The Ritual of Dip & Sip

So, I’ve had a bit of an idea.

After weeks of reading about ancient rituals, revisiting my social anthropology essays, and brushing up on nervous system science, I realised that what I’m learning might not just be totally fascinating, it might actually be actionable.

What if all this exploring of old wisdom and modern research could come together in something simple, communal, and meaningful?

What about a veterans’ cold-water swim group at my local Lido, which has just had a massive refurb?

For millennia, people have known that extremes, cold, heat, and community, do something pretty profound to the human body and mind.

The ancient Romans had their frigidarium (cold plunge), tepidarium (warm room), and caldarium (hot bath), a process that was social as well as physical. In Finland, avanto swimming (cutting a hole in the ice for a plunge, OMG) is still followed by sauna and a chat, a pairing of shock and restoration for the nervous system. Saunas are such weird spots; you’re stuck in a small room with strangers, and nine times out of ten you end up chatting to them!

In Japan, martial artists and monks have for centuries stood beneath icy waterfalls in the Misogi ritual, a practice to clear the mind, slow the breath, and meet the cold with calm. The founder of modern Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, made it part of his daily discipline. 💪 I practised Aikido for a few years, loved it! Super chill (no pun intended).

Among the Navajo (Diné), sweat-lodge ceremonies are part of the hózhó tradition, bringing balance through heat, meditation, and cooling waters. The lodge becomes a space to let go of what no longer serves and to return to community in a more settled state.

Modern science backs what the ancients seemed to know: switching between cold and heat helps regulate the nervous system. If you want to nerd out (like me), look into polyvagal theory or if you’d rather watch than read, check out Wim Hof, who’s built a global movement around the benefits of cold water.

The science bit:

Cold exposure activates the sympathetic part of your nervous system, the body’s alert mode (fight, flight, all that jazz). It boosts adrenaline, dopamine, and metabolism.

Then heat exposure, through saunas (yes, they’ll have one at the new Lido, so I’ve heard!) activates the parasympathetic system, the rest-and-recover mode. It releases endorphins (all those lovely feel-good chemicals), calms the heart, and improves circulation.

Moving between the two teaches the body flexibility a physiological “reset” that strengthens stress tolerance. 💪

The benefits:

Better sleep. Improved mood. Boosted immunity. Lower inflammation. A calmer, more regulated nervous system.

Dysregulated nervous systems can come out sideways in all sorts of unworkable behaviours, in my own personal experience. 🥴

But it’s the sharing that completes the ritual, in my opinion. We’re social creatures, wired for connection. For most of human history, we lived in community. We might not have liked everyone in the tribe, but we belonged and we knew isolation wasn’t good for us.

Maybe it’s the chat after. The jokes. The shivering, then the relief of warmth. In every culture, the coming together is important. Folks reintegrating or transitioning back into civvy life isn’t just physical, it’s social. It’s relational.

And maybe, just maybe, freezing our asses off together could help create a small space for that shared connection. A way to re-enter community and settle a bit easier.

So this is where I’m going next: turning all this learning into something real with a group of amazing veterans.

Cold water, warm tea, open door, freezing toes.

Operation Chill. 🧊☕

📬 I’ll keep writing and sharing updates as this takes shape the planning, the people, and (hopefully) the first dips once the Lido reopens.