What’s an “ice bath”? Well, it’s either a key to great health or just pure insanity.
Scott Janzen thinks it’s the former and that’s why he has encouraged a group of hearty souls to come out twice a week to Barnet Marine Park in Burnaby to take a dip in frigid Burrard Inlet.
Oh, he also wants you to join him.
Janzen is part of a small group that meets Mondays and Fridays at Barnet Beach to do something called “breathwork” and an ocean soak - rain or shine.
This all started back in 2015 when he discovered the teachings of Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete also known as The Iceman. The three basic pillars are breathing, cold therapy and “commitment,” according to Hof’s website.
So, Janzen started out by doing push-ups without breathing.
“The first time I tried it, I doubled my record of 25 push-ups and I was able to do 25 of the push-ups without breathing. I was hooked,” Janzen said. “I kept telling everyone who would listen how positive the practice of breathing, push-ups and cold showers has been for me.”
Then, in 2018, Janzen attending one of Hof’s workshops, where he was introduced to ice baths. (See the video below.)
“That was my first ice-bath,” Janzen said. “I thought I'd be prepared for it from the practice, but it was a different level of cold than I had experienced. Everyone came out of the pools with bright red skin due to the cold, but we all felt amazingly energized. After the workshop, I continued the daily practice, but I craved to get the feeling of the ice bath again. I researched getting a tub in the yard and an ice machine, or ordering ice in bulk, but it all seemed unnecessarily complicated.”
That’s when he came up with the idea of swimming in frigid Burrard Inlet. Since then, the group has grown, with men, women and even kids trying it out. Now they meet every Monday and Friday. You can watch the video included in this article to see what happens. If you want to try it, text him at 604-445-7907 for more information.
“We are so blessed to have access to a beach that has a year-round cold ocean … and a beautiful beach in Burnaby that is surrounded by nature vistas. I am grateful to be able to practice breathwork at the beach and happy to introduce anyone to the practice if they are interested.”
