Kneipp arm pour
The gentlest of the Kneipp pours, often the first one a beginner learns. A short cold pour from the back of the hand up the arm, two minutes at the sink, eyes still on the day.
Steps
Have warm hands to begin with
The Kneipp principle is warm body, cold water. If your hands feel cool, rub them together for a minute or hold them under warm water first. Cold water on cold skin is not the practice.
Set the water cold but not icy
At the sink, run the cold tap over the back of one wrist until it feels steady cold, not stinging. Push back any long sleeves above the elbow.
Right arm, outside up
Hold the right hand under the stream at the back of the little finger. Move the stream slowly up the outside of the forearm to a hand width above the elbow, around the back, and slowly down the inside to the inner wrist. About twenty seconds for the whole arm.
Left arm, the same path
Repeat on the left arm, the same slow path. The two arms together take about a minute.
Strip the water, do not towel
Strip the water off with the palm of the other hand. Pull the sleeves back down. The arms will feel warm again within a minute or two. Go back to whatever you were doing.
The arm pour is the entry-level practice in Sebastian Kneipps system of cold-water applications, codified in Bavaria and Austria in the 1880s. Skip it on a feverish or chilled body, on open skin on the arms, and when you feel cold to start with. People with Raynauds, cardiovascular conditions, or blood-pressure medication should ask a doctor before adopting it as a regular practice. Children from around eight can learn it under supervision. Pregnancy: gentle short arm pours are traditionally considered fine; ask your midwife if you would prefer a second opinion.