Everyone is doing it...So, I thought I would give it a try as well. I am sure you have seen the crazy ice baths on Instagram and Wim Hof climbing a mountain in his shorts. Well after practicing the Wim Hof method for months, I have to say, it is wonderful. I really enjoy the morning breathing practice, I am definitely not holding my breath for 2 minutes yet, I am trying though.
Sometimes I want to skip practice, but I have forced myself to stay consistent. I have written about consistency before...Why is it so difficult to be consistent? Aristotle had something to say on this subject, but I digress. (Psst...Read this blog post for more on that subject!) Practicing anything on a daily basis is hard, we all know that, we skip one day, then another, then we tell ourselves it is the weekend and pretty soon, weeks have passed and we have to start all over again. I think this is how New Year's resolutions got started.
So, back to Wim...It is simply breathing, don't make more out of you than it is, don't watch countless videos learning to breathe, you already know how to do that correctly, just relax, and suck in a bunch of air, then let it go. I mean it, there isn't much more to the breathing part, you breathe in fully, then let it go partly, then breathe back in fully again, do that 30-40 times. On your last breath, let all of the air release from your lungs and hold your breath for as long as you can, then take a breath and hold it for about ten seconds. Pretend you are trying to blow that breath out of your head, your face should be all scrunched up when you are doing this last part. Repeat this two more times! That's it, you completed Wim's practice.
You are basically making your body more alkaline, which has lots of benefits. Now, go take a cold shower, you will feel great! I know this sounds crazy weird, but I am convinced that my mind can change the temperature of the water, I know I am not really changing the temperature, but my mind thinks it is warmer than it is, weird, right? Anyways, don't skip the cold shower part of the practice, you will be missing out on some great benefits. I actually partner the Wim Method with Amy Cuddy's Wonder Woman power pose tip. Basically, I stand in the cold shower like Wonder Woman and tell myself I am fantastic each morning. Sounds silly, but it works! I feel better, more centered, less bothered by small stuff, and overall just better able to deal with life.
