My journey with the Wim Hof method started back around 2019. In the beginning, I got caught in a Youtube spiral one day, leading to me binge watching videos and researching information on Wim Hof’s story and his method. My partner could tell I was excited and agreed to join me with practicing the method.
Falling Out of Routine
I remember the breathing sessions being quite exhausting but rewarding. The feeling you would achieve by the end of 3 rounds was quite astonishing and gave me an incredible calming feeling. We would do 3 rounds right before bed which made the calming sensation a huge benefit, but the level of energy needed to do the 3 rounds would lead us to slowly falling off the nightly routine.
By the time winter came around I had stopped all aspects of Wim Hof and it had slowly faded into obscurity. In truth, I didn’t make the sessions a priority and I wimped out of cold exposure right when the temperature was becoming the most beneficial. In a sense, the mental health element was not a priority compared to my physical transformation during this time period, and therefore, led me to more easily abandoning it.
Fast forwarding to 2022, I found myself in an extremely testing point in my life. My work life had been turned upside down due to numerous changes, my previous career goals had been put into question, and in turn, so had my life goals. I found myself questioning all the routines and goals I had created for self improvement, I found myself really questioning life. This is when I started to truly appreciate the importance of mental health, rather than just tokenistically adopting mental health practices for self improvement.
Finding My Way Back
I started to have a greater appreciation for meditation. I understood that meditation is like hitting the gym for your mental health, each time you pull your focus back to where it needs to be, you are completing a rep. It allows you to have more control over how you see life and how you are influenced by emotions. By improving my meditation practices, I realized I could impact my ability to deal with the hurdles life was throwing at me.
Around this time, my body started to take more damage from both the gym and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I started having more pain and injuries, and dedicated time to researching stretches and methods to alleviate pain and promote healing. Once again, I stumbled across cold exposure; my BJJ gym was offering a free test of cryo therapy spray and to my surprise to instantly alleviated pain. After researching into cold therapy, I once again stumbled upon the Wim Hof method.
The Wim Hof method seemed to not only offer me an opportunity to aid my physical health, but also aid in my mental health. The cold therapy promised vascular muscle strength, better cardiovascular system and an increase in sickness prevention. It also provided a point in time where external stresses are removed from the equation, your mind focuses on the current survival situation and you are relieved from your daily stresses. The breathing method offered a way to reduce acidity and increase alkaline, fighting inflammation in the body, and allowing for moments to focus on the present.
Book Review and Key Takeaways
The Wim Hof Method book provides details on the 3 pillars of the method, the science behind it, and anecdotes regarding Wim’s life. The information regarding cold exposure, breathing technique, and the mind, backed by scientific research is great, but the book constantly goes in circles trying to convince you of the information. It seems like it tries to extend its defence of the 3 pillars over the majority of the 13 chapters. The anecdotes of Wim’s life are also hard to relate to, in part because Wim seems to be a unique individual, but also due to the guru-esque vibes the language used conveys in relation to his ‘life’s calling’, being selected as a ‘missionary’ from birth.
My main takeaways from the book focus on the connection of the 3 pillars and spiritual purpose. The book contained the quote, “sharing happiness is double happiness, sharing sorrow is half sorrow”. For me, that quote spoke volumes. Often times I can become so absorbed by self improvement that I can easily miss connecting with others. A huge part of moving forward for me is to make time to be present with significant people in my life. How I conceptualise the 3 pillars is that there is power in relation to the mind, it influences bodily processes, emotions and perceptions, and therefore influence reality. The breath work leads to controlling or subduing powerful emotions, and brings forth peace and serenity. And cold therapy improves perception; it removes all other stresses and focuses on survival, bringing you back to a natural baseline.
Moving forward, I have kept up the cold exposure nearly every morning and have adapted the breathing technique. At times, when I am present, I purposefully focus on breathing fully in and letting go, with the aim being to hopefully reduce acidity and subdue emotional states. It’s not the perfect practice, I should be doing 3 rounds of breath work a day, but so far have been unsuccessful in fitting it into my daily routines. That being said, I am slowly becoming more interested in meditation and have a few books to read, so my hope is that in the near future I stop making excuses and ‘find time’ to breath, as it is important.
