As someone who has been trying The Wim Hof Method daily for the last three months, I can attest to the psychological and physical benefits of a daily session like the one listed above. Set the cold showers aside, the breathing feels good! And it’s worth doing for that alone. Wim has decreed that his method allows him to manipulate his nervous system to withstand extreme temperatures which, in turn, allow him to reach a deeper state of calm, peace and serenity. Repeat all phases a total of three times. When you feel the intense urge to breath ( don’t push it!), take a deep inhale and hold for 15-20 seconds, then release. Stay in this state for as long as possible. On your last exhalation, take another, final deep breath in and release, exhaling completely. Repeat this steadily and at an even pace 30-40 times. Use the method properly and you will discover amazing results): Controlled and Steady Breathingīreath deeply, fully, filling your lungs and then exhale, without forcing, simply by releasing. Do not attempt near bodies of water, or hard surfaces where you could hurt yourself were you to pass out. Abuse the method and you run the danger of passing out and depending on your environment, this can be dangerous. There are many variations, but the standard, as taught by Wim, involves three distinct phases (* a warning not to abuse the method – it’s not about how long you can hold your breath, whether you can do it in an impressive pose, or how impressive you are doing it. The Wim Hof Method is a breathing exercise not unlike the ones used in Kundalini Yoga and some forms of meditation.
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“The breath knows how to go deeper than the mind.” Wim Hof His many accomplishments and the increasing support of the science community beg the question: “What exactly is the Wim Hof Method and how do I do it?” Journalist, Scott Carney, even set out to debunk the method only to learn the technique and become a regular practitioner of it. In fact, Wim works regularly with scientists to prove that his method works, frequently turning cautious skeptics into unintentional believers and supporters of The Wim Hof Method. If this seems like the stuff of woo-woo, it may be of interest to note that science community is beginning to look at Wim with a watchful and shocked eye. Through breathing, commitment and focus, Wim believes his method has the ability to treat and/or alleviate symptoms of illness, including but not limited to: clinical depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, diabetes and cancer. Wim developed his remarkably straight-forward and easy method after his wife committed suicide in 1995, having battled depression for most of her life.
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Known more prominently in publications and online as The Iceman, Wim’s ‘method’ has allowed him to achieve incredible feats including: standing fully immersed in ice for 1 hour and 52 minutes, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2 days wearing nothing but shorts, and recently running a full marathon in the Namib Desert without any water, under medical supervision. With his thick Dutch accent, long hair, beard and hardened face, Wim Hof is the archetypal outdoors-man. You may have heard the name before and if not, a quick web search will reveal his 26 World Records and the “method” that is on its way to becoming the hottest new bridge between mindfulness and physical well-being.