Wim Hof is an ice man. How to learn to withstand low temperatures

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Nickname of 57-year-old Dutchman Wim Hof - "Ice Man". He holds more than 20 records for survival in low temperatures: he ran marathons barefoot in the snow, plunged into icy lakes and climbed Kilimanjaro in shorts. Hof has developed his own method that allows him to control his breathing process, his body temperature and pulse rate, and teaches this method to others. The method allows you to achieve superhealth and heal from the most serious diseases.

The technique developed by Wim Hof is rooted in the breathing exercises of yogis - pranayama. When performed correctly, these exercises lead to hyperventilation of the lungs and, as a result, to increased blood circulation and excess carbon dioxide in the blood, which dilates the capillaries in your limbs, helping them not to freeze.

Additional advantages of the technique include massage of internal organs and the development of various groups of respiratory muscles.

Video about the Wim Hof method at the end of the article.

- You don't feel cold. But … what about the heat? You got sunburn while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. So you can't cope with the sun?

“It was the first time I encountered the power of solar energy, and it took me by surprise. Soon, however, I myself went on an experiment with fever. I made a march through the Sahara Desert - I walked on the sand fifty kilometers without drinking a sip of liquid: even the sweat on my skin stopped appearing. After all, it is worth taking a sip of water, you turn on its circulation in the body and lose any protection. My opinion is that it is harmful to drink in the heat.

- Controversial statement. Suppose you put your hand in the fire?

- Not ready yet. Although - the same area is responsible for the sensation of heat in the brain as for the sensation of cold: it is a clot of energy, and it only needs to be properly adjusted. But walking barefoot on hot coals is not a problem, I would risk trying.

- Do you think that if you accustom your body to cold, you will be saved from all diseases?

- Certainly. The heart will work more, you will avoid a heart attack.

- Heart attack - it is possible, but it is unlikely that training in the cold will cure cancer.

- Recently at the Feinstein Institute in New York, a group of medical professors conducted experiments with me. Toxins were injected into my veins, virtually pure poison. I should have felt a headache, nausea, noises in my head. But I didn't feel anything - my immunity is so strong that it destroys toxins in the bud. Now, regarding cancer … It doesn't attack right from the fourth stage, right? Maintain your health, accustom yourself to frost, ice-cold water - and you will not develop any tumors.

- Do you personally lead a healthy lifestyle? Any special diet?

- Not. I eat everything and do everything. I can smoke, drink, and about the rest … I have five children. I am not a fanatic or a monk. I love experiments. I haven't eaten once for a month to see if it gives me a feeling of lightness and better brain control.

- Hmmm … Some people say they don't eat - and then they are caught in the kitchen at night …

- Nobody caught me. After 3-4 days, the feeling of hunger dulls, and the sausage is no longer a drug. I drank a lot of water and lost 7 kilograms, without other difficult consequences. Since then, every Sunday I do not eat anything and I feel great at the same time! Also on Sundays (unless, of course, it's winter) I usually swim in the ice hole.

- We also bathe in the ice-hole for Epiphany.

- And in Holland there is a similar custom. On January 1, people swim in the winter sea for a couple of minutes - such a tradition, after which they consider themselves heroes. All this is great, but you need to adapt to the cold gradually, step by step. I have a special program - "Classes with Wim Hof". I have just returned from Sweden, where I trained a large group of people - they had problems with blood clots, atherosclerosis, pain in the spine. Believe it or not, most were healed within a week of swimming in the icy water. I am not a charlatan, any of my actions are strictly recorded by doctors of medicine and TV journalists from all over the world. Do you want me to conduct an experiment in Moscow? Take 20 people, and you will see with your own eyes: in five days they will be running barefoot on the ice across the city.

- I can't even believe it. Have you never had a problem?

- There were also mistakes. In the Arctic, when I ran a 42-kilometer marathon, it seemed to me that blood was not circulating very well in my left leg. I did not attach any importance to this, and in vain. Upon my return to Amsterdam, it turned out that I had a third degree of frostbite. The doctor said that the leg should be amputated - the toes were already blackened. I refused. Rubbed with onions, milk to return blood, focused the energy of the brain. And … the frostbite was gone. Here is a doctor's note on the need for amputation (he pulls out a form), but the foot is a real one, see for yourself (twirls toes). It was a harsh lesson. As soon as I lost control of my body for a minute, I froze. It's much easier to sit in the ice in front of TV cameras!

- How long does it take for an ordinary person to become Wim Hof?

- Well … if I take on you, it will be a year and a half. The professors argue that my abilities cannot be scientifically explained: but I was not born that way. A person must fully understand his abilities, feel the power of his body, learn to control the brain, regulate breathing. I have developed a method to prevent disease, develop longevity - and this is the most important thing. However, not only the ability not to feel the cold is economically profitable … You don’t spend even 1 euro on heating, and oil is so expensive now. Each time I sit on the ice for 10 minutes more, set a world record, and then they invite me again, put sensors, surveillance cameras and pay money.

- Do you consider yourself a superman?

- Not. Supermen are always fighting with someone. And I am a peaceful man!

Translation of the tutorial on the Wim Hof method (Basic technique):

1. Sit / lie down comfortably.

You can sit in a meditative position, or any other position that suits you. Make sure your lungs are fully expanded. It is recommended to do this technique immediately after you wake up, or before eating.

2. 30 Deep Breaths-Exhales.

Imagine that you are inflating a balloon. Inhale through the mouth or nose, exhale through the mouth with a short but strong "push". Keep the rhythm and use your diaphragm. Do all 30 vigorous breaths with your eyes closed. It is normal to have symptoms of mild dizziness and tingling in the body.

3. Holding the breath on the last exhalation.

After 30 intense breaths, inhale deeply and completely fill your lungs with air. Exhale and hold your breath for as long as you can. Inhale when you feel the symptoms of choking.

4. Revitalizing breath.

Inhale deeply. Feel your chest opening. Draw in your lungs full of air and hold your breath for 15 seconds. The whole procedure will mean that this is the First Cycle. There can be 3 or 4 such cycles. Upon completion of all cycles, it is important to enjoy the meditative feeling of relaxation. Once you start doing these breathing exercises, we recommend that you allow adequate recovery time. After you have completed the breathing exercise and feel better, you can start water procedures - a cold shower.

I woke up this morning and started breathing. (Wim once mentioned that he also does a breathing apparatus in the morning while still in bed).

Before the start I noticed that my hand was lying down, and that my back ached because of the long sitting at the computer the day before. It is interesting that literally two cycles later, the numb hand moved away even though I did not move it. Back pains also disappeared. I was surprised how quickly and thought to myself that the breathing apparatus works just awesome.

Who else doubts the method, it will be easy to check on yourself, the blood disperses to the most inaccessible places. According to Wim, many diseases are due to the fact that little oxygen is supplied.