If you want to learn how to do it, check the free videos on Wim’s site – you can get the hang of it in a matter of minutes. That’s why the Wim Hof Method has become one of the mainstays of my daily regime. Having put Wim Hof’s method to the test, I suggest that greater wisdom and practical application may derive from it than from the effects of a handful of expensive smarties. If you go to the doctor with mental health problems, the industry wins again with its arsenal of anti-depressants. Over autumn and winter, I felt the early signs of a cold on a number of occasions, however, by Hoffing more frequently, the symptoms disappeared.ĭespite medical science telling us there’s no cure for the common cold, big pharma turns an obscene annual profit peddling remedies. I haven’t had a cold or any other illness for a year.I have more energy and less trouble getting out of bed in the morning.Previously, a black mood could take weeks or months to clear. When they come, they’re short-lived, lasting minutes or hours, never longer than a day.Bouts of depression are conspicuous in their infrequency these days.Here I am a year later, feeling healthier than I’ve ever felt, in spite of the crap that life keeps throwing at me.
Something about it felt so good that I had to keep doing it. That was when I first tried the breathing exercise and cold training. I was alone in a cottage in Devon about this time last year, starting the gargantuan edit on Gallashan. What was there to lose in giving it a try? This, perhaps, and Wim’s openness and sincerity about these matters, got my attention.Ĭould I really affect my psychological and physical wellbeing just by breathing and taking cold showers? After watching a number of Wim’s videos, it seemed entirely possible. He’s said in the past that if he’d been able to teach her the method he subsequently developed, it could have saved her apparently, reducing inflammation around the brain has a direct and very positive effect on depression. It transpires that Wim’s first wife, and mother to his first four children, committed suicide as a result of depression. Among other benefits, his technique alkalinises the blood, reduces inflammation and supercharges the immune system – all of this scientifically verified. Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the things Wim speaks about in various interviews and presentations. I’m a bookish fellow, more given to Yoga and Tai Chi than endurance sports or extreme fitness. Known as The Iceman, Wim holds 26 world records, including distance swum under artic ice (188.6 ft), time immersed in ice (1 hour, 53 minutes, 2 seconds) and altitude climbed wearing only shorts and shoes (23,600 ft, Everest). This time last year, knowing I’m a bit of a ‘seeker’, a close family friend sent me a YouTube link to a video about Wim Hof.
Many elements have contributed to my healing journey over the years, but I’m dedicating this post to the Wim Hof Method and the things that have changed for me over the course of twelve months spent practising it. I’ve lived with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and other emotional troubles since childhood, often enduring long periods of profound misery or blankness. Alongside my publishing journey, there’s the dance of my inner experiences, which can be equally stormy. My life isn’t just about books – even though that’s often my focus. He runs barefoot marathons in the snow, floats in ice baths for weird amounts of time, and generally has better control over his bodily functions than most people.In between all the publishing turbulence, I wanted to share with you some experiences of a more personal nature. Laird Hamilton and Kelly Slater both swear by his teachings, and Hof’s got the credentials to back them up. Here are the basics as I learned them from Koa, but make sure you do this with an expert first and never do it alone before free diving, etc.” “It’s a great way to stay calm, centered and focused. “Koa Smith got me into the Wim Hof breathing method,” Florence says. John John Florence is an expert, and here’s his breathing exercise. Depending on why you’re doing a breathing excersize-it could be for relaxation or sleeping or freediving-the best people to listen to are often the experts. There are many, and they’re all relatively similar in the fact that you breathe in and out. Belly breathing, air sipping, 4-7-8 Breath, bellows breath, etc. You have seen all sorts of breathing exercises.