Wim Hof and Ice Bath Therapy in, Marbella, Spain | Private Cold Exposure for Recovery

Breath. Cold. Calm. In our private courtyard you will learn to meet intensity with skill, not force. Cold is a tool, not a test.

Watch: Breath-led Cold Exposure & Ice Bath Therapy at Sea Recovery

What is the Wim Hof Method?

Wim Hof Method combines three pillars which we adapt for therapeutic use:

• Conscious breathwork to settle the autonomic nervous system.
• Cold exposure via ice bath, plunge or sea immersion.
• Mindset and focus so intensity is met with stable attention.

Used carefully, this improves stress tolerance, steadies energy, and supports emotional regulation. In our model it sits alongside TRE, DBT, and sleep protocols, not as a stand-alone fix.

Why cold exposure helps in recovery

Many clients arrive dysregulated: stuck in fight, flight or freeze. Others feel flat after chronic stress. Graded cold exposure provides a body-first intervention that reduces physiological volatility while we build skills for emotions and urges.

• Downshifts threat reactivity. Breath-led immersion teaches your system to return to baseline after a spike.
• Supports mood and focus. Short, safe bouts can lift low energy and reduce rumination seen in depression.
• Interrupts urges. A structured cold routine helps widen the gap between craving and action in addiction and binge–purge patterns.
• Improves sleep continuity. When scheduled correctly, cold plus light timing supports our sleep repair work.

Who benefits

• Chronic anxiety and panic spikes
• PTSD or complex trauma with hyperarousal or shutdown
• Burnout and executive fatigue
• Addiction and compulsive patterns (including stimulants)
• Insomnia and irregular sleep-wake cycles

Safety-first: who should not use cold

Cold exposure is not for everyone. We screen for medical risks before any session.

• Unstable cardiac disease, uncontrolled hypertension, recent stroke or TIA
• Raynaud’s phenomenon (severe), cold urticaria
• Late pregnancy, recent major surgery, significant underweight in active eating disorders
• Severe neuropathy, open wounds, fever or acute infection

Where appropriate, we liaise with your clinicians. You are never pushed past safe capacity.

How a session works (private, graded, calm)

1. Briefing and consent. We confirm goals, screen for risks and agree a stop signal.
2. Breath preparation. 3–5 minutes of nasal diaphragmatic breathing and cadence training.
3. Immersion. Entry from 10–15°C on day one, typically 1–2 minutes. Progression to 4–10°C and up to 3 minutes only if safe and helpful.
4. Recovery. Guided rewarm with movement, breath and warm fluids. No immediate hot shower to allow natural thermogenesis.
5. Integration. Short reflection or skills link to your current work (e.g. STOP, TIP, Opposite Action).

Clinical integration (never a gimmick)

Cold exposure is woven into your plan, not bolted on. Examples:

• With DBT: pair immersion with TIP skills to practise state shifts, then rehearse DEAR MAN for a difficult conversation.
• With TRE: use cold to downshift activation before tremoring for safer discharge.
• With MET: align motivation and boundaries so cold does not become a compulsive challenge.
• With sleep repair: morning exposure plus daylight timing to stabilise circadian rhythm.

A day using cold safely

• Morning: breath primer → 1–2 minute immersion (10–12°C) → rewarm and breakfast
• Midday: one-to-one therapy; light movement; optional bodywork
• Afternoon: skills practice or creative work; nature walk
• Evening: no cold. Journalling and wind-down for sleep

Client vignette

A 42-year-old founder with stimulant use and burnout arrived “always on.” Talk therapy helped but he could not feel calm. By week two we introduced morning breath plus 90–120 seconds at 10–12°C. Within five days he reported steadier mornings, fewer late-night surges and improved sleep onset. We phased frequency to three days per week and linked the routine to urge surfing for cravings.

Programmes and entry points

• Essential Care for stabilisation and short skills ramp
• Deluxe Programme for deeper therapy with somatic care
• Executive Programme for discreet scheduling and limited device windows
• Ultimate Bespoke for ultra-private settings
• Outpatient or Secondary Care as step-down

Related therapies

• TRE (nervous-system release)
• DBT therapy
• MET therapy
• CBT
• Yoga therapy and mindfulness
• Art and movement therapy

Related conditions and guides

• Anxiety treatment
• Depression treatment
• Trauma and PTSD
• Burnout recovery
• Addiction treatment
• Sleep and insomnia
• Top 10 Rehabs in Europe
• Luxury Rehab Spain

FAQs: cold therapy and Wim Hof Method

Start private cold exposure therapy in Spain

If your system feels overstimulated, under-responsive or stuck, cold can be a steadying tool within a wider plan. Speak to admissions to add Wim Hof and ice bath therapy to your personalised programme at Sea Recovery.