Breathing + Cold = Wim Hof Method

Bring that ice bath baby!

My experience doing WH method.

In short it sucked, well maybe just taking the cold shower or hopping in the ice bath and staying in as long as I can. Lets back up a bit why would any person hyperventilate for ten minutes and then jump in a cold shower or take a ice bath for pleasure. Well most people would say crazy people or just Californians because they do all that crazy type of s*%t. Matter of fact why would I do this? Well I asked myself that question every time I got in a ice bath, always going into near shock, also by the time I got out of the bath or shower my balls were the size of raisins.

I'll tell little about the Wim Hof method because I believe if you are really interested you should search it up yourself. It was created by this Dutch guy who is a complete stud, he has broken so many records its borderline unbelievable. Though he does stuff like swim in ice lakes for hours, he says that anyone can do the things he does and also help you control your immune system help with depression and all sorts of stuff. Yeah sounds like another gimmick, that is what I thought until I watched countless videos, read so many articles, and read that all his stuff was backed by doctors and scientist. Again research yourself about him I am leaving out a lot of benefits of doing his method, I just want to tell you how it affected me.

With almost everything I try I find it online, Specifically Youtube. Here I am browsing through it like I usually do and come across a video that states "Wim Hof" I clicked it, listened for about two minutes before getting bored. Ready to click to the next video I hear "Helps you clear your mind and make you become centered and present" So I decided to finish the video and then proceed to watch about four hours worth of content about this so called guy name Wim Hof. I was hooked I wanted to try it, besides all the health benefits it had to offer I was more so wanting to try this because I have been going through some difficult personal issues, I lacked being present among my peers, I lacked being present in my day, if I really think about it I wasn't really present for months. My mind and soul was just in another part of the world. I did this if anything as another resort to blur my recurring issue. Keep in mind it was months I was feeling like this, so for me this was sort of a final fight, if this failed I was thinking of just giving up and taking anti-depressants, and if anything I would have rather killed myself then take a drug that dulls your emotions, but I digress that is another topic I will get into later.

HOLY S*%T THAT IS COLD!

So what exactly do you do? Well you breath in, you breath out, FAST! You do a bunch of stretches and little calisthenic workouts and then its off to the COLD SHOWA! Or BATH!!! 

For me I skipped the workouts and stretches because I do all that in the gym anyways. 

Okay for me I rapidly did deep breathes forty times not forcing the exhale just letting it naturally happen and then after the last breath you exhale everything out of your lungs, then hold your breath as long as you can. And holy s**t you feel like Aquaman because you end up holding your breath for a long a*s time, when you start getting that panic feeling of needing to breath you inhale as hard as you can and then hold again for twenty-five seconds. During that time you want to tense your body, after that is done you exhale and then repeat for about three to five times. And let me tell you its a great tingly out of this world feeling, its like getting high off of yourself its great.

So me and the cold never sat well with each other, we know each other very well, but I tend to avoid it like I owe it money. Taking the pleasure of a nice steamy no nearly boiling hot shower seemed out of this world to me, I mean you think to yourself why take away comfort why take away pleasure the world is so discomforting anyways why do this to yourself? Well I am insane that is why, but seriously doing this part was the worst part, but also the best in a way. Cold showers are never fun especially when its that time where we are hitting the cold season. So doing this was never going to be fun, but I was determined to get more centered, and in short f*$% yeah I was present in the moment, maybe its because the fact that my testicles felt like they were going to fall off.

Oh yeah my first cold shower I was somewhat excited and somewhat thinking to myself "what the f*$# am I doing right now". I started with my back against the wall trying to avoid the cold water, and slowly running my legs through first, then my hands, then my body and then full in for about twenty seconds till I almost passed out of shock. I kept trying every time to stay as long as I could. Now to all my Australian readers its not your type of cold showers I am talking about crisp AMERICAN EAST COAST COLD WATER. The real f*****g deal. I did this for about four days until I decided to upgrade to the ice bath. Well lets just say I went full in because I would have psyched myself out if I took to long getting in there. And bam I felt it that feeling I wanted to feel... I was... I was present I was centered in that specific moment... And then I came to realize I wanted to come back to not being present. Kidding yes it sucked yes it was freezing cold, but only for the first two minutes and then your body just adapts, you still know the water is cold but its like a good kind of numbing pain all over your body. I cant explain it without sounding like I enjoy BDSM or some freaky s**t in bed. All I can say is that I did become present actually throughout the ten minutes I stayed in and throughout my day I could say I was more alert, more focused, and happily to say present in the moment.

I did this for a while until I decided to start taking hot showers again, but also taking ice baths every three days. Did it cure me? Well yes and no.Yes I honestly see why people do this and I probably will continue this method till the day I die, I like the idea of putting your body into uncomfortable states so it starts to adapt. I do feel more present in my day and I guess in a way it made me wake up. But honestly I think this method was just a step in my healing process more so showing me the door to finding myself again. I believe there was a lot of other steps that helped me see a lot within myself.

So did this help? A little. 

-Andrew Paul Caasi