The Wim Hof ​​method, also sometimes called the Iceman method, is gaining more and more supporters. According to its author, this method offers tremendous he alth benefits to anyone who uses it. What is the Wim Hof ​​method? Who can use the Wim Hof ​​method, are there any contraindications?

The Wim Hof ​​Method (WHM - Wim Hof ​​Method)was named after its creator and promoter, the sixty-year-old Dutchman Wim Hof, the legendary "Iceman", known for its remarkable resistance to low temperatures . He earned his nickname of the Ice Man thanks to amazing feats. Wim Hof ​​- as you can read on his website - broke a number of records related to exposure to cold, including Guinness records.

He has the longest ice bath - dressed only in briefs, he plunged into a bathtub with ice and lay there for an hour, 52 minutes and 42 seconds. He also climbed Kilimanjaro wearing only shoes and shorts (he made a similar but unsuccessful attempt by climbing Mount Everest). Wim Hof ​​also ran a marathon beyond the Arctic Circle, wearing only shorts at a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius, and he also set the Guinness World Record in swimming under the ice (he covered a distance of 57.5 meters).

Wim Hof ​​passed his first experiences with coldness at the age of 17. As he writes on his website: "I had been discovering my mind and body through yoga, karate, philosophy for some time. When I was 17, I was walking by very cold water covered with a thin layer of ice, which I found very attractive. I felt as if something had changed in me, I felt so good that I started to come back and come back again and again. "

What is Wim Hof's method?

Wim Hof's method, as the creator himself says about it, is based on "reconnecting us with ourselves, with others and with nature." According to Wim Hof, the current lifestyle has distracted us from the natural environment and for this reason the body no longer activates the eternal mechanisms of survival.

In his opinion, living away from nature, we lost contact with "our inner power". Wim Hof ​​says there is a way to restart deep physiological processes and use the human body to its full potential.

Wim Hof's method combines threeelements: exposure to cold, proper breathing and meditation.

Cold exposure(cold therapy), according to the author of the method, allows you to strengthen the immune system, use the power of cold to burn fat, improve sleep, reduce inflammation, improve well-being.

A walk on a cold day, a cold shower or even an icy bath can harden both the body and soul; the body is then subjected to what Wim Hof ​​describes as controlled stress and the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated - the heart rate rises, adrenaline is released, the senses are extremely alert. Having the ability to control this situation, by calming down and relaxing your muscles, you can have an influence on how your body reacts and what happens to it.

Proper breathing techniquein turn cleanses the body, restores energy, reduces stress, has a positive effect on the nervous system and strengthens the immune system. During breathing exercises carried out according to this method, we put ourselves in a state of controlled hyperventilation.

Meditation , the last of these elements, allows you to release your inner power and help you get out of your natural comfort zone.

A skilful combination of these elements allows us to obtain specific reactions of the body, which translates into better work and better well-being, helping us - according to Wim Hof ​​- to feel strong, happy and he althy.

Breathing with Wim Hof's method:

What are the benefits of the Wim Hof ​​method?

According to Wim Hof, the skillful combination of three pillars - breathing, cold, meditation - allows you to train the immune and respiratory systems, as well as the nervous and circulatory systems - and thus achieve measurable benefits, including he alth.

The biggest benefits of using Wim Hof's method:

  • more energy
  • stronger immune system
  • greater body efficiency
  • better sleep
  • faster recovery after training
  • lower stress level
  • better concentration
  • better emotional control
  • improvement of physical and mental condition
  • acceleration of metabolism
  • lowering blood pressure
  • fibromyalgia relief
  • fewer migraine attacks
  • relieving the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Wim Hof's method - contraindications and important safety rules

Can anyone safely use the Wim Hof ​​method? Definitely not: pregnancy and the puerperium period are contraindications, as well as some chronic diseases - prior contact with a doctor is required, for example, in the case of asthma, heart disease and hypertension, andalso of Raynaud's syndrome.

There are also some safety precautions to follow. The most important of them is that when going for a winter walk or deciding to take a cold bath, you should always inform your loved ones about it in the event of an unexpected situation, e.g. collapse. Breathing exercises should be performed where it is safe - sitting or lying, but never in a bathtub, car or swimming pool in case you faint due to hyperventilation.

How to start practicing the Wim Hof ​​method?

On the official website of Wim Hof ​​you will find a number of instructions, as well as an application that you can install on your phone and follow its instructions - breathe, meditate, take a cold shower.

You can also take advantage of trainings and courses conducted by certified instructors of the Wim Hof ​​method.

Category:

Alternative medicine