Iceman spoke to Stephen Bartlett on the podcast “Diary of the CEO” about how meditation, breathing exercises and cold water helped him recover after losing his wife.
Motivational speaker Wim Hof explained how breathing, meditation and cold water can heal trauma and boost wellbeing while speaking about the tragic loss of his wife. The Iceman was speaking with Stephen Bartlett on the latest episode of his CEO Diaries podcast.
Hof, an extreme athlete whose wife committed suicide, was known for his ability to withstand sub-zero temperatures and held multiple world records for endurance and cold tolerance, a feat he attributes to a combination of cold tolerance, breathing techniques and meditation.
The Wim Hof Method has gained a lot of attention and popularity due to its effectiveness in improving physical and mental health. He has also appeared on numerous TV shows, including the BBC’s “Freeze The Fear.”
The Dutchman ran to the top of Everest in his underwear, and Steven said: “He proves that anyone can push their mind and body far beyond what they thought possible.”
“What is the purpose of life? Happiness, strength and health,” Wim added. “Our society is sick, we can’t cope with stress. Stress consumes us. But through science we can change that, if we listen to our bodies.”
“It’s about controlling your emotions and feeling like you can handle it no matter what. But we never learn in school how to use the power of our minds to decide what to do next.”
“We learned to let go of bad emotions and illnesses.” In the podcast, Wim talks about how training helped him overcome illness. He also talks about his own personal trauma.
“Was the pain ever unbearable?” Steven asked. Wim broke down in tears and replied: “My wife took her own life and that led to depression and I couldn’t do anything.”
Wim continues by discussing how breathing techniques can be used to manage sadness and anxiety. He says, “These breathing techniques were scientifically validated in 2014, hormonally and with neurological insights…we were able to tap into the autonomic nervous system and the innate immune system, which we never thought possible.”
He adds: “It’s also the ability to process what’s stored deep within our organizations – trauma – that we weren’t able to process in the moment it happened.”
Stephen Bartlett called the peer-reviewed study on the breathing technique “remarkable.”
Wim said that in collaboration with a cardiologist, they found that holding your breath after exhaling increases the flow of oxygen to the brain and heart by five times. “By doing this kind of breathing technique, you can change the chemical composition of your blood. You can increase the pH level significantly,” Wim said.
Wim demonstrated the technique: take a short, sharp breath in, followed by a slow exhale (breath out), repeated 30 times. Wim said the system is similar to the sharp breaths we take when we’re scared or cold, or the breathing our bodies do when we exercise.
Wim said: “Do these breathing exercises. Do them in bed or on the couch. They will help you overcome the limitations of your mind and body.”
He added: “I want you to take control. I want you to be aware. When you go into a deeper awareness of your breath, all of a sudden trauma and deeper emotions come to the surface.”
Wim explained: “Trauma is stored chemicals. It’s unprocessed. It happens when an experience occurs and we’re not able to deal with it. It becomes hidden and it becomes biochemical. So the stored capacity of the body is simply in our deeper tissues.”
“But our conditioned minds and bodies can’t get into that state,” he adds. “We overthink it. Deep down we know something is wrong, but we can’t confront it. So if we change the patterns we normally have with our breathing and our thoughts, suddenly we can get into this state of thinking and regulate our mood.”
Explaining how he deals with stress with ice baths, Wim said: “Stress comes in many different forms – emotional, physical, mental. It comes in many different forms. Ultimately it’s biochemical stress. It turns into a biochemical reaction. Neurotoxins and things like that build up, they get into your body, they cause blockages, they wear you out, you don’t know what to do, and you take medicines and tablets, but it just makes it worse. It makes it worse.”
“I used the cold to drown my emotional pain when I was with my late father. It was a door to open my spiritual healing as a papi, to be happy with my children and bring energy and happiness without the traumatic darkness that surrounds us.”
“Whenever you’re feeling unwell, you should be able to take control of your emotional wellbeing,” he said.
Wim went on to explain how the common cold can be used to control disease, as shown by a study in which people who were injected with E. coli felt nothing but a mild headache. The test was repeated with 30 volunteers who took water baths, meditated and did breathing exercises, and had a significantly reduced immune response when injected with the bacteria.
Wim Hof breathing involves specific patterns of deep, rhythmic breathing followed by breath retention. A typical sequence is as follows:
- Take 30 to 40 deep breaths (inhale deeply through your nose or mouth and exhale comfortably).
- After you exhale, hold the breath for as long as you can.
- When you feel a strong urge to breathe, take a deep breath in, hold it for about 15 seconds, and then exhale.
Claimed benefits
- Improves immune functionSome studies suggest that the Wim Hof Method may boost the body’s immune response and reduce the incidence of disease.
- Increased Energy: Breathing exercises increase the flow of oxygen in your body, which may lead to improved energy levels.
- Stress reductionThis method, combining breathing techniques with cold exposure, is thought to induce a relaxation response and help manage stress.
- Improved mental clarity and focusPractitioners often report improved focus and mental resilience.
Cold therapy involves gradually exposing the body to a cold environment, whether that be a cold shower, ice bath or cold outdoor activity, which is said to improve circulation, reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system.
The full interview can be found in the latest edition of the CEO Diaries podcast.
