Ice baths changed my life and could change yours

I FIRST took a cold plunge about three years ago. I was guided in by an ice water and breathwork aficionado called David Jackson, otherwise known as Jacko.

- Lucy Spraggan

I explained to him that I'd always suffered with bouts of depression, but more recently I'd been experiencing a fresh level of hypervigilance in my everyday life. While walking down the street, I'd start to panic and feel like there was danger everywhere.

To prepare for submerging my swimwear-clad body into the 8C barrel of water in front of us, we practiced breathing in through the mouth and exhaling through the nose while humming one continuous hum.