(The pictures above are from a celebration outing that a few of us had last week. We went to see The Moonwalkers: A journey with Tom Hanks, followed by (non-alcoholic) drinks and dinner. It was awesome!)

One of the most amazing things about the Wild Pilgrim adventure to Knoydart was the opportunity to participate in cold water immersion. Me being me once I secured my place on the program I decided to investigate ice baths and cold showers. This led me to various things including having cold baths at home for 20 minutes while undertaking a 20 minute breathing exercise for anxiety (6 seconds in, 6 seconds out). I would put in 3kg of ice each time! 

I do know how that sounds! 

While I was away I vowed to find out more about buying a portable ice bath. I wanted to experiment but without making the full investment... so I ended up buying a Lumi Therapy Recovery Pod from Facebook marketplace. 

The Recovery Pod is currently sitting in the garden waiting for a day when the sun is shining so I can set it up properly. 

Why am I sharing all of this with you? 

Because here are the lessons I learned just in the process of my purchase:

1. Buying second hand is a form of recycling.

2. Buying second hand is also a form of experimentation. 

3. Sometimes we buy things we think we will use immediately and then end up delaying in using them because we are stuck in our usual pattern. 

4. I spent (wasted) a lot of time thinking about 'which one' to buy. It is like going to a supermarket to buy bread and being inundated with the variety! 'Do some research and then be done with it' is what I told myself afterwards!

5. The person I bought it from was surprised to see me when I turned up. They gave me some helpful hints on how to use it but were a little bit generous with the 'be careful's and the 'it really is cold'. I wonder what kind of person they expected to have ice baths? 

Having said all of this, I am really pleased to say that I did find a few minutes to put it together and test it out with some water. It did feel invigorating and I am glad that I have a home recovery pod. 

The last week seems to have had a real focus on self care and setting up a recovery plan for the next 6 months of my life. I have introduced a walking plan into my schedule. This is after I added a running one and was told to consider removing it by my physical trainer and coach (that kind of heavy impact might affect the work I am doing to strengthen my spine!). And I have added in a couple of monthly time outs to integrate learnings and plan. 

What are you doing to recover? 

Which part of your life needs a little more attention in relation to recovery?

What little step might you take to improve/enhance/add to your recovery plan? 

I think the concept of recovery is as important as rest, but it feels a little more active and therefore requires more planning. I am building in space for physical, spiritual, and intellectual recovery - these will all also be spaces of integration. 

What might you do in this space?

All my best,

Saiyyidah

The Space

PS - Today (Sunday) is a day of celebration for many Muslims all over the world - if you are spending time with friends and family as over two million pilgrims gather in Makkah I send you best wishes for joy and peace at this time.