Contrast Hydrotherapy for Managing Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms
I feel this is as effective as doing meditation every morning.
I recommend the Koda’s Way of doing this in a tub or shower.
•By alternating hot and cold during contrast hydrotherapy, we can stimulate some key functions that reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms (López-Ojeda & Hurley, 2024).
•Hot water activates the parasympathetic nervous system, so our brain releases dopamine and serotonin to improve sleep and mood and lower cortisol.
•Cold water activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers a stress response, so our brain releases adrenaline, dopamine, norepinephrine, catecholamines, and endorphin (López-Ojeda & Hurley, 2024).
•Start from the cold and then alternate the hot and cold baths until our body feels that we are burning from the inside. By ending the alternation in the cold water and gradually adjusting to normal temperatures, we can restore deeper relaxation (Kunutsor et al., 2024).
How to Do it in Koda's Way
温冷浴 - Contrast Hydrotherapy
•9 minutes total
•Alternate cold and hot showers – 1 minute each
•Start from Cold and end with Cold
•Cold – Hot – Cold – Hot – Cold – Hot – Cold - Hot – Cold (1 minute each or count 60)
You can use a hot tub or a cold tub with a cold shower and a hot shower
I wash my hair and body while I count 60 in my head.
Ideally, morning and night, or more often if needed.
Day 17 - Transition to Koda's Fasting Therapy
My weight is 122.0 lb now.
I had 1 cup of rolled oats with one cup of plain yogurt for lunch.
For dinner, I had 1 cup of brown rice and 1/2 cup of Korean BBQ (Pork) because we had Korean friends visit us in the afternoon around 3:30.
I was planning not to eat anything else, but I had a potluck in the evening after 7:30 pm.
I was not feeling hungry, so I could skip, but I wanted to taste some of the dishes, and also I thought eating salad was a good idea (although salads are super high in calories).
I went to bed at 10 pm and woke up around 2:30 am.
I woke up probably because I forgot to take the Chinese medicine I take for menopausal insomnia.
I took those and went to bed, but my sleep was so shallow today, unlike the last three days.
My sleep was deeper and shorter as it is one of the expected benefits from practicing Koda Therapy.
I still eat different things every day, so my condition fluctuate a little is also expected.
When we are in transition phase, it feels like we move three steps forward and two steps back all the time.
References:
•Kunutsor, S. K., Lehoczki, A., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2024). The untapped potential of cold water therapy as part of a lifestyle intervention for promoting healthy aging. GeroScience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01295-w
•López-Ojeda, W., & Hurley, R. A. (2024). Cold-Water Immersion: Neurohormesis and Possible Implications for Clinical Neurosciences. Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 36(3), A4-177. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20240053
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