WolfDreamer Posted January 18, 2017 Report Share Posted January 18, 2017 For those who do not know, I am training for the Polar Plunge. As one aspect of my training, I have been using the Wim Hof Method to acclimate to cold temperatures. In addition to cold exposure (cold showers, immersion in icy water, etc.) The WHM includes a unique style of breathing similar to the Tibetan Tummo "breath of fire" meditation. While I am not 100% convinced of some of the claims Wim has made about his methods (only because I don't have personal evidence), I will say the breathing has changed my mood and demeanor considerably. I feel so mellow after meditating with this style of breathing. The method is an intentional way to "cheat" the body into feeling stress by hyperventilating and then retaining breath. Wim likens it to the adrenaline and anxiety a person feels right before a bungee jump. For this reason, I combine my WHM breathing with a more "inactive" relaxed form of meditation. There is some counting required for the WHM and while the structure requires focus and mindfulness, it kind of keeps me from being able to "bliss out" and just relax as I breathe. So I follow my WHM breathing with something like a body scan or just sit and breathe and feel. Anything that requires little thought and just sitting and breathing. The method is not for everyone. It comes with disclaimers, the most common being don't do it in water because people have actually passed out while practicing the method. What do you think? Are any of you familiar with Wim Hof and his methods? What are your reactions to it? 2 Quote Who am I? -- My NF Character Current Challenge: WolfDreamer Wakes the White Wolf Past Challenges: Spoiler Winter is Coming, Wolfen Strengthens His Heart, Body, Mind, and Spirit, Wolfen Becomes One of the People, Wolfen Strengthens His Chakras, Wolfen Welcomes Summer and Gets Primal, Soulcon and Spartan, Wolfen Develops Mental Toughness, Wolfen Joins the Wander Society, Soulcon, Spartan, School, and Stranger Things, Wolfen Becomes a Warrior Elite, Wolfen Goes Here and There and Back Again, Wolfen Becomes a Soulcon Warrior Elite, Wolfen Returns to His Roots, Wolfen Wanders in Soul, Spirit, and Body, Wolfen Owns the Day, Wolfen Searches for His Wild Heart, Wolfen Runs for His Life, Wolfen Hits the Trails, Wolfen Becomes an Explorer and Joins the Resistance, Wolfen Goes Back to the Source, Wolfen Begins the Hero's Journey, WolfDreamer Returns to the People, WolfDreamer Pushes Back, WolfDreamer Prioritizes, Burpees, Books, and Brainwork, Burpees, Books, Brainwork, and Bodywork, WolfDreamer Masters the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Continues to Master the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Returns to Sparta, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Continues His Middle Earth Adventure, WolfDreamer and the Fall, WolfDreamer Forges His Own Path, WolfDreamer Has Hope, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Reads Harder, Breathes Harder, and Journals More, WolfDreamer Embraces His Wild Poet, The Mad Poet Becomes Supernatural, WolfDreamer, The Mad Poet, Becomes Superhuman, WolfDreamer Elevates, WolfDreamer Becomes IronBorn “I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.” -- Jack London “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love.” -- Leo Tolstoy "I feel love rising in my chest again Rising like a burning sun into the day..." -- Gungor, "Hurricane" "...wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17b Link to comment
Brawlrus Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 I've been doing WHM for a little over a year, off and on. I have to say that for warmth production in the cold, it works amazingly. I attributed it to the friction produced by the abs contracting during the breaths. I haven't done it consistently enough to say for certain if the oxygen saturation aspects are legit, though. I'm throwing myself back into it, along with other shamanic methods, so I guess we'll see how I feel. 1 Quote I am the Brawlus, goo goo, g'joob. Link to comment
WolfDreamer Posted February 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2017 On 2/13/2017 at 4:23 AM, Brawlrus said: I guess we'll see how I feel. Keep me posted, if you don't mind. I like to know how the method impacts other people because the stories vary. 1 Quote Who am I? -- My NF Character Current Challenge: WolfDreamer Wakes the White Wolf Past Challenges: Spoiler Winter is Coming, Wolfen Strengthens His Heart, Body, Mind, and Spirit, Wolfen Becomes One of the People, Wolfen Strengthens His Chakras, Wolfen Welcomes Summer and Gets Primal, Soulcon and Spartan, Wolfen Develops Mental Toughness, Wolfen Joins the Wander Society, Soulcon, Spartan, School, and Stranger Things, Wolfen Becomes a Warrior Elite, Wolfen Goes Here and There and Back Again, Wolfen Becomes a Soulcon Warrior Elite, Wolfen Returns to His Roots, Wolfen Wanders in Soul, Spirit, and Body, Wolfen Owns the Day, Wolfen Searches for His Wild Heart, Wolfen Runs for His Life, Wolfen Hits the Trails, Wolfen Becomes an Explorer and Joins the Resistance, Wolfen Goes Back to the Source, Wolfen Begins the Hero's Journey, WolfDreamer Returns to the People, WolfDreamer Pushes Back, WolfDreamer Prioritizes, Burpees, Books, and Brainwork, Burpees, Books, Brainwork, and Bodywork, WolfDreamer Masters the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Continues to Master the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Returns to Sparta, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Continues His Middle Earth Adventure, WolfDreamer and the Fall, WolfDreamer Forges His Own Path, WolfDreamer Has Hope, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Reads Harder, Breathes Harder, and Journals More, WolfDreamer Embraces His Wild Poet, The Mad Poet Becomes Supernatural, WolfDreamer, The Mad Poet, Becomes Superhuman, WolfDreamer Elevates, WolfDreamer Becomes IronBorn “I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.” -- Jack London “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love.” -- Leo Tolstoy "I feel love rising in my chest again Rising like a burning sun into the day..." -- Gungor, "Hurricane" "...wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17b Link to comment
Lara Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 Hi guys! I've been curious of this method since I first heard @Wolfen talk about it and it seems my time for it has arrived. I started to take cold showers a few weeks ago, but not voluntarily. We had problems with our gas supply and were without hot water for 4 days. It was awful, but after that period I found myself wanting to take cold showers, so I kept on it. I only can hold it about 1 minute and half, sometimes 2 minutes and I am trying to build from there, but I am worried whether I'll be able to continue when winter arrives. I feel cold when I get out and for a while, and it is nice now that we are at 40ºC, but I don't think it will be that nice when we are at about 15-18ºC (average temperature in our house during the winter). I guess this improves over time and I won't feel so cold afterwards as time goes by? I mean, I even sneezed after some showers. About the breathing part, I am fascinated. I tried for the first time today and the results are what brought me to write this message. I could spend almost 1 minute and a half without breathing and the feeling was amazing, not stressful at all. I can usually hold with no air for about 20-25 seconds, but through some suffering, so this is absolutely fascinating. Is this what is expected? Because it is awesome! I haven't yet tried the cold water/ice bucket thing for hands/feet, but I'd like to because cold feet are my worst nightmare when winter comes. Hands have improved over the years, but I can say without exaggeration that I spend 5 months or more a year with my feet cold, except for when I am asleep (they only get warm when I am already asleep). So my hope is this method will improve how I face next winter, can that be expected? 1 Quote When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Link to comment
WolfDreamer Posted August 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 5 hours ago, zenLara said: So my hope is this method will improve how I face next winter, can that be expected? You will get used to it after repeated exposure. Just keep increasing the time you spend in the cold water. Are you also doing the breathing exercises? Breathing before you take your cold shower helps with endurance. Also, make sure you are breathing normally while in the shower, not gasping or hyperventilating. DO NOT do the Wim Hof Method breathing while in the shower, but do it before getting in the shower. Then just breathe normally while in the shower. Keep me posted! 1 Quote Who am I? -- My NF Character Current Challenge: WolfDreamer Wakes the White Wolf Past Challenges: Spoiler Winter is Coming, Wolfen Strengthens His Heart, Body, Mind, and Spirit, Wolfen Becomes One of the People, Wolfen Strengthens His Chakras, Wolfen Welcomes Summer and Gets Primal, Soulcon and Spartan, Wolfen Develops Mental Toughness, Wolfen Joins the Wander Society, Soulcon, Spartan, School, and Stranger Things, Wolfen Becomes a Warrior Elite, Wolfen Goes Here and There and Back Again, Wolfen Becomes a Soulcon Warrior Elite, Wolfen Returns to His Roots, Wolfen Wanders in Soul, Spirit, and Body, Wolfen Owns the Day, Wolfen Searches for His Wild Heart, Wolfen Runs for His Life, Wolfen Hits the Trails, Wolfen Becomes an Explorer and Joins the Resistance, Wolfen Goes Back to the Source, Wolfen Begins the Hero's Journey, WolfDreamer Returns to the People, WolfDreamer Pushes Back, WolfDreamer Prioritizes, Burpees, Books, and Brainwork, Burpees, Books, Brainwork, and Bodywork, WolfDreamer Masters the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Continues to Master the Four Elements, WolfDreamer Returns to Sparta, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Continues His Middle Earth Adventure, WolfDreamer and the Fall, WolfDreamer Forges His Own Path, WolfDreamer Has Hope, WolfDreamer Returns to Middle Earth, WolfDreamer Reads Harder, Breathes Harder, and Journals More, WolfDreamer Embraces His Wild Poet, The Mad Poet Becomes Supernatural, WolfDreamer, The Mad Poet, Becomes Superhuman, WolfDreamer Elevates, WolfDreamer Becomes IronBorn “I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.” -- Jack London “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love.” -- Leo Tolstoy "I feel love rising in my chest again Rising like a burning sun into the day..." -- Gungor, "Hurricane" "...wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17b Link to comment
Lara Posted August 6, 2017 Report Share Posted August 6, 2017 11 hours ago, Wolfen said: Keep me posted! I'm almost decided to take the course. Quote When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Link to comment
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