Over the last few years, certainly since Covid, it seems more and more people are connecting with nature and embracing the joys of wild swimming in the great outdoors -  myself included.  Much has been written and spoken about the physical and mental health benefits of cold water swimming (I'm calling it cold water swimming here because where I live in Yorkshire wild water = cold water most of the year!) but it's nothing new. Long before dry robes or Wim Hoff, I remember watching my granny swimming in the sea at North Berwick, and as children we giggled listening to our dad yelping as he lowered himself into his cold bath, a weekly ritual. Of course at the time I thought they were both mad!

But now I can honestly say that discovering cold water swimming has been life changing for me. It is my weekly reset. It is how I relax. I find it hard to explain exactly how it works but I do know that if I am feeling anxious or stressed or generally a bit 'meh'  I just need to close my eyes and imagine that cold water engulfing my body from the soles of my feet to the Vagus nerve on the back of neck, and I notice my breathing slowing down as my breaths become deeper...and I'm feeling calmer.