Would you mind sharing details about the cold showers? Curious how long you do it for, how many times a week when you started, how long it took you to get acclimated, those type of things.
Definitely. The cold showers are the way to go because you don't actually need to be that cold to reap the benefits. I love hot showers, so I start hot to relax then after a few minutes switch the taps to cold and stay there for at least 3 minutes. By that point, any increase in heart rate and feeling of dread is gone. It takes a good week of daily practice to get to the point where the cold water doesn't bother you too much anymore. It is an interesting thing, because your brain still says "no!", but the water ends up not feeling that bad any longer. A WHM instructor once told me that you don't get as many benefits if you finish on hot, but instead let your body warm itself up so I never finish with a hot shower.
When I soak in the pond I tend to stay in longer, about 5 to 10 minutes--just a different experience with the trees around you and not that rushed feeling of being inside.
So in summary I take short 3-5 minute showers 6-7 times a week, cold soaks in the pond 1-2 times a week, and the breathing exercises for about 20-30 minutes every morning when I wake up.