Cold thresholds: nociception and fight-or-flight

What are most people getting wrong when it comes to cold water therapy?

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In this episode of Modern Rituals, Alex is joined by Kevin O’Neill – one of the UK’s leading cold water and breathwork practitioners – to cut through the noise around ice baths, cold showers and breathwork. Kevin explains why most people are doing cold exposure wrong, how stress, trauma and immunity all intersect, and how to use cold water as a tool for resilience rather than burnout. From breathwork safety to ideal temperatures, intention setting and common mistakes, this episode is essential listening for anyone experimenting with the cold.

🎙️ About the guest:

Kevin O’Neill is the founder of Breathevolution and a trauma-informed cold water therapist. He trains practitioners across the UK, works with PTSD, ADHD and anxiety, and is often described as the UK’s answer to Wim Hof – with a far more cautious, therapeutic approach.

✍️ Kevin's modern rituals:

• Cold shower every morning

• Wait an hour until cold water therapy

• ECG before cold water therapy

• Add cold to the end of your warm shower

• Start cold water therapy in the summer

• Wait an hour after coffee for cold water

• Empty stomach before cold water

• Step in on the exhale

• Change your seating in your sauna

• Altitude mask

• Mouth taping before sleep

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

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Follow Kevin O'Neill:

Instagram: @breatheolution

TikTok: @breatheolution

Website: https://breatheolution.com/

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00:00 – Ice bath or sauna: Which should you choose?

02:30 – What temperature is best for cold water therapy?

05:10 – Why cold water triggers fight-or-flight

07:45 – Response vs reaction: The real goal of cold exposure

10:30 – Do cold showers improve immunity and resilience?

13:50 – Why breath work before ice baths can be dangerous

16:20 – How posture and body language affect cold tolerance

18:55 – Is colder always better? The truth about 5°C plunges

22:10 – Cold exposure, stress stacking and burnout risks

25:45 – Why cold water therapy isn’t for everyone

28:20 – Should you eat or drink coffee before cold exposure?

31:10 – How to breathe properly during cold water immersion

34:00 – Common cold water mistakes most people make

37:30 – Using heat and sauna to train stress resilience

40:20 – Breaking stress habits through discomfort

43:40 – Mouth taping, breathing and nervous system health

47:10 – CO₂ tolerance and the Bolt score explained

51:00 – One habit Kevin is trying to stop

54:00 – The most overrated health advice

55:40 – One daily ritual everyone should add

56:20 – Where to find Kevin and his work

#coldwater #coldwatertherapy #exhalecoffee