There are experiences that change what we believe we are capable of. For me, the cold has been one of them.
Anyone who has spent any time with me over the last six years will know that most days, if not every day, I start my morning either in a cryotherapy chamber at -110°C or in an ice bath.
Cold therapy has become one of my non-negotiable pillars. What began as a New Year’s Day dip has become a profound exploration of my inner world, pushing the edges of my window of tolerance, building resilience, helping me shape and master my mind, whilst deepening my connection with my body and spirit. It has taught me how to stay present in discomfort, how to find calm in challenge, and how much more we are capable of than we often believe.
Sitting Beside The Iceman
So when the opportunity came to take my practice deeper with Wim Hof, the Iceman himself, for a two-day workshop here in the Netherlands, it felt like a natural next step. A dream come true. Sitting beside Wim in a bath of ice was one of those moments when I had to pinch myself.
The weekend was incredible. The cold, the breath, the learning, the practice, the experience of being immersed in an environment where everyone had come together with a shared intention. But alongside all of that, another observation emerged, and it is one I have found myself thinking about ever since: what happens when people come together with a collective focus on what is possible?
Like-Minded Does Not Mean Alike
There was an extraordinary diversity within the group. Different cultures, backgrounds, ages, experiences and physical abilities, with each person arriving with their own story and their own reasons for being there. We were not the same, nor did we need to be. What connected us was something deeper: a willingness to explore, to learn, to challenge ourselves and to dig in together.
Wim and his team had created the container, the structure, the trust, the shared focus that gave the group a place to hold that energy. But what happened inside it came from all of us.
It made me think differently about the idea of being surrounded by “like-minded” people. Perhaps like-minded does not mean alike. Some of the greatest potential comes from bringing very different people together around a shared set of values and a willingness to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. Someone might bring greater physical capability, another years of experience, another curiosity, humour, or simply the willingness to encourage someone else through a difficult moment. None of those qualities needed to be the same to be valuable. They complemented one another.
Perhaps like-minded does not mean alike.
The Window Of Tolerance
That observation brought me back to what the cold has taught me over the past six years.
Before entering the ice, I take a moment to ground myself and breathe. Over time, that practice has taught me to recognise the difference between discomfort and danger, to stay with an experience rather than immediately resisting it, and to become more aware of the choices available in moments of challenge.
This is where the idea of the window of tolerance has become particularly interesting to me. We all have a range in which we are able to remain present, regulated and capable of responding rather than simply reacting. Expanding that capacity is not about constantly seeking discomfort. It is about developing greater awareness and choice when life inevitably takes us somewhere unfamiliar. The cold and consciously connected breathing simply provides a very tangible place to practise.
And the lessons extend far beyond cold exposure. They show up in leadership, relationships, business, and all the moments in life when the outcome is uncertain. Sometimes a perceived limitation is real and needs to be respected. Sometimes it is simply a boundary that has never been explored. The interesting part is discovering which is which.
Exploring The Edges Of Possibility
That is why I have become so interested in the edges of possibility, not pushing boundaries for the sake of it, but remaining curious about what sits beyond them. What might happen with a different approach? What might become possible with greater self-belief? What might emerge when different people bring their strengths together around a common intention?
The workshop gave me a very tangible example of this. The experience was deeply personal for every person there, but it was also profoundly collective. There was encouragement, shared energy, a sense that everyone was contributing to something larger than their own individual experience. The differences between us did not diminish the experience; they enriched it.
Shared values can be more powerful than shared strengths. The right people do not necessarily make a challenge easier, but they can create the conditions in which more becomes possible. That feels relevant well beyond an ice bath. The teams we build, the communities we create and the relationships we invest in all influence what people believe is possible. When there is trust, curiosity, generosity and a willingness to support and challenge one another, people bring more of themselves to the space and something can emerge that would have been difficult to create individually.
What We Can Create Together
Perhaps the deeper lesson is that possibility rarely unfolds in isolation. It grows through people, through the willingness to explore an edge, and through the energy created when different individuals come together with a shared intention.
Maybe expanding what is possible is not always about becoming more capable individually. Sometimes it is about recognising what becomes possible when we stop asking only what I can do and start exploring what we can create together.
That, for me, is one of the most powerful things I discovered beneath the surface.
My journey and exploration with breathwork and cold therapy continues, and this will form the tapestry of not just my personal landscape, but my lived purpose and work.