The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Potential, Transcend Your Limits

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The benefits of cold water exposure are undeniable, as are the benefits of breathing exercises and meditation. Beyond that the book is a mix of biography and increasingly fantastical mystical claims. Through years of commitment and self-experimentation, Wim has empirically figured out how to exert significant control over the autonomic nervous system, a feat once thought impossible. His method has held up to scrutiny under the dispassionate lens of science, expanding our knowledge of what is possible with dedicated training in what is now known as the Wim Hof Method. So, first off I like this book mostly. I do think that there's legitimacy to the results seen, observed and claimed. However, the scientific explanations are a little off. I read the PNAS paper, some stuff Wim Hof claims is right but some is really off. The oxygen levels are not really different; the CO2 is very different. Also, 7 pH neutral, pH 7.4 is normal for blood is already slightly alkaline. The increase to pH 7.6 is more alkaline, however, is this really what the difference is? This pH change is from the decrease in CO2 not an increase in O2. Also, the air being charged with negative ions is ridiculous. Air is "78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide" (Wiki). Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are all neutral molecules, and air is an insulator. I do think that the other benefits of walking barefoot are correct, but the grounding/earthing can't be right. Please show me a source/reference/study if I'm wrong about any of the science. Again, the method seems really good and effective, just the justifications need work.

Wim Hof is a legend. It's hard to read books that are about people larger than life, because at least for myself I constantly doubt that what he was able to do applies to common mortals such as myself. As you probably would imagine, he spends a significant part of the book reminding the reader that they could in fact do these things as well... but isn't that the pattern? If you are looking to start or add more meditation and mindfulness into your life, the Wim Hof Method can help you with that. The breathwork and cold exposure both have the effect of raising awareness and stillness. In the book, Wim also guides you on practices for meditation and mindset. Wim Hof is often presented as a freak of nature. If you’re flipping through the science channels, you might see a segment that shows him subjecting himself to extremely cold temperatures with no ill effects. This book is an attempt by Hof, and co-author Koen De Jong, to counter the proposition that he’s some sort of mutant (or—worse--that his demonstrations are cons) by offering a method by which anyone can achieve the same feats. It should be noted that long before Hof and YouTube came on the scene, there were people [notably Taoist and Tibetan Buddhist monks] performing similar acts. The Wim Hof Method is so simple that anyone can get started right away. And the results are so palpable that once you start, you'll almost certainly want to keep going.” — Al Kavadlo , author of Street Workout and Pushing The Limits! The 'Iceman' Wim Hof shares his remarkable life story and powerful method for supercharging your strength, health and happiness.

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There’s a lot of front matter in this book (two forwards, a prologue, and an introduction), but the book more-or-less consists of seven chapters. The first of these is a mini-bio of Hof. It describes a fascinating event in Hof’s youth in which he was exposed to cold, as well as his travels to India in an attempt to find a yoga teacher. [As is the case with most people who come to India seeking to find that quintessential guru—i.e. a half-naked, weather-beaten, and forehead paint-streaked classical guru—he found that he had to wade through a sea of charlatans and shysters while never finding the true masters who are likely hidden away in caves in the Himalayas. Note: this is not to say that one can’t find excellent yoga instruction in India but it’ll likely be by someone fully-clothed and not someone smoking pot on a ghat in Varanasi.] This resulted in Hof taking an experimental approach in which he studied the effects of various activities on himself (and such experimentation is what he advocates for others as well.) It should be noted that Hof didn’t invent this method from scratch—e.g. the breath component is based on Tibetan Tummo meditation.

After teaching specialized breathing techniques to SEALs for years, helping them focus, stay warm in the cold ocean and get centered in combat, I can attest to the authenticity and power of Wim Hof's methods. Wim Hof is providing a great service with his new book The Way of The Iceman by bringing breath training and simple, powerful health practices into mainstream consciousness.” — Mark Divine , US Navy SEAL (ret), Founder SEALFIT, Best selling author of Unbeatable Mind and Way of the SEAL Wim has become known as “The Iceman” for his astounding physical feats, such as spending hours in freezing water and running barefoot marathons over deserts and ice fields. Yet his most remarkable achievement is not any record-breaking performance―it is the creation of a method that thousands of people have used to transform their lives. My hope is to inspire you to retake control of your body and life by unleashing the immense power of the mind. If you are looking to feel better, fortify your body, and practice meditation and mindfulness, The Wim Hof Method book is for you. Breathwork hasn’t received the attention it deserves, but Wim Hof has helped bridge that gap. For those looking for any way to get better, adding the Wim Hof Method to your daily routine can help give you that edge. This book is an enlightening look into the nervous system, and the amazing power of the mind. Don't mistake this for simple ‘cold therapy’ although that is a piece of the puzzle.This method is very simple, very accessible, and endorsed by science. Anybody can do it, and there is no dogma, only acceptance. Only freedom.” ― Wim Hof

Science should be looking to explain the powerful effects of placebo and Wim appears to have submitted exciting scientific research on the matter... whether it's a breakthrough only time will tell. One of the greatest benefits of practicing the method is the incredible effect it has on one’s athletic performance. Present within the cells of all forms of life is a chemical called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides the energy to drive many biological processes, including, in humans, muscle contraction. Aerobic dissimilation creates about thirty times more ATP molecules than are created when there is no oxygen. Just breathe and feel the difference.

With the flow of blood delivering oxygen and nutrients into the deepest parts of your brain, you feel stillness, you feel pure energy, you feel the true power of your mind. That’s the way we should feel every day, and we can — not only be happy, strong, and healthy, but imbued with purpose and a sense of adventure. Your soul comes alive. The Wim Hof Method is based on three simple, natural pillars: cold exposure, conscious breathing, and the power of the mind. Wim Hof is a man on a mission: to transform the way we live by reminding us of our true power and purpose. “This is how we will change the world, one soul at a time,” Wim says. “We alter the collective consciousness by awakening to our own boundless potential. We are limited only by the depth of our imagination and the strength of our conviction.” Personally, I am still happy to have bought the kindle book; I want to encourage Wim Hof as he is the one that brought these practices to the popular light with such gusto. He also seems to be a nice guy. I haven't gotten his 10 class workshop but I'm guessing there is more depth into the method there than in this book. Wim has become known as “The Iceman” for his astounding physical feats, such as spending hours in freezing water and running barefoot marathons over deserts and ice fields. Yet his most remarkable achievement is not any record-breaking performance - it is the creation of a method that thousands of people have used to transform their lives.

Wim Hof has become a modern icon for his astounding achievements, breaking world records withstanding extreme temperatures and running barefoot marathons over deserts and ice fields. Most of all, he's shown us that these feats are not superhuman - but that all of us have the ability to be stronger, healthier and happier than we've ever imagined. So he gets me to lie on the sofa, and we do the breathing. And yeah, I am a little bit in awe of my body, that I can hold my breath for two and a half minutes. And afterwards, as I said, I feel lightheaded, but also strong. Before the ice bath, he asks how many press-ups I think I can do. I dunno, maybe three, it’s been a while. He gets me to take 20 more deep breaths, and then, holding the final one, I do 20 press-ups! Now my turn, here goes … Jesus! I feel the air rushing from my lungs and body tightening up, recoiling, saying: “What the actual …” But I am actually in.This book fortifies that the mind is the most powerful tool we possess, however very few use it like Mr Wim Hof. A positive and persuasive read Ant Middleton If you have a bad hangover, do 3-4 rounds of the Wim Hof Method and this can supposedly cure a hangover. Breathing alkalizes the blood, which eliminates the acidity caused by alcohol.