The Dutchman also ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking. Nobody could accuse him of being a one-trick pony, either. Some of his more prominent feats include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon in Finland above the Arctic Circle in bare feet, and standing for 112 minutes in a container covered in ice. The Iceman holds 21 Guinness World Records for cold exposure and endurance. Here’s why you might want to give his methods a go to reach new heights of athletic performance, mindfulness-or just to impress your friends. His name is Wim Hof, aka ‘The Iceman,’ and he’s the inspiration behind respiration. A 60-year-old Dutchman has baffled scientists with his ability to endure extreme conditions through breathing alone. There is a Tibetan practice for warming the body when meditating in cold conditions and this seems to be similar, tapping into the ability to generate heat from within the body.įor a more detailed set of instructions you can visit Wim Hof’s website.Forget everything you knew about breathing. When I did the ice bath workshop I didn’t feel cold as my body felt so warm from doing the horse stance exercise before getting in, and then the 4/8 breath kept me feeling at ease as I lay in the water. You may find you are able to start to warm your body as you are in the water just through the breathing. Breathe in before going into the water, step into the cold water as you hold your breathe and slowly breathe out for a count of 8, breathing in for a count of 4 and keeping this 4/8 rhythm going.Īfter a few minutes of being under the cold water leave, dry yourself and then do a faster paced horse stance set of 4/8 breaths if you need to warm yourself.
Then keep this 4/8 rhythm going as you get ready to step into the shower. If you do this then follow the next video and do the exercises after doing the breathing in the video above.īreathe to a rhythm of 4 in and 8 out as you do the horse posture. You can then go on to take a cold shower if you wish. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.Do not do this breathing method in a swimming pool, driving or operating any machinery – it may result in you feeling light headed or dizzy.The video below takes you through the method, which can be an effective morning meditation taking only 5 – 10 minutes. Set backs seem easier to deal with….after all, I’ve started my day by facing the most unpleasant part of it by stepping into an icy cold shower, after that it only gets easier! I’m also noticing a greater sense of purpose and focus as it takes a moment of determined intention to step into the water. Since starting this a few months ago I’ve found I have become more productive and feel more energised and alert. increases growth hormones and testosterone.helps treat anxiety, depression and helps with stress management.aids fat loss by causing brown fat to be burnt up and the production of white (good) fat.Why take a cold shower? Below are some of the benefits: The breathing method in itself will be very beneficial even if you don’t go on to take a cold shower, as it helps to regulate the body.
WIM HOF BREATHING EXERCISES. HOW TO
I’ve wanted to explore it in more detail and this week was watching these videos where Wim Hof describes how to breathe to prepare for the ice bath/cold shower and then the follow up exercises to do before getting into the cold water. Since then I’ve been using the breathing method for taking cold showers and find it really helps to be able to settle into the experience and enjoy it rather than finding it unpleasant.
A few months ago I went to a workshop on the Wim Hof method which culminated in taking an ice bath.
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