can't I know in myself. And it's funny because like afterward like once I sub it out and then that my class goes by and I'm at home on my couch I'm like a I probably could have done it but like I'm LIKE NO YOU COULDN'T have like you were you're you're at your limit Cambria like you got to take rest you got to kick your feet up and yes just chill. So I think you're still in your first year of motherhood. Is that correct? Yeah he's uh he's 14 months. Yeah. Okay. So also past yeah just a little after. Um, but it's just like everything is a new milestone or like like the the first the newborn years it's like like it's just hits you like what is what like this is completely out of what my usual schedule is. So you get used to it but I was nursing at the time too so that's like a lot of energy that you're giving out. Um, but now it's just chasing him and like hearing him scream all the time and like there's always something new which I love. Like it keeps you on your toes. It could be a whole sutra and freaking thing about that motherhood parenthood and babies and all that. Um, that's the beauty about the yoga sutras, right? It's like I'm sure if anyone is interested has any kind of hobby or deep interest that lights up their soul like you could probably relate it to some form of those sutras. So yeah, it's kind of cool that way. It is cool you know and like are you finding that in your you know transition into this new role in life which it's like a big role to step into it's like one of the biggest transitions we will ever go through as well. um that I don't
ever go through as well. um that I don't know that there's like challenge that you didn't expect or like that your practice is like showing up in a way that you're like I thought that I had worked through challenge before in my life but with the practices but now I'm like working through them in a completely different way and I actually really desperately need these practices to like stay that that is it that's honestly that's my life right now and like and I I love Ram doss. He had I believe it was around doss and he said like you think you're healed or you think you're all spiritually grown but wait till you go home and go home for a week with your family and see how like grown you are like it all comes out in parenthood it all comes out in raising a child like you're just like and those poses like I feel like the poses are good because you do need that movement for your body. Anytime I get a chance to move my body like it it feels good. Especially when I was doing a lot of nursing, I was starting to hold my my round through my spine because of the way that I would be holding my baby a lot. Um, so I needed those practices to like open up again and move my spine. So the poses are good, but honestly it's like it's the deeper stuff that you're like this is what I really need for my yoga right now. Like I need to meditate. I need to breath work it out. Like I need more than just the poses. Yeah. Sometimes I think that when you, you know, become a mother, it like works you internally in like a whole new way, you know, and you're going to have that now for like the rest of your life. You're like, "Wow, I'm I'm being faced with this, you know, these difficult decisions or this like complicated thing or like knowing how to do like you don't know how to do it. You just have to figure out how to do it." But you're like, "Well, I don't really know like like I want to be a good mother, but like who's to say going to be like Yeah. And my partner and I like we started later. this is our only child. I'm not going to say we started cuz this is our child and we're both content with our one beautiful child that we have. Um
our one beautiful child that we have. Um but like I'm I'm had him when I was 38 and he was 40 42 at the time. So it's like we started later and like you would think too like oh yeah we've gone through like like some people are having kids when they're very young and they get thrown in this situation which is like now that I'm in it I'm like I can't believe like a 16-year - old would be having to go through this cuz like there's it's so challenging. Um or sometimes people that are completely on their own doing it. So to be at an older age and raising a child, it's still I there's still just like whoa, I I don't feel ready. There's a lot I need to learn. There's a lot I need to do. But like at least we've gone through a lot of life that we maybe have more patience or understanding or like whatever showing up, however we're showing up that day, we can understand why we're doing it that way. It's like it's there's a better reflection of like oh I'm feeling at my limit or I'm feeling like a bit like flustered or overwhelmed but it's like no I'm overwhelmed because like he was screaming at night and continued in the morning. So it's like I don't have to blow up and like take this further than what it needs to be. Like it's just a situation right now and it will pass. So I feel like the patience key has definitely come into play like being an a parent at an older age for sure like having a young one right and like having this uh this deeper self-awareness all the work that we've done. It's just like yes, you have this awareness of the the situation like you can kind of like logically break down the screaming, the not not sleeping, the difficulty, whatever. And then you can kind of break down your own psychology of just what it what you're moving through as a person, right? Yeah. And I'm I'm so grateful that my partner is very he's on a very similar path. He's just gone a different route other than yoga. So doing more of like uh energy healing through um like Chinese medicine and deep uh spiritual
Chinese medicine and deep uh spiritual practices. Um so it's nice to be on that path with someone on that similar path with you like okay we we both can see why we're acting this way or we're both wanting to raise the child in this same way. Um so it's nice to have that support as well too. For sure. Of course. I'm happy that you have it. you know, it's like well needed and I've thought a lot about those individuals that just are on their own very young. I don't Yeah, I'm like I'm so grateful that that did not happen to me because uh yeah, I don't even know like your I feel like your brain isn't even fully developed to even understand what you're doing. I still don't feel I don't either. Oh, okay. Let's come back to the cold plunging because this is such a big aspect now and I feel like it's like obviously what I'm I've actively seen from you, you know, in our time connected to one another, you know, and so, you know, you started to Yeah, you kind of like found this cold plunging and like what was the first one you went on? Like what was it? Um, so I must share because like I always get the question. Um, so my first actual like experience with cold water was out in Vancouver and New Year's Day. They do the big polar plunge. Okay. And I remember my first time that I did it there. It was only the last time because I didn't stay in Vancouver much longer after that. But um I tried it and it it was like the whole it felt like the whole city came out to the beach. I don't know if you've ever done it there, but the whole it felt like the whole city was out there and everyone just runs in and out and there's so much excitement and I was quite hesitant like I was just like taking my friend there cuz he wanted to do it at the time and I was like h I don't want to. But there was a mindset cuz I brought my clothes and my towel even though I was like I'm not doing it. I'm resistant. But like for some reason I had my bag. Anyways, I did end up doing it. And when I got out, people were cheering because I could see how resistant I was to doing it. I was like, "Oh, wait. That that kind of felt good." And it wasn't until
kind of felt good." And it wasn't until I moved back home to Ontario and I had a few friends that were involved with a community called Stay Unbounded based in Toronto doing cold plunge therapy experiences. So, um, so like more tubs, like more tubs or intentional going out to the lake with a group of people, which I've never seen before. Like I saw the whole city do the polar plunge, but I never saw people like in a group stay in the water and come out together. Okay. So the first time actually like in my real experience of cold water therapy, I went to a retreat with Stambounded and my friend was going to lead cold plunges and he invited me to lead uh just some yoga like before they went into the water. So just to get their body warmed up, some breathing going so they're like feeling good about their their plunge. So I was just there for the yoga and at that time again I was still super resistant. I'm like there's no way you can even stay in that water. Like I ran in and out and that was enough. So, how could people do this? So, it was really quite interesting because I led the yoga and I was like, "Okay, well, I'm here. I might as well try going into the lake with them." This is in Niagara Lake or Niagara region. And so, they went in the water and this was in June. Okay. So, it's not like winter where it's freezing, but the water was still cold enough. Cold? Yeah. I think it was probably like around 15 ° C. So, I went out into the water. I got up to like my shin or my knees and I was like, "Oo, this is cold. I can't do it. I'm out. like I can't stay in. And they stayed in for their time and they all eventually came out. But then they had a second plunge after that and it was in the ice bath that you see me do often. So they had their big tank filled with ice and each one was doing it and they were just like they had all this great energy when they came out after. I was like, "What is to this practice right now?" Like what is happening in that water that I'm like I can't figure this out. And I was still like no, Like I can't even go into that lake that's like 15 degrees. There's no way I can sit in that bucket of ice water. Like there's actual ice. Like there's no
Like there's actual ice. Like there's no way. Yeah. They're about to wrap up for the weekend and they're going to empty the tub and they just asked me one last time. They're like, "Cambria, are you sure you don't want to do it? Like you might regret it on your drive home." And I was That's when I was starting to think about it. I'm like, "You know what? Yeah, I probably I'll give it a try."cuz I I was talking to the coach um and she was saying I asked her I was like is it okay if I just put my feet in or just go to my knees and she's like you do what you can like she was the best facilitator in that to like just like a yoga teacher like just approaching it that way like you do what you can you listen to your body so I was like okay I feel comfortable with you leading me in that way so I went inside I remember crying cuz I was like what am I doing right now am I actually going to sit in this bucket of water and I can't believe I'm like signing up for this. Well, and the tub is really intimidating. Like, you know, like I'm used to cold plunge in in the lake and that was significantly less intimidating. It was still freezing, but you have the water like Yeah, you got water and like you're in nature and you've kind of walked to get there and you've prepared yourself and like the tub, I've only done the tub once and I'm like, okay. Yeah, the tubs it's a whole experience. More mental. I think it is honestly it's a mental that's all it t. Yeah. So yeah, I got changed, came back down, and I sat in, and I can send you a picture of it, or I even have the video, too. Um, so I went in and I got to my knees, and then I kind of kneled down. So got up probably to just about like above my waistline, which felt like enough. And I she was there like guiding me through my breath, reminding me that I'm okay. I'm doing great. And I stayed in. I was surprised. I stayed in for two minutes. Wow. When I got out, she like it was at a beautiful location, this retreat. It was like a cottage right next to the lake. So, it was very quiet. No one else is really around. So, she walked me down to the lake again. And she's like, "Well, you can like sit here." Cuz she could tell I was like going through a bit of a release after that
bit of a release after that plunge. So, she said, "Okay, just sit by the lake and when you're ready to come up, you can come up." I was like, "Okay." And I put my feet in the water in the lake and the water felt warm and I just cried because what I experienced in that moment was realizing like what have I believed like listen to my mind on that wasn't actually true because it was all relative. Like when I first went into that lake I was like this is freezing. I can't do it. I'm out. I do an actual like freeze like colder temperature in the water and then I go back into the lake and the lake felt like a bath and I was just like but my first experience was I couldn't be in that lake. Yeah. So it made me kind of really check myself in my head of being like what where else have I blocked myself or have thought something was true to not actually be true? And it was just in that experience that I was like this practice is there's a lot to this practice that I need to uncover. Um so it was from there that this group then they continue to lead that they do obviously more in the wintertime. Um, so I went out to more of their plunges on the lake and got to meet all the people that do it more regularly and I saw the connection of very much like yoga how we come together and we can help each other through and we walk each other home. Um, so yeah, it's just it was and it still is like it's always unfolding in the water for me. And you do a lot with nature, like as you're sharing and I see from your photo shoots all the time, like you love being out in nature and when you connect with water again, like I feel like we're connecting back to to that moment. Maybe when we're in our mother's wombs, I don't know. But like water holds so much truth that I'm I'm unpacking all the time. Like every time I plunge, there's just something to it that Yeah. I learn about myself or learn
Yeah. I learn about myself or learn about my soul or about people or about the world or like you can there's so much you can take from the practice if you just get quiet enough. Right. Yeah. And I find that you know when I'm with the waters there is a yeah there's a shift like I want to the waters all the time in the summer especially not so much in the winter like you know but I I find I can I like I feel that emotional pull and I like see the unraveling of this whatever the stories are that I've told myself or the things I've experienced or even yes these like perceptions that had been uh shifted for you by feeling like this lake water is warm. warm all of a sudden, but it wasn't. And like the same temperature, exact same temperature. And you're like, whoa, like where where Yeah. Where have my perceptions been incorrect or just like, yes, where have I been blocking myself before? Um, and I find that like water is one of those elements that really like has this um like I find all of them to be very powerful, but there's like a I mean it sounds like kind of a standard or like cliche, but water is like so um there's a depth. There's like a, you know, there's like depth where you can just, it's like endless the way that like studying yoga is endless. It's going and like I've every time now you get in the tub like it's still um shifting things for you. Still shifts every single time and that's why I stay with it. It's like how can I not like but um so now my practice obviously like for 5 years it's evolved into what it has. Um and in the midst of my 5-year practice like in one of the years my father passed away so I was dealing with grief and I had a strong whole punch practice at that time like right before he died. Um so I was like okay to process this grief I know exactly what I'm doing like I'm getting into that water. So I challenged
getting into that water. So I challenged myself to 100 days. I'm like, I'm going to do this for 100 days. A few other people in my community did it like prior to. So I was like, I feel like I can do that. And that's going to give me purpose to get out of bed and to get moving and to just release. Like sometimes I want to cry about it, but to release what I need to release. Like grief shows up so differently for everyone. our relationships we have with people like my relationship with my father might be different from someone else's relationship to their father but grief is grief and it will show up differently in your body and how you carry yourself and it honestly it helped me so much through that process of just showing up for myself 100 days doing it and releasing it um and it was in that process I was like you know what this is very healing and I want to share this with more people. Yeah. So, I uh I'm out in the west or the east coast now, so in Monton, New Brunswick. And I was like, I want to bring a community here. Like, I know there's people cuz cold plunging like it's it's it has its seasons where it's popular and then it dies down and it's popular and it dies down. And usually in the winter time with polar plunges and stuff, it's popular. But a few people were always talking about it with me like, "Oh, I see or I've heard you've done cold plunges. Like, can we do them together?" So, I was like, "You know what? We can start building a community." So, it was through my 100 day challenge that I started to build East Coast Plunge. Um, and now it's an offering where I I have like a dedicated space with a studio that I I teach at. Um, and I guide people through an experience of like including everything now. So, yoga, breath work, cold plunges, then we end with like a grounding meditation so we can integrate everything that we've gone through. Um, and it just feels like it just feels so right along with my my career or my my path of teaching yoga like offering now cold plunges to people feels amazing too because some people come in like what I love is the ones that will come in just my last workshop I offered I had a woman
my last workshop I offered I had a woman come in and again she had all her stuff she had her towel and her bathing suit and everything but she came she walked in the studio and she's like is it okay if I just don't do the cold plunge part? I'm like, of course. Like, I I never want to pressure anyone to do it, especially if they don't feel ready. It's a big thing, you know, like when I would go in like back in the day, like I remember my first one and I was like I obviously went into a tiny little moment of shock and I forgot to like I'm not breathing and I was like, you know, like your heart like feels like it stops when you go in. So, like it's definitely not for everyone. No. And that's my thing. It's like I I never want to convince everyone that it's like you must do this. this is the best thing ever cuz it's for some it actually isn't good for them. I agree. Um for some are very resistant to it. So I I never want to push someone that's not ready for it. So she came in and she said, "Is it okay if I do the yoga and everything else of the workshop but not the cold punch?" I said, "Absolutely." But she shared with me, she's like, "But I brought my stuff." I was like, "Well, there's the mindset right there." So I'm like, "We'll see how it unfolds." And in my workshops, too, I explain like, "Okay, this is how we're going to breathe. This is what to expect." And you do what you can. We're going to try to stay in for two minutes, but you do what you can listen to your body, right? So, she came in, we like do our yoga, we go to the cold plunge room, and we're all we do it in pairs. So, I paired her up and uh she goes in and she's doing great cuz she she has she comes out to a lot of the yoga classes. I see her a lot. So, she's doing awesome with her breath work. And then she's like, "Can I stay in another minute?" I'm like, "Yeah, go ahead." Like, I'm just there coaching, making sure she's all right. She's like, "Okay, another minute." She stayed for four minutes, which I'm just like in my head I was just like, "This is incredible right here because you came in thinking that you weren't going to do it at all and then you just crushed it and you went above and beyond." And there's a lot to like the timings and stuff. Like I don't I could get into it later, but like I don't want people to overstay. They're they're welcome in the cold either, but like four minutes was a
either, but like four minutes was a perfect amount for this woman. And I was just so like she'll probably always remain in my head as like what a great experience because of how she came in to the studio and then what she ended up doing and that's the mindset right there. It's like we can't just always listen to our minds and like the yoga sutras like it it shows us how we can unpack that all. Well, I think about like how the the visible spectrum is actually quite small, you know. It's like we only see so much. So, there's like so many things that our eyes our specific human eyes do not pick up. We can't see all those things that are existing. So there's more, you know, and um I do want to thank you for sharing about um about your father and uh um I send you a lot of love around that because you know like I I lost my brother a couple years ago and like when you tell me this this share in this story like something that's come up for me in the grief process is that um a lot of like beauty and goodness has come out of it as well. Yeah. And and it's like a weird thing because you don't want to feel that some sometimes you don't want to feel that like there's goodness coming from that because it's like so heartbreaking. You know, it just hurts so bad or it's so difficult to move through. But it shifts also again your perceptions or now you have this beautiful thing with East Coast Plunge that came from that like dedication that you were able to give to the 100 days. Yeah, exactly. All unraveled into like this wonderful gift that you, you know, like might not have really thought about unless you move that that grief, right? And like for some and it's just how it shows up for people like some it's hard to get out of bed, some rely on other things in life to get them through it. But this was my way to get through it and it helped me like so much. So then also too, so then after that I got East Coast Plunge going and then uh I got pregnant and I for me personally and it's a everyone's their own body. I'm never going to put judgment on there. But like for me, I was like, I'm not doing my cold punch
was like, I'm not doing my cold punch practice. There's no science cuz the practice that I follow um at least the protocols I follow come from a researcher named Dr. Susanna Soberg. And that's what I like to follow is the research behind it or the science behind it of why we're doing this and why it should work. I think that's the better way to do it, especially with a newer wellness practice. Like there's I'm going to say it right here, but there's like way too much out there that can like maybe be quite hurtful for people or damaging or whatever. And because it's popular on social media, like doesn't mean we should do it. So that's why I always wanted to take this practice a bit more seriously. So, because there was no research or science to show the benefit of the practice and because of what I understand of what's happening to the body when you're in the cold water that everything is kind of shutting down to keep your vital organs running. I was like, well, if it starts to shut out my blood flow to my baby, I ain't going there. There's no freaking point. I'll take nine months off. I'll be back. So, I took the nine months off. And then afterwards with nursing um there was just showing some effects of like what can happen like if I have a lot of cortisol I don't want that to pass on to him too much. So I was like okay take take another little bit off too once I'm done nursing then I'll get back to my practice. So it's now that I start getting back into my practice again. And uh so I was like you know what I'm going to do? I'll do those 100 days again because I'm coming back to me right like this is how I need to show up. And I think it's an important thing for mothers and new mothers that it's like we still need to take time for ourselves. Like you whatever you can carve out in your day like we need to do that because there's a lot that we do outside of that time. Yeah. So it's like okay I'm going to dedicate those two minutes in the water to myself. Obviously there's time before and after to like get it all prepared and to get warmed up again. But it feels good to just be like this is my time of the day. I'm going to do it for myself to show up for myself and my baby and my family in a better way. And afterwards,
family in a better way. And afterwards, I always feel like so much more like I just I have so much more energy to like do the rest of the day with him because sometimes it's like, oh my god, I'm so tired. I can't keep going and singing songs. Yeah. Like songs that are like you're like, I never thought I'd be singing this. Right. Like I'm used to singing some like implications to Patanjali. Now I'm talking about Baby Shark and Right. Yeah. You're like, "What is going on here?" Like, "This is not what I used to listen to. Who have I become?" And now I'm loving it. Honestly, like it does put me in like kind of like a mantra like state like cretan where you're just saying things over and over. Like some of these songs are just like that because it's only a few words and it's just repeating it so the baby learns. And I'm actually enjoying it. So I can't even hate that much. No. You like But we need that reset. Yes. And so so the 100 days right now is my reset and it's feeling so great. And then what I wanted to do with this one is to just share all the tips that I have or like just offer like a reflection that I had the other day or something new that's coming up for me so that like it's not just me in a tub every day like oh yeah there she goes again. She's doing it. Well, we're watching. We are watching. Um, but it feels good to like just share and pass on on the wisdom because sometimes like as well of information being accessible, it also too can go in the way of like now pay me millions of dollars like always that's that's causing that nonaccessibility with it again. So I've never wanted to do my stuff, my services that way. So, this is my way to still offer to the community because it's nice when I see some of my students come in to to do yoga, they they they'll see my my water practice and they'll have questions about it or they'll say like, "Oh, I saw your post and they'll ask me about it." So, it's like, "Okay, cool. Here, I could give you more information to help you." Yes. Yeah. you know, and I'm like really appreciating like this uh aspect of you like keeping your own identity after becoming a mother, you know, because I think it's something that maybe our generation is doing a a little bit maybe
generation is doing a a little bit maybe more of a conscious job of, but still not always because I've met a lot of mothers that the their identity just becomes that like they just are a mother, which is a it's beautiful, you know, whatever, but they it becomes unhealthy for them and and uh you know, they don't keep uh the aspects of themselves that used to exist before they, you know, they don't stay um on some sort of path for themselves and they kind of forget who they were before and what they were interested in. And I've talked to a lot of mothers about keeping their own identity and like remembering that there was like an aspect of them that love to go do these things that they haven't now done for 10 years. Yeah. It's like, well, you know, where where did that go? It's just like all slips away. And I think um like it happens really easily, you know, to mothers. But uh to stay kind of rooted on some sort of path and like Yeah. to remember who you are and like what inspires you, what keeps you like showing up and um and staying well as a whole mind body. That's it too. Yeah. Because for me like the cold water therapy practice like from that first experience that I shared with you with Stay Unbounded. It's like I had that that clar that clarity moment of like wow my mind like where has it led me wrong or where have I blocked myself? So for me honestly like it's always been about um the practice for me more so about like mental health and well-being internally and for my soul and for my meditation like I always share like the ice water for me is my meditation seat like my sucasana easy seat of like sitting in the water and for some it might be sitting in a quiet space with a candle or however meditation shows up for all different kinds of people like that's my meditation. So, it's always more so been like a deeper practice than just like a physical recovery, which is great. Like, I think it's a great introduction or that's exactly what some people need for their body, especially for athletes or people that are just working out a lot.
people that are just working out a lot. Um, it's great for that, but for me, it's always been on that side of things of mental health and well-being and just being able to to practice that like discomfort and being okay in discomfort, right? Like I think our lives now we're so used to comfort, right? Yeah. Especially in warmth. Like it's the easy one of like my car is heated, my seats are heated in my car. At night I have my duvet. My house is warmed all up. Like we want to stay warm. And that's not that's just one example of comfort. Like there's a lot of different areas in our lives where we're just working with comfort now. And then when we're ex when we're faced with discomfort, we have a hard time facing it, right? And we want to run away from it or we want to ignore it or like turn to something else like a substance or whatever to not face that discomfort. Um, so I find the cold plunge and what I try to share with people too is like the cold plunge is a great way to practice discomfort in a setting that is quote unquote safe, but like like in a setting that is controlled. So like you know there's a start and an end to this discomfort. How do you manage it for two minutes and know that when you get out you did it? And then when you keep when you continue to do that, there's a lot of growth from that because then when the discomfort arises in life of like as simple as like, man, that woman cut me off and blah, like you don't respond the same way. Or when you're working and you're like, oh, I have these deadlines and I can't like you're able to manage it way better. And I've had many people that go that route have shared like yeah the cold practice helps me in that way too. Yeah. Well, and like you know bringing in our our yogic breath and like bringing in this aspect of getting better with discomfort through the cold like it's such a powerful combination. And I feel I'm so grateful that I know these things or that I've experienced these things to
that I've experienced these things to have them in my, you know, in my wheelhouse to like, okay, I can work with this. And like the same way you're saying like there's many ways of comfort. Like I see I feel like I'm seeing it a lot too. Like there's like a a fastpaceness to life. Like there's like pre-made meals at the grocery store. I'm like, what? Why we got to go so fast? Like why don't we just prepare the meal? Like sometimes it's so totally helpful. I get it. But like you see it and you're like well like why what h why are we fasttracking our lives you know and like you're receiving packages the same day the next day there's so much comfort and I honestly like I don't know sometimes when I order something on Amazon I'm like how did it get here that fast though? Yeah. How did that work? I know like a piracy like there, you know, like those tunnels are real, dude. Like, you know, it's like what is going on here, you know? But there are all these areas of comfort and like in the same way that the cold plunges can, you know, bring this aspect of discomfort that is like, yes, controlled discomfort. Like there's also different ways that people can do that because I find like a lot of people just want to have a shower. Like they'll just do the cold shower. They don't fully plunge themselves or they might do the like cold on their um on their face or something. So it's like yes, it's like doing this discomfort, but they're not having to like fully immerse themselves and going into the lake in, you know, mid January, whatever. And I would never recommend like as much as like I don't ever push my services on people especially with people that are resistant to it. It's like you can do this on your own. But I feel like if you do it with like the right facilitator or just with another person like you you will have a better experience and then just seeing it online and be like I'm going to do that tomorrow and then you try to do it and you get out cuz you you just didn't have the proper um setup for it or the like knowing how to do it and then you might not do it again. So it is good like I would share to people like it is good to like either find out a community in your area that are doing it. A great way is
area that are doing it. A great way is cold showers if you are wanting to try it on your own. Like cold shower is always there. It's accessible for everybody in most places. So you can always start there and then just see how you do just turning it colder colder each week or staying in the cold shower longer. And then if you're loving it then it's like okay let me search out a community that does this because it is quite popular now that I know in Vancouver there's many people that do it in Toronto stay unbounded and another community is Thrive and out here I'm doing it in Halifax there's a huge community out there Coldplay. Um, so I would always recommend to people like just do it with community cuz you'll you will have definitely a better experience and then maybe be maybe more likely to do it again or to start applying it like as a regular uh thing. Yeah, that makes sense. And like my first time I just went like the rushing part of the lake. There's like a feeds into it which is fine, you know, whatever. I just went alone, whatever. Like I knew I would be fine, but like cuz I knew that I had breath, but that doesn't mean anything cuz I still lost my breath as soon as I did like as soon as I got like down to like, you know, I never put my head under, but as soon as I got my shoulders in, I was like, you know, whatever. Yes. Like I was like, "Oh, maybe I shouldn't be doing this alone." Yeah. So, what I'll give one tip right now for whoever's watching or listening. Don't do what I did. Yeah. Don't Don't do it that way. But the thing is is like however whatever body of water that you're going in like walk in with intention. Set your intention be confident with your feet and then find a breath in. So you take a breath in. Yeah. And then when you're ready to sink a deep breath out and you slowly lower down to a level that's comfort for you. And I find that way if you breathe slowly in, breathe out to lower, you can't really lose your breath because your breath naturally do the inhale. Yeah. Then you just have to remind yourself deep breath out. If you go in fast or you're doing anything where it's too fast, like we
anything where it's too fast, like we were just talking about world is already too fast. You need to slow down just like how we do in yoga. If you go into the if you approach the water that way, you're going to be like like it's just naturally going to happen. And we do have kind of like shock points in our body. So in the ankles, knees, hips, um chest, especially here, those parts light up again. So even if you go into your knees and then you sink lower to your hips, you'll get that feeling again. So that's when you just have to remember to catch the breath. So when you get to there again, you take a breath in and then breathe out to the belly. Like that's it's all about the breath in that practice. And that's what you have to just keep reminding your mind to do is send it down to the belly. But you got to go slow like right people. It's not the cold plunge. And I'm not saying this about your practice because it still sounded like you were doing it the right way. It's just for the people that are rushing into it. Like you got to approach the water with attention and respect. Yeah. Major respect for the water. You got to respect nature. If you're doing it out in nature, like I would say never ever ever not to you for anyone else that wants now. So it's fine. anyone that's like wanting to do this practice for the first time and they're like, I'm getting in my car tonight and I'm going, you have to go with someone because nature can just always do whatever it wants. We can't disrespect nature. No, we can't. Especially the water. I feel like the water is uh you know, it's it's like so beautiful and and calm and healing and it's also like extremely dangerous. It has some yong energy. Yeah, for sure. And I remember at the time I was like talking to my mom about it and she she was really nervous or worried and I was like no like I'm always going to like make sure I can touch. That's the thing about the running in I'm like well you're not really sure of like your footing or anything. Yes. Never. Um we always if I do it out with a group like uh in nature we only we always go to where we can still like touch the ground. I I don't like the feeling. I'm not a strong swimmer myself. So I don't like the feeling when
myself. So I don't like the feeling when I can't touch the ground. But then because the practice is bringing up so much discomfort, it's like the last thing you need to think about is like, am I going to float long enough or am I going to sink and die right now? So, we only usually go to our hips. Yeah. And then we'll take the breath in and then lower to whatever comfort you want. So, then you're kind of just like squatting in the water. You're all your feet are always still on that solid ground. Right. And I've like always seen you with a toque and I've always seen you with gloves and that I always wonder what what's going on there because like for me I was like kind of immersing you know I wasn't doing my head obviously whatever. I wonder why your hands don't get involved is my So there's no extra benefit if you think about the body mass that's in the water. Your fingertips ain't going to add like the extra 10% in. Right? So, the way to regulate your body temperature or to help your body regulate is to keep your hands above if you have if it's the winter time to wear mittens because your body temperature is going to stay normal in your hands and that will just help to regulate everything else like it's not working so hard in your hands either or a lot of like discomfort can arise in your hands when people put their hands in. So, then that's causing more discomfort in the body. So, why not just take it like a little easy? There's no extra benefit. So just keep your hands above, wear mitts, and then it's the same thing with your head because your head will release a lot of heat. So to help regulate that temperature and to keep your natural heat in, I love wearing my hat, especially in the winter time, I'll wear my hat. Um the other key that like you may or may not see sometimes is I always wear neoprene socks. It's what the surfers would wear like when they're doing their Somebody recommended that to me. Yeah, they said I should get those. I I would tell anyone who wants to get in this practice, I would say like try like if you're like, I'm not sure I'm going to do this, like do it once without the socks and then if you're like I love this practice, go order your socks the next day because the socks are a game changer. I tell everyone and some people want to still bring their ego in it and be like I don't need socks again. There's no extra benefit of putting your feet in so or like having
putting your feet in so or like having your feet bare. So neoprene socks. Um water shoes work too. I just find the neoprene socks are obviously thicker so they help to regulate that body temperature too. So I always have my neoprene socks every time I go and do a cold plunge whether that's like in a studio like the ones that we that I use for my workshops when I do it outside here when I do it at the ocean like I just it's just I feel a lot of discomfort in my toes. Some people do feel that way too. And then it takes me out of the practice. Like instead of going into like a nice meditative state or just a relaxation state, I'm just focused too much on my toes. So I like why not just kind of help help out my mind there and cover them up, right? Yeah, that totally makes sense. And like when I started doing it, the reason I was doing it was because I have reodess. Uh yes. So somebody I read something and my friend who was very uh you know immersed in the cold plunge world at the time. She was saying that a lot of people have you know kind of cured whatever you know cured their thing for and I was like yeah okay. So I thought well maybe actually I see the logic like if I go into this much colder water the air will not feel as cold because I'm draining my body whatever it did not like for me. I think it like made my life a little bit worse. Yeah. So definitely keep your hands above and the neoprene socks. I think that might be a good start. Like if it's still there and it still is painful. I know with that like it just won't ever really change. It goes either way for people is what I've heard and what I've read. So it's like it's good to maybe try the mits and keeping your hands above in the shoes and if it's still causing that much pain it's like okay maybe this water temperature isn't right for me or I can do my cold showers. Like there's so many different things you can then adjust from there. But it's it's starting with what like starting with what you can use to help you. Yeah. And that's when like whoever it was like recommended that I get those socks and like I never really thought about gloves to be honest. I just didn't really think about it. And like I did really appreciate doing it. I I like
really appreciate doing it. I I like looked doing it. It became this like routine for me. go to this place and do this thing and like be alone and have to breathe and like you have the good feeling afterwards when you get out water and your body is so warm and you're like wow I feel I love it but I was like maybe this just isn't for me because of my circulation issues whatever but like I'd be totally open to uh yeah maybe trying again some of these things yeah try it out and then if not like maybe just sticking to cold showers or the water temperature like that's that's what I would share cuz the science that I follow with Dr. Susanna Soberg, she shares that it's like anything below 15 ° C or lower is is fantastic and you'll get benefits from it. So, it doesn't have to be like what you see on my social media. That's why sometimes I always try to remind people like it doesn't have to be an ice tub like full of ice. Yeah. The reason why mine is is because it's winter and it's cold out here on the East Coast. So, it just happens to be full with ice. And if I had the time, I'd probably shovel all that ice out, but I don't. So, and I have the years of practice where I'm just like, "Okay, I know how to manage this." And some days if I don't have it in me, I'll go for a shorter time. So, there's different protocols that you can play with. So, maybe what I would also recommend for you is to try a different water temperature maybe like depending like was it in a dedicated tub? No, I only tub once. I like did a um in December on Gabriola and then uh which was I it was I I couldn't it was my first time and I like was with my friend I was like I just I can't do this like I was like I can't she's like you just need to breathe and I was like I can't like I'm getting out I'm getting see but that's where the facilitator comes in what I'm saying you know and then this the next time was I went into the ocean also on Gabriel Ola, which was just so much better. It was just so much better. And then it was like Yeah. From there it just I only like went into the lake basically.
like went into the lake basically. Oh yeah. And that's it. It probably is a warmer temperature in the lake or the ocean than in one of those tubs. So yeah, why the one with the rushing water though, the rushing and I'll share this too for anyone that's in a tub that has circulating water. If you're out on like um like in the ocean if it's like or the lake and it's really a lot of water flow or like you were saying it was like a a rushing flow into the Yeah, it's like a moving part that like those those plungers are extremely challenging because of the constant water flow. You're breaking the thermal layer. go around your body when you're in the water. And you'll see this sometimes, like myself included, you'll see images of people remaining completely still. We do that because we're building a thermal, well, the body is naturally building a thermal layer around us. So, keeping our body warm and there's like a thin layer obviously then of warmth and then the ice or the cold water around you. Once you move your arms or once that water is continually rushing, it's very challenging, if impossible, I don't know, to build that thermal layer. So, a way for those people that are listening that want to like improve their practice without dropping the temperature lower or staying in for a ridiculous amount of time is to then play with like moving your arms around because that will create a bit more of a challenge in the cold without having to do something more extreme. Um, so in rushing water, like if you notice like, "Wow, this is really hard right now." It's because that rushing water is breaking your thermal layer. Okay. Yeah. See, I didn't even know that that existed. Yeah. See, there's a lot to it. It's not just plunging in water, y'all. No, not even close. And you know, and I messaged you the other day to say that like what I said something along the lines of like what I'm loving about watching you do these 100 days. I think it has it been two times that you've done the 100 days now. Yeah. like my first one with the grief and then this is my second round. Okay, that's what I thought. And so I said to you I was like, "You know what? I'm loving watching you for like
what? I'm loving watching you for like do this whatever is uh is that like it it's really showing that it just never gets any easier." Like when it doesn't and people that say that it does, it's like I don't know. Like I have met people that have burnt out on it and what what that means is that they've stayed in the water like they maybe started the practice without too much of the protocols of how to do it in a proper way or a lasting way. So they've burnt out their system. So they've stayed in the water way too long, maybe 10, 15 minutes or something. So they don't feel the same effects or they've stayed in extremely cold temperatures and they don't feel the the effects the same. So it might feel easy to them, but it's just because their whole freaking system is burnt out on the cold. But for me, I've always stuck to this practice of staying in for 2 minutes, maybe three, like depending on the water, four max. Like that's it for me. But 2 minutes regular is what I normally do. And my temperature is somewhere between 50. Like right now it's zero because of the ice. I normally probably wouldn't do it this this temperature all the time, but it's just what I'm dealing with, so is what it is. But um but because of that protocol that I stick with that it always is like okay yep there's the cold again. Like I'm not used to this yet. Like I know how to breathe. I know how to manage it. But it's still like yesterday I sat in and I was just like like this is freaking cold right now. And yet I did it the day before. Same temperature, same like but it's just your body is is again in that discomfort. And how do we manage it? Oh yeah. Breathe. chill, right? And I'm sure you have a lot of moments where you're like, "What the [__] am I doing?" Oh my god. Like it comes up. I'm on day like what is it? Day 47. Yeah. You're in the 40s. Yeah. And like it was just like a couple days ago. I'm like, "What am I doing?" Right. What am I? Yeah. Well, but it's a good reflection. Like it's a good thing that comes up, right? Yeah. Well, I think as soon as it
Yeah. Well, I think as soon as it gets sticky, that's that's like the It's like the yoga, man. Like as soon as you want to get out of the pose, Ryan says it all the time, as soon as you want to get out of the pose, like that's exactly when yoga starts, you know? So, you're like, "Well, okay." Yeah. Exactly. That you have to like And the other thing I'll share about being on a challenge and I've learned a lot from um when one yoga would do this or Ryan Leer would say it every now and then in a in one of these challenges because when yoga always offer I think they still do 40-day challenges. Oh, They would share that along the way like even sometimes closer to that last week or last bit of the 40 days you'll be challenged by something that's like stopping you from committing to it and continue to go and it showed up and it always shows up but this this year and I was close to 40 days which is awesome. I was just like hilarious cuz I'm doing 100 but like it was around the 40day mark and my frigin tub froze completely over cuz we had like just this one night where the temperature dropped ridiculous and I thought I would be okay just chopping it and my whole [__] my whole tub. That's how I felt. My whole turn to ice and I was like, "Okay, here we go. We're going to chop it." And it just took forever. And because like I have mama duties, I can't just spend my day chopping ice. Like that's not fair to my child. So any little bit of time I had, I would come out, boil water, pour it in, chop it, and just work away at it after a week. And thankfully, I have my space at the studio I teach at, True Studio here in Monton. So I was able to use their their tub to like continue my practice, which I was just like, "Oh my gosh, thank you guys for having this space here."because I probably would have had to give up or could have kind of done cold showers, but like I just love the plunges. Yeah. So, I chipped away and chipped away for a week and finally like once I got to the bottom I was like, "Oh, thank God." But along the chipping, like sometimes you ding the tub, right? And I'm like, "Oh my god, if this is like broken or starts leaking, what am I
like broken or starts leaking, what am I going to do?" So, I pulled it out to my yard now. So, it's on the grass. And I just was like, I don't know if this thing is going to hold water anymore or leak or if there's a hole I can't see. Yeah. But I told and I just filled it and I put the lid on overnight and I was like, I'll see you in the morning. Good luck, tub. Like, and I told my partner, I'm like, if it doesn't hold the water, I'm done. Like, I can't like I did the most. I tried so hard to get all that ice out and if it doesn't want to hold water, like this practice is just done for the 100 days. I just have to surrender. But it held it and I was like, "Yes." Oh my gosh. So, but that it reminded me of when Ryan Leer said that or some of the teachers at one Yoga said that that it's like you'll be challenged on these 40 days of you if you're really going to stick to the practice or not. And I did and I and yeah, that was a that was quite a an experience to go through. Well, yeah. And I think that, you know, that's why when I messaged you, I was like, this really speaks to the discipline that you're having to get in the tub. But what you're explaining to me now is also you know how like they they say I'm pretty sure it might be Christian that says like to not be attached to the fruits of your your like guessing the path is the journey you know whatever and it's like also what is unseen even though you would you probably wrote it like I know that you shared about that you shared like saying oh my god this [__] thing like I can't get whatever that is also this like unseen aspect of discipline and having to show up and still do it you know So, not only are you like facing and putting yourself in these uh you know in this discomfort Yeah. but you're also like showing that you have this discipline to show up every day even though you don't want to or all of the messages of the universe are like this thing frozen. You cannot do it. You can't do it. It's like no I can't. Yeah. No, it is it's honestly discipline. And that's one of the sutras is bringing in the practice of discipline into your practice. Right. It's like we practice
practice. Right. It's like we practice with um like the two sides of it of with the discipline but also with the reverence for it all too. So I think that's the beauty of it all. Um I do have to wrap up because I got to get this baby's dinner going soon. Yeah. Is there any like last minute questions? No, that was actually my last question for you. I was gonna see if you had anything else that you wanted to uh to share or if you feel like you missed anything or there's anything you feel that is important. I think I always love sharing with people that I share a lot in my yoga classes, especially on those hard days, like I always tell everyone if it's in yoga, if it's in cold plunging, if it's in showing up as a mom, it's like the hardest part is always just showing up. Like it's always just trying to get to the studio or signing up and actually being there or with the cold plunges like get to the tub and getting in the water. Um but the one thing that I always like I read it once in the Bavagita and it stuck out and I was like man that's a freaking solid quote right there and it shared that um on this path effort never goes to waste and there is no failure and I think that's such an important thing to remember like our effort whatever we put in however that looks it will never go to waste and I like I always want people to know like don't think of yourself is like failing in this moment if you couldn't do the full venyasa practice or that pose that you've been trying to get or getting into the tub and staying in the water. Like anyone that goes in and stays for 10 seconds, you did it. You put in the effort, don't think of that as a failure because you did it. Um so that's a that's like such a powerful quote that I always want people to remember like effort never goes to waste and there is no failure on this path. Yeah, thank you for sharing. Um, I remember when I read that in the Gita and it it did something for me too. I was like, okay, you know, I felt reaffirmed in that. So, I'm glad that you you're closing with that uh that wonderful
closing with that uh that wonderful quote. Yeah. Um, thank you so much for your time and Yeah. and sharing with us. It's been so good to sit here with you finally. Yes. Finally, we made it happen. Yeah, for sure. When I go to Vancouver, yeah, come finding you. You better just put your name. Just say you'll sub so I can go to one of your Yeah. Amazing. Oh, so good to chat with you. All right. It was nice chatting with you. Take care. See you.
Transcript auto-generated by YouTube. Verbatim — duplicates intentionally preserved.
A ritual becomes meaningful when it changes how you meet ordinary life. Cold water offers immediate feedback: breathe, soften, stay present, and let intensity move through without becoming the whole story.
The breath is the bridge between discomfort and choice. In cold water, steady breathing gives the nervous system a path back to safety.
Recovery practices do not need to be perfect to be useful. Short sessions, honest pacing, and community support can make resilience feel accessible during full seasons of life.
"The most useful protocol is the one that helps you return with more clarity, not more strain."
Start with a modest dose and let consistency do the work before increasing intensity.
Use breath as the anchor. If breathing becomes chaotic, reduce the exposure or end the session.
Pair stress with recovery: hydration, minerals, sleep, and enough space between demanding sessions.
