Labor of Love -- Building the Sauna + The First Hot/Cold Experience

Patience has been the main theme of this crazy 2020. With the hit of Covid earlier this year everything I had planned was either canceled or put on pause. In my heart I know there’s beauty in what Covid has and will teach all of us. For one it has created a lot of anxiety in those who have never struggled with anxiety before. However, for me anxiety is something I’ve struggled with most of my life. Welcome to the anxiety party y’all!

One of the main reasons I started doing ice baths and let’s be real fell in love with them is because they have helped me immensely better understand and control my own anxiety. When sitting in a tub of freezing water it on sets your body into a sympathetic state of being also known as fight or flight mode. Which causes shortness of breath and the same internal feelings that anxiety can bring on. Through the breathwork I have learned to calm my nerves and mind in and out of the ice. This year I have had two major near death experiences, one on top of a volcano & rolling my car off a cliff in STT. **(both which I will be sharing in other blogs, so stay tuned)

Both major traumatic experiences and moments where the breathwork I’ve practiced has literally helped me stay calm and get through the REAL FEAR that was pulsing through my body. Two traumatic experiences that were completely out of my control and not on set by choice. I struggle with daily anxiety that I have spent the last 11 months better understanding by working with my therapist. I have come to understand my anxiety which stems from my parents traumatic car accident when I was a freshman in high school. Living with anxiety has both been a major player of my success, but also the downfall to some personal relationships. Mental health is a topic that needs to be on the forefront of everyone’s mind, literally. Better understanding my anxiety and wanting to learn how to heal from this paralyzing emotion has lead me to the hot/cold training.

Since becoming XPT certified last year in Southern California I have put it on my vision board to create a space here in STT to help heal others. Whether you struggle from anxiety or not, the hot/cold is a must to anyone that wants to better their wellness.

Getting the hot/cold training set up has been a long time in the works. I ordered my sauna in January 2020, received it in March and built the sauna in July with my good friend Shark Man Dave. As you’ll learn I attach a lot of meaning to a lot of things that most wouldn’t. This sauna was definitely a huge milestone for me. It is allowing me expand my passions and love for wellness as well create an entirely new business here in STT. It has been a lesson of letting go, and a beautiful reminder that I am in control of my own destiny. This sauna has been a labor of love, literally. I was not planning on having to actually build it, but just be there for the moral support. However, building it with Dave was such a labor of love and it felt so rewarding to watch my dreams become a reality because of the time and work it took to construct. It was a fun learning experience as well as good laugh as I have never heard so many swear words come out of one human before.

Between the madness of Covid, finding someone to build it, the storms that hit early this year & and logoisics of making it happen has been a stop start project. Since the sauna is sitting in the ruins there was no power out on there. I had to hire an electrician which was an old client of mine to run conduit from my cottage all the way down to the ruins. Everything about making this happen has been a serendipitous reminder that when we live to help others, others will be there to help us. Community and connection are so powerful and I’m so grateful to live in a place that reminds me of this daily. Nothing is easy here, and takes 3x as long and usually 3x’s more expensive as it would stateside but nonetheless always worth it.

It is now September, and I was able to host my first experience at my own home and it was beautiful! My heart was filled with joy and love being able to share my first experience with 7 others that were trusting enough to show up to something they’ve never done before.

We sat out on the point started the night with a intro session to breathwork. This is critical, if you aren’t prepared with the tools and intentions behind the breathwork it can be extremely overwhelming to just jump into an ice bath. After the breathwork, we each took turns sitting in the ice for 3 minutes. We had 220 pounds of ice, so 110 each tub. The weather is so warm here so we will need to double down for future experiences, again all lessons learned.

The goal is to have the water extremely uncomfortable, this is where the magic happens. Being able to coach others through own discomfort not only helps me with my own healing, but it gives them the chance to work through their own discomfort. Sitting in the ice bath can bring up a lot of emotions, especially if you aren’t aware of these deep internal emotions. Seeing their eyes light up with fear and being able to help them breathe through the discomfort reminds me that I am not alone in having my own fears & anxieties. That each human has their own internal struggle and it all comes down to how we learn to ease into our own discomforts.

I truly believe there is a special connection that happens when you get perfect strangers together from all walks of life and put them in extreme conditions. The unspoken bond of discomfort brings comfort. Sitting in the sauna everyone opens up and we get to have meaningful conversations. Even though it wasn’t heating up fully like it should have been taught me to just roll with the punches. Which is something I’ve truly perfected over the years. That not everything has to be perfect and it takes time to hone your craft, that this labor of love isn’t for the faint of heart. The only person that noticed was me, because it was still 120 degrees, which is manageable. I was reminded by everyone that this experience was still magical. Being in the sauna with everyone that night brought me to tears, because I had wanted this to happen for so long. Having my sister be apart of the first experience was also very special. I love being able to teach and help her grow into a strong confident young lady. It taught me when things don’t come easily they are always worth the struggles and setbacks and having those you love dearly by your side is what this journey is all about.

Since the heater is toasted. I had to order a new heater, and will be here in the next week or so. Fingers crossed!

Truthfully even this was a blessing because the new one I ordered isn’t digital and just turn knobs and will crank up to 240 degrees! Once the new heater is here I can’t wait to host these experiences weekly and share all the magic with more people on the beautiful island of St Thomas.

And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to host an XPT experience here with the founders.

Dream BIG right!