Wim Hof Method Motivation Thread

[Katerina Riverside]

Hey beloveds, it is freezing here in The Netherlands and I have been training (lightly dressed) outdoors since October. I run through forests around the place I live. Today was a very difficult freezing run, it took me by surprise, I met many fears, but I made like 40 min of cold exposure run with beautiful landscape. All the frozen beautiful flitters around me, nature making freezing art.

The worst part are the hands. Freezing, painful, cannot bend fingers, burning with sharp pain (Wim Hof describes this phenomenon as "cardiovalscular fitness"). I struggled even with taking the pictures. But it was worth it, what a feeling when I got home! I did also 3 rounds of WH Breathing before going for the run. 4-5 rounds of WHB became my practise 5x per week. Cold exposure (running in cold, shower with garden hose 4-5 x per week).

It healed a lot of damage in me that occured after ayahuasca weekend (2ceremonies). I purged sooooo much that it messed up my immunity completely and in weeks afterwards I was a sick wreck (aya had torn my energy pathways in pieces, she helped me a lot but my health responded badly) I managed to find enough excuses (it shall pass etc...) to not to pick up this beautiful practise immediatelly . well now I am in it and I thought that it might be nice to empower each other, share our practises, effects and ways how we all pick it up and fit it into our daily rythms. Let's motivate one another.

Looking forward to read a lot in this thread.

Love, Katie

[flowboy]

Hi Katie,

Thank you for posting this.

Nice to hear from another member from NL, too.

I like to take ice baths and cold sea plunges with friends.

One time, on a first date, I broke the ice on a frozen lake and we both went in.

One of my good friends actually does workshops with breathwork, and she uses ice baths in there too.

I don't run in the freezing cold, like you, that's really admirable.

Of course I do shower ice cold every morning.

How else would I wake up properly?

[Roy]

10 minutes ago, flowboy said:

Of course I do shower ice cold every morning.

How else would I wake up properly?

Do you start that cold first thing from your faucet and hop in? I can do cold showers and they seem to help with my skin a lot, but I feel completely uninterested and uncompelled to do them if it's freezing right off the bat. I start semi-warm and lower the temp every 20 seconds until I get to cold cold.

[flowboy]

19 minutes ago, Roy said:

Do you start that cold first thing from your faucet and hop in?

When I'm in a rush, yes.

Other times, I use warm water to wash my hair, and then just flip it to cold. I don't gradually turn it down, I just flip it.

19 minutes ago, Roy said:

I feel completely uninterested and uncompelled to do them if it's freezing right off the bat

Me too, but that's half the benefit of it.

Do something hard and unpleasant (but beneficial) in the morning, and the entire day becomes easier.

However, the way you do it is still beneficial, so if that works for you, great!

Edited December 22, 2021 by flowboy

[Katerina Riverside]

7 hours ago, flowboy said:

One time, on a first date, I broke the ice on a frozen lake and we both went in.

Wow that is something unique for a date. High five for both of you guys. How did the date turn out, was the rest of the day also filled with such spontaneous gifts?

[Katerina Riverside]

7 hours ago, Roy said:

Do you start that cold first thing from your faucet and hop in? I can do cold showers and they seem to help with my skin a lot, but I feel completely uninterested and uncompelled to do them if it's freezing right off the bat. I start semi-warm and lower the temp every 20 seconds until I get to cold cold.

I take ice showers or baths after I am warmed up, so preferably after sporting. The breathing excercise helps a lot with getting a bit warmed up but I prefere to do a run or HIIT before hitting the cold exposure.

Or when I shower in the morning I shower with hooooot water, I love it. And I finish the shower with 1 minute cold water.

[Katerina Riverside]

On 12/22/2021 at 11:12 AM, Roy said:

When prayers are the last thing left in the ice cold water, it keeps the hands "warm" at least. I am currently in Prague, dipping swimsuit-free  in one of the lakes here. Today with one other stranger who was on the other side of the lake. We just waved to each other, a bit of a sudden empowerment arrived with not dipping alone. It is here like -2°C, for me temperatures that are really challenging.

Afterwards effect for the rest of the day: calmness, inner peace, attacks of gratitude, joy and internal warmth, grounded. Totally worth it.

Love, Katie

[Roy]

@Katerina Riverside What a coincidence you tagged me, I was thinking about you today! It has been unusually cold where I am (Vancouver Island), with snow and freezing rain that'll last another week. I actually moved here partly to get away from the long 6-7 month winters of my last home, but I figured with this unusual cold snap perhaps it is a good opportunity to get out and do some cold therapy in nature.

I won't be quite as ambitious with the cold dip, as I don't want die from hypothermia since I've never done it, but I'll get out running the path near my place tomorrow morning (shirtless haha). You've inspired me 

I'll post an update tomorrow after.

[Katerina Riverside]

6 hours ago, Roy said:

@Katerina Riverside What a coincidence you tagged me, I was thinking about you today! It has been unusually cold where I am (Vancouver Island), with snow and freezing rain that'll last another week. I actually moved here partly to get away from the long 6-7 month winters of my last home, but I figured with this unusual cold snap perhaps it is a good opportunity to get out and do some cold therapy in nature.

I won't be quite as ambitious with the cold dip, as I don't want die from hypothermia since I've never done it, but I'll get out running the path near my place tomorrow morning (shirtless haha). You've inspired me 

I'll post an update tomorrow after.

Wau, so happy to hear that you got inspired. Enjoy whatever you want to do in cold, it is a very powerful medicine.

Btw, I tried to delete the tag on you in my post, not sure why the quote kept appearing. I wanted to simply add a general reply to the thread. Then I was like "okey, it apperently wants to have Roy tagged." It was probably meant to be that way, haha. For empowered connection.

I am on my way back to the Netherlands right now. Wondering about the weather there. Looking forward to hear your experience.

Njoy.

[Roy]

What does Bob Ross say, there are no mistakes, just "happy accidents" 

Was tempted to hit that snooze button, but hell no. 5:30am, -6, went out for a walk for about 20 minutes. I feel... good! Only thing that was uncomfortable were my forearms oddly by the time I got back. I feel clear headed, and my lungs feel great from deeply breathing the brisk air.

Also snapped a very Canadian-esque photo in front of my local Tim Hortons (the Starbucks of Canada) hahah. Enjoy a safe trip back to the Netherlands.

[StarStruck]

I tried swimming in the rijn river. It was too hard for me to do it again.

[Katerina Riverside]

4 hours ago, Roy said:

I feel... good! Only thing that was uncomfortable were my forearms oddly by the time I got back.

Oh yes, yes yes, perfect u did it! And 20 min in -6 is not bad at all. MY forearms and hands are the worst always. Sometimes it almost prevents taking a selfie (damn it! ) because my hands are just too frozen to grab the phone and do the delicate movements.
I arrived back home this afternoon, it was a snow blizzard on the road, not the easiest this time (10 hours drive Prague-Eindhoven). And here it is like +5°C and raining. Going for a dip in 1 or 2 days again.
Enjoy and stay in touch if u like.
Katie

 

 

 

[aurum]

@Katerina Riverside

Love this thread, you look like you’re having a great time. I’ve been doing cold therapy for years but inconsistent about it. I’ve finally moved to a colder climate and now the consistency has started to come as well.

I live in the city so getting to a natural body of water every morning is difficult. More convenient for me is the daily cold showers. Although it’s not quite the same as a full body submersion, I find it’s still more than enough to create environmental hormesis, which is the main goal.

I’ve really started to love the cold. It has a sort of hypnotic, seductive element to it even though the discomfort is there. I can’t help but want to go in.

The breathing is also lovely. I find it can totally reset me in just a matter of minutes if I’m feeling “off” or stressed.

Really looking forward to seeing how this practice may deepen for me over the years.

[bonesurfer]

@Katerina Riverside @flowboy I'm in NL taking a dip in the cold water out here as well. Ive been taking cold showers for years since learning about the Iceman. I'm actually planning on taking a dip in the vliet tomorrow. Last time, people were watching me. It's fucking cold!

[hyruga]

People have died while attempting the Wim Hof Method.[31][32] Four practitioners of the WHM drowned in 2015 and 2016, and relatives suspected the breathing exercises were to blame.[31][32] In 2022, a Singaporean man also drowned in a condominium pool when attempting this method.[33] 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Hof#:~:text=People have died while attempting,pool when attempting this method.

[flowboy]

@hyruga  People have died drinking too much water.

Or from working out in a stupid way.

You can also do WHM in a stupid way.

It's meaningless.

Edited January 28, 2022 by flowboy

[Epikur]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MqbdX6n6yY&t=274s

The Yakutian Morning Routine: Ice Bath (-50°C/-58°F)