The Amazing Wim Hof Method For Health

Meet Wim Hof. 

A man with “impossible” superhuman abilities that science is now validated as true!

The power of what Wim does goes beyond amazing feats of endurance like climbing Mt. Everest IN SHORTS! 

Yes. 

In SHORTS!

He stayed immersed in blocks of ice for 1 hour, 52 minutes and 42 seconds, maintaining and at times increasing his core body temperature.

Wim ran 26 miles through the Kalahari Desert in 104 degree Faranheit (40 Celsius) WITHOUT A DROP OF WATER!

He recently claimed his 26th world record running up Mount Kilimanjaro in just 31 hours and 26 minutes – again in SHORTS!

And even preventing a harsh immune response when researchers administered a powerful endotoxin.

But He’s More Than A Circus Act!

This is really about tapping into our innate ability to control our physiology.

Science held the belief that our autonomic nervous & immune system operated independently of our thinking.

Meaning there was no way control immune, pain, or healing response.

But Wim Hoff has proven our scientists wrong and has gone from being ridiculed to celebrated.

And that’s great news for us all! 

Because you and I can learn to do what he does in 10 weeks! 

It’s not hard, you don’t have to spend money on equipment, and best of all, it takes minutes a day to master.

We’re going to reveal his methods. It’s a pretty simple practice anyone can do.

But first, let’s learn more about this extraordinary man!

Wim was born on April 20th, 1959 in the Netherlands and was drawn to the cold early in his life.

He loved running barefoot in snow but it wasn’t until he was 18 that an event changed his life. He decided to take a dip at the Amsterdam Beatrix park and experienced a feeling of power, a catharsis that led to full devotion and understanding of what we are now exploring.

He began sitting all night in the snow and taking note of his physiological and psychological changes.

The “superhuman” state he discovered in cold inspired him to do extreme feats and in the late 1990s Wim’s remarkable achievements started to be noticed and gradually he became a phenomenon around the world. 

What Is Most Impressive…

Unquestionably, his personal feats are nothing short of astounding but what’s most incredible is his ability to teach his method to students who achieve the same results – and FAST!

This was proven in January 2014 when he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with 25 of his students – all wearing just shorts. In only 48 hours, 24 of the 26 expedition members reached the summit, an achievement that, until then, was thought impossible. Striking detail was that a number of the members of the group suffered from a variety of diseases, such as MS, rheumatism or cancer.

What Science Is Telling Us

Rigorous testing was done on Wim and the results were astonishing.

Study #1: The Endotoxin

Hof claims that he can influence his autonomic nervous system and immune response through concentration and meditation.

Professor Peter Pickkers and PhD candidate Matthijs Kox investigate the effects of the autonomic nervous system on the immune response.

Pickkers said: “We administer endotoxin, a dead cell-wall component of bacteria, to healthy volunteers. The immune system reacts as if real live bacteria have entered the body and mounts an immune response characterized by the production of inflammatory mediators and flu-like symptoms like fever, chills and headache. These experiments are completely safe and have been performed on more than 240 subjects in our centre.”

The Results

Wim Hof is well known for his remarkable activities in extremely low temperatures. Hof claims that he can influence his autonomic nervous system and thereby suppress his immune response through concentration and meditation.

To investigate this, Hof was administered endotoxin while practising his concentration and meditation technique. During this experiment, various measurements were performed, including brain activity, autonomic nervous system activity and inflammatory mediators in the blood.

Pickkers said: “After endotoxin administration, the increase of the stress hormone cortisol in Hof was much more pronounced compared to other healthy volunteers. We know that this hormone is released in response to increased autonomic nervous system activity and that it suppresses the immune response. In accordance, the levels of inflammatory mediators in Hof’s blood were much lower. On average, Hof’s immune response was decreased by 50 percent compared to other healthy volunteers. In addition, hardly any flu-like symptoms were observed. These results are definitely remarkable. However, so far, they have only been obtained in a single individual and therefore cannot serve as scientific evidence for the hypothesis that the autonomic nervous system and the immune response can be influenced through concentration and meditation techniques. Further research is warranted in which a group of volunteers that have acquired Hof’s concentration and meditation technique is compared to a group that does not master this technique.”

This study showed effectiveness in Wim but could the same results be gained from others?

On March 23rd, 2013, twenty-four scientific study participants were injected with a dead strain of Escherichia coli, a bacteria that normally induces violent sickness for days on end.

Just like the past results, neither Wim nor the other participants trained in the Wim Hof Method experienced any adverse reaction. Proving without a doubt that Wim’s methods and training are effective.

Bottom Line: The conclusion of this study is inspiring! Wim is not an anomaly. The experiment showed that anyone with the right training can effectively control their immune response.

Study #2: The Cold

What happens to Wim when he is exposed to extended cold temperatures.

Wim is placed in a box and covered to his neck in ice. There is no air layer in between, there is full contact with ice and his body. He should experience frostbite and hypothermia very quickly.

The Results

His skin temperature does drop but his core body temperature barely drops.  Normally the heart rate should increase, Wim’s heart rate does not until 45 mins in. His metabolism goes up tremendously to produce extra heat.

This video recorded in 2010 shows some test results. Since then, it has been proven that his abilities can indeed be replication by anyone, INCLUDING YOU READING THESE WORDS!

Bottom Line: It is now proven that we can regulate our body temperature despite outside factors.

The Wim Hof Method Basics

Let’s take a quick look at the benefits of this training:

• Boost immune system and control it
• Control pain
• Lose weight by increasing brown fat (more brown fat means better utilization of that fat you don’t want on your body)
• Improved brain function (increased focus and concentration)
• Better circulation and vascular health
• Quicker recovery from stress
• Control over your emotional states (be happy more!)

The Wim Hof Method is similar to Tummo (inner heat) Meditation and Pranayama (yogic breathing). Yet it is something else entirely. While Wim has studied yoga and meditation for many years, this technique primordially comes from what he terms ‘cold hard nature’. By subjecting himself to the bitter conditions of nature, he learned to withstand the extreme forces of cold, heat and fear. If you learn this method or technique correctly, it will empower you do to the same.

The first part is a breathing exercise which can be likened to controlled hyperventilation. This is, of course, an oxymoron. Hyperventilation is something which happens involuntarily. But just imagine the breathing part, without any of stress triggers that normally cause this way of breathing. The process will consist of rapid breathing that makes one languid, invigorates one, makes one high on oxygen. One mechanism of this practice is the complete oxygenation of your blood and cells.

1) Get comfortable and close your eyes

Sit in a meditation posture, whatever is most comfortable for you. Make sure you can expand your lungs freely without feeling any constriction. It is recommended to do this practice right after waking up since your stomach is still empty.

2) Warm Up

Inhale deeply. Really draw the breath in until you feel a slight pressure from inside your chest on your solar plexus. Hold this for a moment and then exhale completely. Push the air out as much as you can. Hold this for a moment. Repeat this warm up round 15 times.

3) 30 Power Breaths

Imagine you’re blowing up a balloon. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth in short but powerful bursts. The belly is pulled inward when you are breathing out and is pulled outward when you are breathing in. Keep a steady pace and use your midriff fully. Close your eyes and do this around 30 times or until you feel your body is saturated with oxygen. Symptoms could be light-headedness, tingling sensations in the body, electrical surges of energy.

4) Scan your body

During the 30 power breaths, delve into your body and become aware of it as possible. Trace your awareness up and down your body and use your intuition as to what parts lack energy and what parts are overflowing. Scan for any blockage between the two. Try to send energy/warmth to those blockages. Then release them deeper and deeper. Tremors, traumas and emotional releases can come up. It can be likened to kundalini rising. Feel the whole body fill up with warmth and love. Feel the negativity burn away.

Often people report swirling colors and other visual imagery during this exercise. Once you encounter them, go into them, embrace them, merge with them. Get to know this inner world and how it correlates to the feeling of tension or blockages in your body.

5) The Hold

After the the 30 rapid succession of breath cycles, draw the breath in once more and fill the lungs to maximum capacity without using too much force. Then push all of the air out and hold for as long as you can. Draw the chin in a bit so as to prevent air from coming in again. Really relax and open all energy channels in your body. Notice how all the oxygen is spreading around in your body. Hold the breath until you experience the gasp reflex on the top of your chest.

6) Recovery Breath

Inhale to full capacity. Feel your chest expanding. Release any tension in the solar plexus. When you are at full capacity, hold the breath once more. Drop the chin to the chest and hold this for around 15 seconds. Notice that you can direct the energy with your awareness. Use this time to scan the body and see where there is no color, tension or blockages. Feel the edges of this tension, go into it, move the energy towards this black hole. Feel the constrictions burning away, the dark places fill with light. Relax the body deeper as you move further inward, let everything go. Your body knows better than you do. After 15 seconds you have completed the first round.

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Start this practice with one or two rounds. Try to do it daily and add two more rounds in a few days. After you feel more comfortable with holding your breath you can start to add exercises and stretches. Work up to a minimum of 15 minutes or 6 rounds with exercises. You can do this practice for how long it pleases you.

If you feel dizziness or pain, get out of the posture and lie on your back. Breathe easily again and stop this practice session.

Reserve at least 5 minutes after this practice to relax and scan the body.

Summary

1. 30 times balloon blowing
2. Breathe in fully
3. Breath out fully and hold until gasp reflex
4. Inhale fully and hold for 10-15 seconds.
5. Repeat until finished
6. Take 5 minutes to relax and scan your body

Bonus Power-ups

• Add push-ups or yoga poses during the time you are holding your breath until you wait for the gasp reflex. Notice that you are stronger without air than you would normally be if you could breathe!
• Charge the energy up the spine by holding moola banda, contract the rectum & sex organ and pull the navel inward towards the spine.
• Stand up in squat position and do the balloon breath. Try to breathe away the burn. (get seated again the moment you continue the cycle, you don’t want to be standing and faint) See if you can get the energy overtake the pain. Don’t give up easily and see how far you can go if you have the willpower!

Cold Exposure

After the  body scan of the previous exercise you are ready let your body embrace the cold. It is very important to try to relax as much as you can, really be with the cold, only then can your body process the signals and start thermogenesis. As Wim says, “the cold is your warm friend!“

Cold Showers

If you are new to cold exposure, start with cold showers. Begin with your feet and then follow with your legs, your stomach, shoulders, neck and back and finally your head. An initial shock, shivering and hyperventilation is normal. Try to remain calm and breathe easily. Close your eyes and really try to embrace the cold.

If you feel any strong physical uncomfortableness, like heavy shivering, numbness or pain, get your body warm again as soon as possible.

Once you are out of the shower, take a moment to do another slow body scan before you dry yourself.

Cold exposure works like weight lifting, you get stronger over time. There are little muscles around your veins that contract when they get into contact with the cold. After some time (only 1-2 weeks according to Wim) these become stronger, making your veins healthier and reducing the force that your heart has to use to pump blood around your body.

You can increase exposure over time. At one point the cold will feel just as comfortable as wearing your favorite pajamas and you can skip the warm shower completely. Notice how you feel amazing after a cold shower and sluggish after a warm one.

Ice Baths

After a few weeks of cold showers you can up the ante to an ice bath. Get 2-3 bags of ice at your local convenience store and put them in a half-full bath tub. Wait until around two thirds is melted or that the water has reached your designated temperature (10-12°C (50-59°F)). You can throw in a couple of handfuls of salt to speed up this process.

As with the cold showers, try to relax as much as you can. Start out with around 10 minutes and increase exposure over time. If you feel uncomfortable or in doubt, get out. After this exercise make sure you do another body scan.

It is normal to feel extra cold after a small period of time after the ice bath. This is called the after-drop. Take a hot glass of raw coca and keep your blood flowing by talking a walk. You’ll feel amazing after!

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These exercises are extremely powerful when done consistently and with intent. Try them out and report your findings in the comments below! Remember, the cold is your warm friend.

The exercises above are the beginning. If you are serious about diving in deeper, and you should be, we suggest going through Wim’s complete 10 week training.

Here’s what you can expect in this training:

• Boost Your Immune System To Bulletproof Yourself Against Sickness
• Become A “Super” Version Of Yourself In Just 10 Short, Life Transforming Weeks
• Learn Ancient Techniques In Combination With Modern Cutting Edge Strategies
  To Increase Your Health And Wellbeing
• Hack Your Body Using Cold Therapy To Feel Energized During The Day,
  While Sleeping Like A Baby At Night”

Once more, be sure to check out Wim’s life-changing video course.

Watch this amazing documentary on his preparation to run an artic marathon (of course in shorts):

Here are some additional interviews that are inspiring and important.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick Interview

Tim Ferriss Interview

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110422090203.htm