I'm encouraged as usual, this is a great topic I really like it.. the cold shower is a new trick to me and I've been into meditation for years now. I'll have to give it a try, but I know how it might work as your focus on your breathing helps slow down your breathing and even slightly slows your heart rate. Diverting the attention away from the cold shower. Which doing so for the long term would work wonder on the body. Looks like monks training to me.

I'm more into the silent sitting and contemplating meditation and different forms of yoga in order to unlock different chakra points in the body.