The Clumsy Interloper

Wim Hof is a Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete noted for his prolonged swimming in frigidly cold water and running half marathons in bare feet on ice and snow. His Wim Hof Method (WHM) involves willpower, exposure to cold water and breathing techniques. I will delve into my thoughts on cold therapy in another post, but I wanted to spend these lines highlighting his breathing techniques and how they have helped me with anxiety, sleep issues and general mood.

If you Google Wim Hof you will find detractors, Reddit boards calling him a fraud and stories about people dying while attempting extreme cold water swims in his name. I don’t have much of a rebuttal beyond, “It works for me”. I added this 10-minute breathing practice to my daily routine about six months ago and it has made me happier, calmer and more present. Every day upon completion, I feel like I just took a Xanax and pressure washed all the cobwebs out of the corners of my consciousness. My body is light and my mind is clear. I would encourage you to try this breathing method once a day for a week. If you have a notable experience, positive or negative, please consider sharing a thought bubble below.  

Step 1: Get Comfortable

Get into a position that you can maintain comfortably, either sitting or lying down. Ideally wear loose clothing, and make sure that your belly can expand freely.

Step 2: 30 Deep Breaths

Close your eyes and clear your mind. Inhale deeply through your nose or mouth, while pushing your belly outward. When your lungs are full, let your breath go through the mouth without force.

Take 30 such breaths, one right after the other.

Step 3: The Retention Phase

After the final exhalation, hold your breath until you feel the urge to breathe again (aim for 60-90 seconds)

Step 4: Recovery Breath

Draw one giant breath, once again letting your belly expand fully. Hold that breath for 15 seconds, then let go. This completes one round. Three Rounds for Maximum Effect.