NF01 November/December 2023

62 Outside Influence
W
e’ve
Still in the throes of the pandemic
and all that social disconnection,
we started weekly dips in the
river. It was important to make it
accessible and free, with as few
barriers as possible. Now we have
over 150 members in Bath, 70 in
Brighton, and we launched a Bristol
group in October.
hosted various wellbeing retreats at Campwell Farm since
2017, but following the loss of a male friend to suicide, and
hearing stories of other male friends who were suffering in
silence, we came up with our Man Kind Day in October 2020, as
an experiment in bringing men together for a day of connecting,
reflecting and being in nature. This was the start of IceBreakers.
It’s a magic formula of community,
nature and immersion in cold
water. While we keep our practice
simple, the stories from men who
have found this ritual critical for
maintaining their mental wellbeing
keep on coming. There is growing
evidence to back up the various
elements of our approach;
from cold-water immersion to
breathwork. Recently, Harvard’s
longest study on human happiness
showed that positive relationships
and community are what make
for a healthy life. And we’re often
happiest when we’re out in nature;
it can reduce stress, make us
happier and inspire creativity.
Our retreats can run for one,
two or three days, and integrate
open-fire cooking, walks, games
and a lot of sitting around huge
fires, sharing stories. Phones are
checked into a box on arrival so
the group is fully in the zone,
without distractions.
Written by IceBreakers co-founder
Tim Bowles
JAMES
“I’ve done two retreats. The first,
amid grief, legal issues, marital
strife and growing a business, was
a hard reset, and I left with a sense
of calm and clarity. The second,
this year, was a real detachment
from a lot of stress. It’s an amazing
community and I’d encourage
anyone to get involved.”
DINESH
“I’ve learnt to share my fears and
personal challenges, and as a result
I have my mojo back. The impact
has been so positive. It’s helped me
reconnect with myself, my family
and my friends, but also provided
me with the opportunity to give
back. I’m grateful for my amazing
brothers at IceBreakers.”
NF01