COLUMN THE MAGIC OF WILLPOWER
Last month, one of my girlfriends called me all excited and invited me to join her in a new experience: taking an ice bath. I am not a fan of cold weather, snow or ice, but she convinced me this would boost our energy. Also, this is the newest cool thing to do, significantly improving mental and physical well-being.
So we booked a timeslot, and after an intensive breathing session (which was honestly quite relaxing), we simultaneously dropped our naked bodies in a cold stone bathtub filled with ice cubes. To my surprise, my girlfriend slighted smoothly into the water like it was a hot bath. While my heart stopped, I had a slight panic attack and made weird (loud) uncontrolled noises.
A young guy helped me to get further into the water. Since my girlfriend was quietly enjoying her bath, I could not stay behind and forced myself to stay in the ice water for three minutes (grimed face, breathing uncontrollably). Frozen and tomato red, I finally got out and dried myself off.
Growing up, my dad was super fanatic about sports. I was doing athletics as a kid (but I always came in last), and my brother practised judo (he lost every match, even to girls). Since my dad used to be a great football player, he could not believe his children did not inherit any of his sports talents. Much to his frustration haha. However, he always kept encouraging us.
When we grew older and started working and becoming entrepreneurs, our determination grew, and we pursued long-term (professional) goals. People aren’t born with willpower; you develop these qualities over time. You learn never to give up and not to take no for an answer. You always try and stay positive, no matter what life throws at you.
For ten years, I have been practising Bikram Yoga. It is a 90-minute hot yoga series with 26 postures in a heated room, which is quite challenging. This has also helped me balance, focus, and be mentally strong. Rick, the owner of the yoga studio, says Bikram practice is a blessing and a curse at the same time. You become aware of your limits and abilities. Where there is a will, there is a way. I could not agree more.