“The power of your own breath, you are able to control it. You are the master of your mind and the captain of your soul” -Wim Hof
I found Wim Hof Method (WHM) about 2 years ago. I was in the middle of a pretty dark time in my life characterized by suffering, self-sabotage, and depression. I knew my life wasn’t going too well and I was actively trying anything I could get my hands on. I was seeing therapists, involved in a few spiritual groups, a few other things. The worst part is that I enjoyed when none of this worked. It gave me this pathetic sense of being unique and special. The methods that worked for everyone else don’t work on the Great Conor! Someone had recommended I try the Wim Hof Method. I checked him out and I couldn’t wait to try the WHM just to have the same reaction.
My experience was far different that anything I could have imagined. I started with a guided beginner’s tutorial to the WHM breathing technique. The first round is about 2 minutes. At the end of the first round, my entire body was numb, there was a tingling sensation throughout my entire body. I remember thinking to myself “WTF- this wasn’t supposed to work”. I had never in my life found something that worked so effectively, so immediately. At the end of each round, you exhale the air out of your lungs and do a breath hold. Round 1 I held for about a minute. I began round 2, the breathing got even more intense. The numbness in my body and tingling sensation intensified. Breath hold was for about 1 min 15 sec. Round 3 was the most intense of all. I experienced a lightness in my body I never before knew was possible. Breath hold was 1 minute 35 sec. I became very interested…
In 2011, Radboud University did a scientific study on Wim. They injected him with a dead bacterium that should have given him flu like symptoms and made him very ill. Wim, through his breathing and meditation technique, was able to neutralize the effect of the bacteria. He experienced a mild headache for maybe 10 minutes. The scientists were shocked. Wim was able to voluntarily influence his Autonomic nervous system at will- which was believed to be impossible up to this point.
Wim is an incredible person. He is from the Netherlands and currently holds 26 Guinness World Records. They range from climbing past the death zone of Mt. Everest in nothing bot shorts and shoes, to running a marathon in the driest desert in the world without water. Wim attributes his ability to defy these physical barriers to his 3 pillars: Breathing, cold therapy, and meditation.
“The limit is not the sky. The limit is the mind”-Wim Hof
The first pillar of the WHM is breathing. The breathing exercise focuses on deep inhalations and exhalations. The purpose of this is to intake more oxygen into our bodies while reducing carbon dioxide from our blood. By lowering carbon dioxide levels, this intentionally puts the body into a short-term hypoxic state. In this state, our cells are not getting the normal levels of oxygen. The body will respond to this by increasing red blood cells, increased lung capacity, improved circulation and metabolic efficiency, increased levels of adrenaline. I have noticed that when I am in this state, the quality of my thoughts are much higher. I am free of fear, doubt, insecurity and feel much more confident and alive. The link to a WHM beginners guided breathing is here:
The 2nd pillar is…. Cold therapy. I know, “But I don’t like the cold”. Welcome to the club. Start small- 15 seconds of cold water at the end of each shower and work your way up. I have found enormous benefit in doing things that suck. So naturally, the cold water appealed to me. Cold water increases stimulation of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve’s most important function is bringing info from our organs to the brain. The science behind how it works is not my wheelhouse so I’m going to keep it simple. My favorite benefit of the cold water is that it gets you out of your head. Usually every morning before I hop in, I have some type of thoughts telling me to wait a few minutes until “I’m ready”. The thing is- I will never be ready. Sometimes you just have to tell the voice in your head “this is what were doing, and I don’t care if you like it or not”. The most fascinating thing about the cold-water therapy- after about 20 seconds, I am perfectly comfortable in the water. I do not struggle. I breathe. For me, it is the greatest proof that the power of our breath, of our own consciousness, is far greater than the limitations of the mind.
The third pillar of the WHM is commitment. This is the foundation of the first 2 pillars. Both cold therapy and conscious breathing require dedication. Committing to giving yourself 15 minutes/ day for this practice. As Wim says- Willpower and self-control are very important factors for a successful and happy life. I have found in my life the most effective tools are ones that are simple and available to all. When I first started WHM, I certainly was not as disciplined as I am today. I started small- 10 minutes of Wim’s guided breathing technique- it is a great way to start the day. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. But that step needs to be taken every day.
“There is so much more to life than meets the eye if you choose to seek it. The seeker becomes the finder, the finder of so much more than we thought was possible”- Wim Hof.
Really enjoyed this brotha! Keep up the great work!