SPA PEOPLE
by Jane Kitchen
spa people
One learns to think differently of oneself, and to breathe more into life Wim Hof founder, the Wim Hof Method
D
aredevil, yogi, madman, Iceman – Wim Hof has been called all of these things and more. His eponymous Wim Hof Method boasts thousands of followers worldwide (and the number is growing), and combines breathing techniques, cold exposure and mindset techniques with physical exercise – techniques that the Dutch-born Hof has been developing for the past 30 years. It may sound simple, but the Wim Hof Method promises profound effects: increased energy, better sleep, heightened focus and determination, improved sports performance, reduced stress levels, greater cold tolerance, faster 22 spabusiness.com issue 4 2017
recovery and enhanced creativity. Cold exposure can offer benefits, such as the build-up of brown fat – which turns food into body heat – as well as reduced inflammation and the production of endorphins. “The Wim Hof method is simple, effective and accessible,” explains Hof. “It has proven to go to the deepest level of our physiology – to our primordial physiology. From there, one learns to think differently of oneself, and to breathe more into life.” Hof himself holds 26 world records – he’s climbed Mount Everest in nothing but shorts, run full marathons in the desert with no water, and has been submerged in ice for almost two hours.
©CYBERTREK 2017
“You’re tapping into foundational systems and mechanisms within the body related to alkalinity, adrenaline, cell biology and metabolic processes in the deepest sense,” says Hof. He explains that practising the breathing techniques exercises the cardiovascular system, alkalises the blood and activates the adrenal axis – all of which help reset the body to its natural state. “The cold trains the vascular system and taps into deeper parts of the brain when done in a mindful, controlled manner, which makes the body’s mechanisms aware of your will,” explains Hof. “A deep sense of control emerges from there.”
Wim Hof holds 26 world records and has climbed Mount Everest wearing nothing but shorts