E151: Creating Lasting Change Through Cold Therapy

E151: Creating Lasting Change Through Cold Therapy with Ashley Orr

Meet Ashley: breathwork and meditation facilitator, and certified level 2 Wim Hof Method instructor. In this episode Ashley shares how cold therapy created powerful lasting change in her life, and how she teaches others to cultivate that same positive transformation…

[1:52] Valerie LaVigne: Welcome back to The Women's Empowerment Podcast. I am very excited to welcome a new guest to the show. Ashley Orr. Ashley overcame PTSD with the power of breath, and the cold, which led her to become one of Canada's first Wim Hof Method instructors, she wrote meditation and breathwork practices for modules for Athabaskan university through the techniques of breath and connection. Ashley creates experiences that help others heal, grow, and be assigned. This sounds so incredible Ashley, welcome to the show. I have been very excited to interview you today.

Ashley Orr: Thank you so much, it is so great to be here.

VL: You know I have been, for lack of a better term, kind of following and stalking you on Instagram, which I love seeing all of the fun retreats and events and workshops that you put together and to be honest, it's like, it's a bit thrilling for me to watch because I'm, I'm seeing all of these people and women like going into these giant tubs of ice water, these ice baths, and I'm looking at it like I'm holding my breath because I'm just feeling the cold without even having to be there and thinking, I really want to do this, but it terrifies me. Do you hear that a lot from people?

AO: I actually do so that's a perfectly normal and regular response to the cold whenever I bring it up, and I actually didn't always love the cold either. I wasn't fond of going out into open water, or exploring nature. I really enjoyed those man made pools in 85 degrees or higher. So, yeah, definitely the cold was a new thing that I was introduced to a few years ago, and it's changed my life in the exact same resistance as you too, But that's where the growth is to.

VL: Oh absolutely and this is something that is a pretty big focus of the podcast is this transformation, and it's getting uncomfortable, and this opportunity to grow is it's not usually it's not usually a warm hot tub, it's, it's usually like the ice bath if we're going to use it as a metaphor. So, because you're the first Wim Hof Method instructor that I've interviewed for the podcast, could you share a little bit more about who Wim Hof is, and what is the method all about?

[4:28] AO: Wim Hof is an extreme athlete, he's from the Netherlands and he actually has over 26 world records. Now he found the cold when he was suffering from pain from his white, staff, and developed this method to overcome obstacles to grow, heal and become happier, healthier people. So the method is compiled into three main pillars: we dip into breathwork cold exposure and mindset techniques. It's a really interesting method because you get immediate results and that's why I was so drawn to it.

VL: That sounds really fascinating. So, what are the immediate results you speak of?

AO: Right away I noticed that my inflammation was lower, and any pain that I had within my body. It releases feel good chemicals when being oxytocin. So oxytocin is a bonding chemical, so not only if you experience the practice with others, you feel more connected to others. So you can think about team members, family members, partners doing the Wim Hof Method together and connecting stronger, but also it connects you to your higher self.

So that was a beautiful thing, it increases our cellular production, reduces stress and anxiety, helps with addiction, strengthens the connection with community, strengthens your mental alertness, creates energy and improves your sleep. I could literally go on forever because I keep on tapping new things that the Wim Hof Method is teaching me and showing me.

VL: That is so incredible. I feel like, you know you're listing all these things and I can I can pick one or two that would definitely resonate with me, and support my, my goals and my health and then I'm thinking well yeah this list is going on like, Who Wouldn't this serve there anyone that you you recommend not doing cold therapy?

[6:34] AO: I recommend consulting with your doctor if you have any heart conditions First, before starting the method.

VL: Okay, perfect. Oh, I'm so excited about all of this again, it's like, whenever I am really scared of something in this way where there's this curiosity I feel like this is my intuition, kind of nudging me into this direction of taking this. This ice bath so is it possible for you to kind of walk us through this scenario like assume that I've never done this before and I'm coming to you, and you've got the bath ready. What’s next?

AO: For sure, so I create a very warm, welcoming trusting environment. And we gather, and I actually take you through amazing breathwork techniques before we go into any water. I go through three different techniques where you can manage your stress, control your nervous system, and learn how the breath can either be a gas pedal or a brake. So that's the first thing that he learned, then we actually went through the ice bath, and our minds. So the practice of visualization is so powerful in between those times I'm really building trust with you. So you go into the ice bath and know that you're completely supported by myself and those around you.

Then I will teach you the little tools that are important to make the ice bath not a traumatic experience. I don't know if you've seen any YouTube videos of people going into the ice but especially the athletes, they seem to be having a really hard time on the ice. So the main thing to focus on is your breath, and I teach you a technique to extend your exhale, that takes you into your parasympathetic dominance, so that's your more relaxed, relaxing, rest and digest state. And then you go into the ice for two minutes and 20 seconds for the first time. I teach all about how the first minute is all about the mind and body trying to make itself, comfortable, and get out of this comfortable place, but there's also the moment of growth. So when we push that past the resistance, that's where all the inner strength comes from. And then you get to attack that at any time throughout the rest of your life. It's so cool because when you're in the ice bath time bends in a different way. I call it a mini vacation because not only are you resetting your body when you're setting your mind because.

Because literally all you can think about is your breath. So the lists go away. The Drama goes away, the news goes away. Everything else melts in the ice and you're the most present you've ever been, and it's really beautiful.

VL: Nodding along like yes, this is what I need and this is definitely that. And it just becoming a little bit more of a shove. A shove of your direction. And I need to know what is the significance of the two minutes and 20 seconds. I feel like that's very specific.

AO: Yes, so that's as long as you need in the ice water to reap physical benefits. So there's studies that show, you know, by lowering inflammation and lowering cortisol levels, your energy will be up for the rest of the week. I actually put in a group of co-workers for my company and the ice bath together last night. So not only did they strengthen their connection through the carpet they did something hard together which really bonded them, and I can't wait to see how their sleep was last night because they were buzzing and just so happy, and really just full of joy and excitement, so it was a really cool experience.

VL: That sounds great. I mean, you mentioned the connection and I just thought like community team building would be such a great kind of a fun and scary way to connect with the team so I'm so glad that you said that you facilitated this group that's so incredible. And, I mean you spoke about the colors of the method and about different areas of class, I know that we try to really briefly, that you teach kind of three things about our breath, that can change the way that we respond to stress and experience like, is this something that we can use outside of the cold as well?

AO: 100% Yeah, it's so beautiful. Once you learn that you can respond based on your breath, and really control your nervous system. It just opens the doors to so much more experience and freedom. I know that I used to come from a very reactive state, I was stuck in character and sympathetic, for a long time, and I wasn't giving myself the time to respond effectively.

So there's three things. So there's three things that we can change about our breath right away.

VL: Yeah! Let’s do it!

AO: Okay, yes. So put your hand on your chest, and then one on your belly, and just breathe as normal as you can, even though I told you to breathe normally.

So the first thing that we can change about our breath is the passageway. So notice if your breath is coming in through the nose, or in through the mouth.

If you suffer from neck, shoulder aches and headaches. It could be because you breathe through your mouth. If you're waking up after a night's sleep, feeling unrested, it could simply be just because you're breathing with your mouth. If you're feeling bloated, irritable, that could be because of mouth breathing as well. Most breathing tends to be really shallow and into the chest. Now when we breathe through our nose, we access something called nitric oxide and actually carries the oxygen to our vital organs and tissues, makes us feel rested, energized, gives us a boost of energy. The nose is actually built for breathing.

It was a big mouth breather for a very long time, and I thought that I couldn't switch over, Because you know my nose would feel clogged or stuck duck but the more we engage breath through the nose, the more the tissues open up the nose is beautiful for breath, also because it warms up the breath, the lungs are wet tissue so you want to practice the breath before it comes in. So there's so many benefits about breathing through the nose, and also comes in slower and it usually ends up in our bellies, which is the next thing that I can teach you to change your breath. So is your breath in your chest or is it in your belly?

When we breathe, our chest is usually shallow and rapid. If you notice when you're frightened, scared or stressed, what do we do, we kind of hold our breath. Yeah, exactly. And what does that create that calculation for now so we're taxing on your body so you're giving your body stress on top of an already stressful situation. The easiest way to guide your breath to your belly is just placing your hand on your lower belly and breathing into your hands. And just like any exercise or muscle, it takes a little bit of work to engage it, but the more you do it, the easier it will be to engage. And we know there's so many benefits of diaphragmatic breathing that slow down the breath. When we breathe to our center, we become more center.

And then I talk about inhaling the exhale, which is longer? Which is shorter? If your exhale is longer than your inhale, and I teach the exact same thing in the ice bath, you're going to be in your parasympathetic dominance, right, that's our rest and digest. It's very important for us to get there because that's how we absorb nutrients and vitamins. If we're eating, and we're stressed. We're not going to absorb those nutrients, so we really need to take some time. Slow down the breath, breathe through the nose, send it down to the valley. And one of the techniques that I like to use, especially after or before speaking engagements or when I'm stressed, is you can take an inhale 234 exhale, two, three, or by.

Inhale, 234 exhale 234 by six want to inhale again for four, and then push your exhale out to seven, and keep on climbing until you get to 10. I promise. After two rounds of that, which takes less than two minutes, you will feel your nervous system and body relaxed.

[16:01] VL: I already feel very much more relaxed. I was a little bit tense before our call this morning. But yeah, this feels really nice. And also just noticing, even through my belly. I feel constriction in my breath. And both the inhalation and the exhalation so just even bringing awareness to it right at the beginning I was like, Oh, I'm not doing. I'm not allowing the space that I actually have the capacity that I could breathe into.

AO: Intention is the first step. I mean we breathe over 20,000 times a day and spend little attention to it. So the day I found my breath. And then I could control it, and then my experiences, was the day that the game completely changed. And that was the day that I first attended my first workshop of the Wim Hof Method.

VL: It's so incredible. It's so amazing that you. I mean I don't know where you were exactly in your life and last time and perhaps you want to share that with us but to go to an event that or will this workshop, changed your life, so much so that you've now have pretty much dedicated your life to teaching this means that is. That's something that like when I started I recognize it as like this and it completely transformed, who you would describe yourself as before learning this so, I mean, even not not even experiencing it, that story alone has me more curious has been more excited to try it, even though it's like I said, like I keep saying it seems a little scary, but the breathing techniques you just taught and the changes are there, they're accessible they're attainable right now, they're immediate, so I can, I can see how this would be so I guess beneficial, someone who maybe hasn't brought awareness or hasn't been intentional about their breath.

[18:32] AO: Very powerful. Completely life changing my story kind of started when I was 18 I was headed for a really bright future. I was in college, really making changes, you know, based on my future and what I wanted to get out of it. I ended up breaking up with a guy that was a little older and just not serving me.

Unfortunately, a couple months later he actually broke into my parents home. He attacked me. There was a sexual assault. He tied me up, told me that I wasn't going to live that day, and also told me that they weren't going to find my body. So after that I was in reactive mode. My whole body and system was in the fight or flight. And then I chased that because it started becoming very comfortable, so it didn't end there. I followed people that were abusive to me but it didn't happen right away. They introduced alcohol and substances. I learned how to mask pain, how to hide it deep inside, so for about 15 years I had substance problems and relationship problems, I couldn't keep a job. I couldn't get my money properly because I was in such a risk laden flight.

So through the Wim Hof Method. That's when the healing really started, that's when I was in control of my body again. The first time that I was in the ice bath. I found a connection to my body that I had never felt since then.

[19:49] VL: My goodness, but that is a very powerful story and thank you so much for, for sharing that with us today that I mean I want to take a deep breath for you and just acknowledge the strength and the courage and the vulnerability that it takes to, to move out of that. learn, comfort, and trauma and stress into something so much more supportive for your, your, your life and your growth, and I'm so happy to hear that you found the thing to help you heal and reconnect to yourself. That's amazing, were you introduced to Wim Hof as like from a friend or just how did you stumble upon it seems so random, giving the trajectory of events that you explained.

AO: Yeah, yeah it is super random. I mean, I was in the corporate world, before I got into this amazing world, and I was only, you know, as valuable as the numbers I put out that day, or what I would sell. And I was surrounding myself with people that just didn't serve me or take care of me, or even care for me. So I started on it and kind of an inward journey by myself really listening to my voice following my intuition, what was that voice and what was it saying, and learned about energy. So I received a Reiki treatment, and something just pulled me. I started googling what Reiki is, where I can get in and Hamilton. We found this amazing lady. She taught me about energy and how we store it, but also how we can move it. So, through breath work we move stagnant air energy and emotion. It's an actual purge, so that's when things started flowing for me. Then I ended up at the salt caves. It was a beautiful healing studio; it's a replica of the Polish salt mines. And it was the grand opening. And a gentleman that I just met, he ran sensory deprivation tanks in a studio downtown told me all about Wim Hof, and we started talking about plant medicine, and all these other modalities that can spark something inside of me. I remember my eyes just why with excitement and curiosity. So that year I was 33. That was like the year of awakening for me, Reiki plant medicine. I hooked up with a voice actor and we did some voice I'm tapping, then the Wim Hof Method appeared and so I didn't know much about it, it was almost five years ago there wasn't a lot of information. There was, however, that Joe Rogan podcast that everybody has met Wim Hof through, and I just signed up, I signed up for something new. It was mainly a male influenced course, You know, but that's kind of his male influence for a few years going through the training and everything and that's why it's so cool to be on here today talking about the men Path Method. Having my ladies night that I have weekly taking them through the method.

So it wasn't just one thing that sparked but it was a few things that led me to the Wim Hof Method.

VL: WOW! I am welling up with tears. Usually I'm not the one getting emotional. I just feel so inspired and empowered about the story how like, you're following that exact curiosity that I've been trying to describe to you about how I feel about you what you offer and you're and how I've been following you and watching your your offerings and I feel like it's so important to have this community and I love that you're, you know you're using the messaging you're introducing it in a way that does bring this entity and this the safe space for women to come together and to do the technique because. And, I mean, as you can imagine on the show we do talk a lot about, You know, mainly it's women's empowerment, even though there are both men and women who have listened to this show, but really tapping into this, this feminine and the divine feminine femininity, so it's incredibly wonderful and just refreshing to hear that you're doing this, and I again I'm so glad that you that you were pulled to to try something new and get out of your comfort zone and really, really be with that discomfort, so I mean your story is powerful but my question for you is for people such as myself who are curious and are terrified and want to to try something new and maybe it's not an ice bath, maybe it's just something that they've heard of, what would you say to them?

AO: Follow the things that make your heartbeat that make your heart beat faster. That's the indication, just follow that every time I do something out of my comfort so I have the courage to do something else out of my comfort. And that's kind of why I love cold showers, actually. So there's so many ways that we can experience cold exposure. You don't have to fill up a huge tank full of ice and submerge yourself. You can start by maybe turning the cold, the shower too cold for your last 30 seconds of your shower, then building up. Maybe it's just peeling back layers, you know, not putting on that coat when you feel cold, stimulating the hypothalamus, that's the part of the brain that responds to environmental stressors, but also to mental and emotional stressors. So literally, when we go out into the cold, we're strengthening that part of the brain to adapt to other sponsors as well. So lean into the things that cause your curiosity.

The coolest thing about a cold shower is when you leave the cold shower. You've already overcome an obstacle, early in the day. So what are you going to do for the rest of the day, you're going to take risks. Maybe it's a hard conversation. Maybe it's applying for a new job, maybe it's quitting the job that you feel stuck in somehow there's that untapped wisdom that comes out when we do hard things.

[26:36] VL: Maybe it's applying for a new job, maybe it's quitting the job that you feel stuck in. Somehow there's that untapped wisdom that comes out when we do hard things. Oh my goodness this is so cool and I have done it. I don't even know if it's 30 seconds but I have before, changed the, the top in the shower to really cool, before I get out of the shower, I find it just like really invigorating and energizing in the morning but now I now I'm even more drawn to it because I'm like yes I want to be able to overcome something, and then that expands into the next part of my day, or whatever the challenge that arises, it's definitely confidence to say you can definitely see that. Wow. And what are some other ways that we can experience a cold exposure shape, so you said not putting on a jacket is so we live in Canada. There's snow here for a lot of the year, can we use the snow in some way?

AO: In so many ways we are so lucky to live up here, I mean once you start enjoying the cold, you have a brand new half of a year that opens up, right, like I used to be very inside all winter. Now I love summer, but I can't wait till winter appears again, because there's so much that we can play in and do Sarah actually a mutual friend of ours, loves cold exposure and just going out, when she has her coffee out into the cold, so we can do snow angels in the cold, we can do, you know, limited clothing hikes, and our master module for Wim Hof and in Poland, we actually take people up a mountain in the middle of the winter in their shorts.

E131: How to Incorporate Mindfulness Daily with Sarah Sturino

So there's tons of ways to experience that. But yeah definitely peel back the layers barefooting is an amazing way to stimulate all the receptors in our feet feel invigorated lower inflammation experience.

And I think there's something that comes from the phrase, chill out, because literally the cold just makes you chill out. It's such a beautiful grounding tool.

VL: Wow, that's so cool, it does - no pun intended, it sounds very cool and I love that you said, chill out, I never really thought about what came from that expression came from.

All of these sound, so amazing and definitely attainable. So I know that you are local to me so people who are listening.

AO: I go everywhere. I have a tank and travel, mainly right now Southern Ontario because of the restrictions. So I do travel, you know, hours away either private sessions, I have workshops throughout the province. I do one on ones I have weekly ice baths on Tuesdays, as well as Thursdays, so there's lots of ways to enjoy the cold and connect with cool people. And yeah, I just love to meet new people, so definitely come out please.

Ashley’s Instagram: @iceplunge.ash

Ashley’s Website: www.AshelyOrr.com

VL: So, maybe someone's listening to this and thinking, I feel really cold, or I feel really, I've done this before. I've heard of it before I want to go and do, let's say they want to, you know, go on a similar journey as you and become a Wim Hof Method instructor. What is this training called and how do we find the right one for us?

AO: You can go to www.wimhofmethod.com It lists all the amazing workshops, there's a free app also all our instructors but also information on how to get started with the academy. When I started with my training. It started with a 10 week online course. And then you're invited to a two day mass advanced module, either in LA, or in the Netherlands. After completion, then you move on you get to go to the master module which is a week long, with Wim Hof, and your final test is climbing up the mountain in your shorts with Wim Of course, I definitely encouraged it. The whole process took me about two years. So it's definitely something that you have to invest your time in also going fully and then keeping that practice going while you're in training. So grab your friends strengthen your practice, reach out to other instructors. The beautiful thing about the Wim Hof Method instructors is, I could go to a different workshop by every instructor and learn something new. We all have different backgrounds, there's different reasons why we all got to this place, and the learnings and teachings of the Wim Hof Method, they don't end, it's a long journey, and an awesome rabbit hole to fall down so I definitely encouraged.

VL: Wow, I feel like I'm discovering more and more and actually since I heard of you and sort of following you. I actually was hearing about when cough and cold exposure and cold therapy from other people who are not a mutual friend of ours and I, I actually learned recently that I know another Wim Hof Method instructor who was in Australia, and I thought oh that's really cool because when I met that person that's not what they were doing. So it's cool to see how. More and more people are really getting involved, and, you know, taking, taking the plunge area with the puns again. Look out by I love this idea of this community and as I, as an outsider, because I haven't done it. I haven't tried it yet but I'm very excited to.

To learn more as I'm like stuttering through this because I'm terrified in the best way possible. What I've seen as an outsider, is that there really seems to be a community that comes together and dives right in and, I mean, again like I feel like I already mentioned this but it sounds like such an incredible team building experience or community building experience and how supportive, that could be for someone through an intense feeling such as this. So, yeah, I want to just take a moment to really acknowledge you and all of the the work that you've done and the time that you put in and the people that you that you help and, You know, reading the testimonials and seeing other people do this work with you and through you is, it's so powerful and inspiring to watch, and I just have to talk myself out of the headspace, to actually do it. But yeah what your work is very important and I definitely wanted to say thank you for that.

[34:36] AO: I thank you so much. It's so neat because the cold really represents so much more, it represents fear, it represents the unknown. So, the method starts, you know, when we first start talking about it. Maybe the monkey brain starts chattering, maybe we start making stories up of why we can't go into the cold or why it's so hurtful or detrimental. A lot of people before they arrive at the workshop I talked about. So what excuses were going through your head the night before, you know sometimes people aren't getting sleep. But that's all part of the process. You get to learn about yourself, how you respond to the unknown, how you respond to stress and fear, but then you get to strengthen that part of yourself in your mind as well, Because when we leave the ice bath. We feel amazing that our circulation so you're, what is never circulated, down to the tips of your extremities like it was before natural opiates, start rushing through your body because you want to tap the natural medicine box. So then people are like that wasn't that bad. So it's a representation of how we make things up and build them so much worse in our minds. So it's another tool to control that mind and that monkey brain.

VL: That's perfect. One of the tools in my toolkit is positivity and really looking for the silver lining or the the growth of the change or the, the, what the learning experience or the learning opportunity. And as you're saying all these things I've in my head like, Okay, this is why you should do it or you need to do it, you know, I was born in February, I'm a winter baby, like, come on. I was born in the. Not really. I was born inside but still. So I'm just trying to talk myself into it. But, I mean, yeah, you gave, tons of benefits, and I feel like no don't hate until you try it, right, then you can really drive this after you try it, if it's for you or not.

AO: Absolutely, yeah I definitely suggest trying it, and you know come with a friend come alone. It is such a welcoming community, which is why I'm so excited, you know I don't have sisters, so to have a sisterhood and be surrounded by the right type of women is such an empowerment and something that we need as women and as men to find your tribe. Find your support and I really found it within this community. It's also an online community, you can Google Wim Hof you can Facebook Wim Hof, and there's so many groups that experience cold exposure and encourage each other. There's different meeting places there's different chat rooms, and literally I've met the coolest people through the Wim Hof Method.

VL: Yeah and it sounds like even if you're not local, this would be a great opportunity or a great option for people who want to try it is just finding a little Google search or a little Facebook search about that local community that's really in alignment and that energetic alignment with you that's so amazing. Well, I have one more segment of the show, it's the rapid fire round. But before we get into it, I just want to ask, is there something that hasn't been said is there something that we need to learn?

AO: definitely as cold exposure gets a little more popular, I'm noticing a lot of people, coaching people wanting to get into the cold, and I just want to maybe express the importance of working with a professional. So, just like we would, You know, seek out a personal trainer, someone that we trust with our health, ask for their experience, asked how they worked, how long they've worked with the cold, if somebody isn't asking you for a health declaration having you sign a waiver. That would be a really big red flag for me.

So just do your research. The cold is definitely a medicine, but any medicine can turn to poison so you definitely want to be, you know, taught the proper way, length of China's huge, a big thing in Canada. This year, I saw throughout the cold exposure movement and community was people really bragging about the time that they were going in the ice as Wim Hof instructors, maybe that's how we started out, we were all about our ego all about time and measuring it, but really listening to your body, is the biggest strength and biggest tool. So start off very gentle and work your way up. Don't compare yourself to other people's work, because we all started slow and then gradually worked up so keep that in mind when you enjoy the cold.

VL: That's great advice. Thank you for sharing that.

So we know where we can find you and follow you. How can we support your business?

AO: By coming to one of my workshops. By following me online, engaging in conversation, all those things fulfill me in lightning.

[40:25] RAPID FIRE

1. What are you currently reading? What’s your favourite book?

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

How to Do the Work by Dr. Nicole LePera

Radical Awakening (Audio) by Shefali Tsabary

2. What do you love most about being a woman?

My gosh, there's so many things I think we are just full of with stone and strength and grace. And that's what I love about being a woman, you know, and the other woman that I'm connected with, I'm so grateful for, they light me up they spire me they support me. So I think it's a gift to be a woman, I think, you know, we're so special and powerful.

3. What does empowerment mean to you?

Empowerment, strength, strive that we all have within, and sometimes we just need little tools to untap that so having the choice to say our true to speak our truth to move and our truth and to be fully in line. I think that's empowerment.

4. What are you currently working toward?

What am I, actually, I'm taking a course right now is oxygen advantage. So the Wim Hof Method was, you know, I put my toe into the water, but now I'm very interested in breath and what we can do with it and how we can enhance our performance either in sport or in life. So I'm training to be an advanced oxygen advantage coach.

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!