What would you think if someone said that with the icy cold water and a breathing technique, you could become superhuman, turning to be more durable and stronger than before. Moreover, some of the most renowned Hollywood actors like Jim Carrey, Harrison Ford or Tom Cruise are said to have supported this freezing method which was put forward by our guest Wim Hof, a Dutch man holding many world records related to cold exposures. Would you want to try his growing phenomenon once too?
Having experienced some difficulties in his personal life, Hof began searching ways to cope with stress which haunted him especially after he had lost his beloved wife. According to one of his speech, that loss led him to turn to the cold, developing techniques to endure extreme temperatures and control his breathing. Gaining his energy back, he broke 21 Guinness World Records from running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle wearing nothing but shorts and barefoot to the farthest swim under ice ( 66 meters ). Besides, not all of them achievements are about the cold. He run a full marathon in Namib Desert without food nor water.
Inner power. He focuses on awakening deep physiological and mental strength of ours that are forced to be inactive by lifestyles we choose. We have lost the connection with the natural environment which can trigger our survival instinct. The Wim Hof Method helps us realize our full potential and reconnect to nature, where we actually belong to.
The Wim Hof Method
Wim Hof
Step I – Breathing
The way we breathe is too important to increase oxygen levels that affects the chemical and physiological activities in our bodies. Our breathing is generally an unconscious process. So, the more oxygen taken consciously, the more control in the most extreme conditions.
- Get comfortable position like a mediation posture or lying down, in order to expand the lung freely and cause complete air circulation.
- Clearing the mind, inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale through the mouth till you decide the lung is empty. Repeat this no less than 30 or 40 times.
- Take a breath as deep as you can after the last exhalation, on condition that you let it out and stop breathing until you feel the urge to breathe again.
- Feeling that urge, take one last breath that must completely fill your lung. Reaching full capacity, hold the breath for 15 seconds then let it go.
Step II – Cold Therapy
Proven fact that the exposure to cold frequently is good for us to reduce inflammation, swelling and Myalgia, the medical term for muscle pain, is the second pillar of the method. Speeding up recovery, it also provides better sleep, focus and immune response.
- First, you have to get your body to become accustomed to cold. Such as one limb at a time. Then, the body and the blood flow adapt to the instant fall of temperature. In time, you can raise the time you spend under the cold water.
P.S. : Be aware of the risk of getting Hypothermia. Try not to be exposed to the cold for a long time.
Step III – Commitment
The most significant pillar of three. Dedication to the method is about becoming a better version of ourselves, increasing willpower and self-control which are generally and slowly lost because of following the same patterns and routines in everyday life. In order not to let it be just a goal, turn the method into a habit.
