BILLINGS — DaKava House hosted its second cold plunge session on Sunday with those in attendance citing both physical and mental health benefits.
“It’s not about being tough and getting in. It’s about surrendering and breathing into it," said Josiah Richards, who works at DaKava House and organized the event.
Some only spent a few seconds in the below freezing water.
“I sink in, and I tell myself, ‘alright, I’m gonna be tough,’ and as soon as that sentence in my head is done, it just feels like knives are everywhere," said A.J. Craig, a professional boxer and mixed martial artist.
Those like Beverly Riddle, who spent more than five minutes in the water, said mastering comfort is more focused on the individual rather than the challenge.
“I remembered one of our drill sergeants telling me, ‘Just say that you’re warm, just tell yourself you’re warm, even when you’re cold,'" said Riddle, who spent six months in military school as a teenager, "I know I’m more than that water.”
