I'm Trying The Wim Hof Method - How’s it Going So Far?
Five days into the cold shower challenge now I can feel the change inside my body and can’t help wanting to do more.
I first found out about Wim Hof while watching the Goop documentary on Netflix. An entire episode focused on the benefits of cold water, breathing and controlling the mind was enough to get me hooked, enough so that I downloaded the Wim Hof app in order to participate and learn more. But when saw the ARC available on Netgalley, that’s when it got REAL! I couldn’t pass up the chance to know as much as possible.
Although I haven’t finished reading yet and am totally not ready to write a review, I couldn’t hold back sharing what I’ve experienced already.
First, if you have a Netgalley account, I highly recommend putting in a request for this one! Yes, it’s filled with techniques to get your blood pumping again, but it’s his story that’s really got me hooked. It’s written as if he was talking directly to you, and if you’ve watched any video with him, you’ll know what I mean. Aside from that though, it’s such an amazing story that seriously has me thinking he was destined to do this, he was meant for this completely! To not only break world records but to work with scientists and doctors to prove that he’s onto something is one heck of a path in life!
I don’t know many people who like the cold, in fact, I moved from the Northeast because of it. Blaming my autoimmune disease for the difficulty with cold weather, I thought it was uncomfortable and couldn’t imagine going through another winter but what I didn’t know then, is that I wasn’t conditioned for it. I’m not suggesting that after 10 days of cold showers that I’ll be out fighting the elements, but I know I’ll be better equipped if I had to.
It does something to you that I can’t quite explain, but once I’ve finished with my warm shower I slowly turn the knob until only cold water is spraying down and let my limbs get used to the change before getting totally underneath the frigid water. You start with 30 seconds and that’s enough on that first day. If you’re thinking “Oh, I can’t do that, it’s too cold’… I’ll tell you that you can, and it’s literally only 30 seconds. We can do anything for 30 seconds as long as you get your mind on the same page. It’s the brain that will fight you and tell you it’s not going to feel good, but what it doesn’t know is that the effect of the cold water will benefit your entire body even the brain!
I feel like a new person leaving the shower, I’m awake in ways I haven’t felt in a long while, ready to take on the day when before I simply dragged through it. I leave the shower ready to dance my way through the day and into the night and know that aside from the vascular benefits and strengthening, my brain is alert and firing on all cylinders.
I won’t spoil the book by explaining how it does all this, and I don’t think I’d do it justice anyway, but I invite you to try the 10-Day Cold Shower Challenge at least!
The Wim Hof Method
Activate Your Full Human Potential
by Wim Hof
Description
The only definitive book authored by Wim Hof on his powerful method for realizing our physical and spiritual potential
Wim Hof has a message for each of us: “You can literally do the impossible. You can overcome disease, improve your mental health and physical performance, and even control your physiology so you can thrive in freezing temperatures.” With The Wim Hof Method, this trailblazer of human potential shares a method that anyone can use—not just extreme athletes or spiritual masters—to supercharge your capacity for strength, health, and happiness.
Wim Hof has become a modern legend for his astounding achievements, such as withstanding extreme temperatures, breaking world records, and running barefoot marathons over deserts and ice fields. In his gripping and passionate style, Hof shares the story of how he developed his method, along with testimonials and new insights from the university research studies on its amazing results. With guidance suited for any reader—young or old, sick or healthy—you’ll learn how to harness three key elements of Cold, Breathing, and Mindset to take charge of your own mind and metabolism.
Yet the most important result of Hof’s method goes beyond improved health or performance—it is a path for reconnecting with your spiritual nature. “With these practices, you awaken to your inner source of power and fulfillment,” he says. “You find you can control your destiny.”