The Wim Hof Method

How to Consciously Control Your Immune

System
Wim Hof, holder of 20 Guinness World Records for withstanding extreme
temperatures. He has climbed Everest and Kilimanjaro in only shorts and shoes,
stayed comfortably in ice baths for hours, and run a full marathon in the highest
desert (50 degrees Celsius, 122 Fahrenheit) with no water & food.

Wim is able to accomplish these feats with ease through the use of a breathing
technique that allows you to control the autonomous systems of the body.

However the most earthshaking effect of what has been called the Wim Hof
Method is the ability to consciously control the immune system to fight off
diseases. Our immune system plays a significant role in almost all devastating
diseases plaguing the modern world, and finding a way to improve it can help us
discover new avenues for medicine.

Wim worked with a group of university researchers to prove that anyone can do
the extraordinary things he does. He's took 12 participants who have no prior
training, and instructing them over the span of a week. At the end of the week,
each participant was injected with a bacterium than normally causes violent
nausea, vomiting and fever for several days. However, with the use of the Wim
Hof Method, the participants felt nothing (Wim previously did this and felt no
more than a slight headache).

Wim has explained that he wants as many people to know about this as possible.
His vision is a world without sickness.

The Method
The Wim Hof Method is mildly similar to gTummo (inner heat) Meditation and
Pranayama (yogic breathing). Yet it is something else entirely, primarily
combining elements of the above practices with mindfulness meditation,
including visualization, light workout, yogic asana (postures), and cold water
therapy. While Wim has studied yoga and meditation for many years, Wim says
this technique comes from what he terms 'cold hard nature'. By subjecting
himself to the bitter conditions of nature, he says he has learned to withstand
the extreme forces of cold, heat and fear. If you learn this method or technique
correctly, it may 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
the stress triggers that normally cause this way of breathing. The practice will
consist of rapid breathing that makes one languid, invigorates one, and makes
one high on oxygen. One mechanism of this practice is the complete
oxygenation of your blood and cells.

Before you try this at home make sure that you don't attempt this:
-underwater
-while driving
-while standing up
-without approval of your medical caregiver

Please be mindful that practicing this method is completely your own risk.

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 that 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, and 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 colours and other visual imagery during this
exercise. Once you encounter them, go into them, embrace them, and
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 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 colour, 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.
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

-30 times balloon blowing

-Breathe in fully
-Breath out fully and hold until gasp reflex
-Inhale fully and hold for 10-15 seconds.
-Repeat until finished
-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 Mula Bandha, 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 to 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 thermo genesis.
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.

For the first few days have a minute cold session during your hot shower, and
then try a minute cold before and after your hot shower for a few days. Once you
can do this comfortably, begin with a minute cold, then warm, another minute
cold in the middle, back to warm, and end with another minute of cold, all the
while visualizing a fire deep in the chest becoming more powerful with each
breath. Before long this will be no issue and you can attempt a full 10 minute
cold shower.

You can increase exposure gently over time. At one point the cold will feel just as
comfortable as wearing your favourite pyjamas. 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!

Please be mindful that you are doing these exercises on your own risk. Using any
of these exercises while driving or being immersed under water can be extremely
dangerous. When in doubt, talk with your medical caregiver.

These exercises are extremely powerful when done consistently and with intent.
Always make sure you are safe and can't harm yourself or anyone else in the
process. Try them out and remember, the cold is your warm friend.