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Hello, dear readers of the site! What do you think, are there super people with practically unlimited possibilities? Like superheroes in comics and sci-fi movies?
There is one for sure, known to us under the pseudonym «Ice Man». He broke 26 world records, among which he hung on one finger at a height of 2 km, sat in a pipe with ice and cold water for almost 2 hours, conquered the highest mountains literally in shorts, and this list can be continued for a long time.
Just imagine what he is capable of if he could swim 66 meters under the ice and participate in a half marathon over the Arctic Circle, again, with practically no clothes.
And what is most interesting, you will also be able to repeat these heroic deeds, with some preparation, of course. Therefore, let’s look at what exactly the Wim Hof method consists of, that’s the name of the «Ice Man», in order to understand what exactly it was developed for and whether you can master it.
Advantages
Immunity
Those who practice the Wim Hof method are less likely to encounter viral diseases. Since the immune system, which is responsible for protecting the body from all sorts of antigens, toxins, radicals, infections, and so on, is strengthened through training.
Scientists have been doing research trying to find out how Wim manages to cope with inhuman loads. So, they injected him with a virus, and after a short period of time they discovered that the body quickly “built” antibodies and defeated it, so to speak, healed itself.
Sports achivments
You will become more resilient, faster, stronger. In general, you will be able to improve your achievements related to physical activity. What is important for athletes who participate in competitions and strive to achieve success in their activities.
Stress
The tension that accompanies us every day inevitably leads to stress. Which is extremely detrimental to health. Because the psyche usually reacts to any threat to our security, without distinguishing whether it is really worth the experience or not.
That is, even pleasant events are already changes that cause stress. And in the future, various diseases, both mental and physical.
The Hof Method involves deep breathing, which, as you may know, or will learn later in this article, is the most effective way to deal with excess tension.
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Willpower
In order to work daily on yourself, your body, in order to overcome difficulties and even moments of pain, you need to have remarkable willpower. Not every person is able to change the diet or daily routine, give up bad habits, and so on.
But following the Iceman system, you simply will not have a chance of degradation, your willpower will grow stronger every time you start training.
And with it, of course, self-confidence. Still, learning to be a super hero is worthy of respect and recognition, not only from yourself, but also from those around you.
Burnout and depression
You will learn to listen to yourself, your sensations and feelings, stop in your endless race for achievements and, in general, put your nervous system in order. Then melancholy, asthenia, that is, exhaustion and depression, will loosen their grip, and after a while they will completely disappear.
The more you exercise, the more energy you will have. While concentrating on the various processes of the body, you will be aware of yourself, your difficulties, opportunities, and so on.
And all this allows you to improve your life, turn exactly where you always wanted to and finally begin to enjoy every day you live without falling into experiences that are sucked in like a swamp, depriving you of strength and desire to be alive.
Dream
Sleep is getting better and, in general, biological rhythms are returning to normal. That is, in the morning you will get up cheerful, in the evenings you will fall asleep quickly, without lying in bed for hours due to insomnia and the inability to relax.
Nightmares will go away, as the subconscious will no longer need to convey information to you about unnecessary stress, difficulties, and so on.
cold tolerance
You will harden, which will gradually increase your tolerance for cold. And you will be less likely not only to freeze, but also to get sick. Our ancestors were frost-resistant, but modern man has lost this feature.
It just got a little colder — we wrap ourselves in warm down jackets, sit near heaters in heat-insulated houses and offices, drive cars instead of walking and still catch a runny nose.
The Wim Hof system will help restore the functions of natural thermoregulation, which were originally given to us by nature. That is to say, installed by default.
In general, if you train according to the Iceman method, you will be able to relieve the symptoms of a large number of diseases that even medicine cannot always cope with. For example, such as arthritis, vasculitis, asthma, psoriasis, obesity, diabetes, sclerosis, and so on.
Method
Wim is considered a superhuman, but he actually rejects such claims, arguing that if he has learned to withstand extreme temperatures, then any of us will be able to master this skill. The main thing is to want.
So, you should take care that no one disturbs you. At least at the initial stage, while you will only learn to concentrate on your feelings, without being distracted by external stimuli in the background.
Turn off the sound of your mobile, ask loved ones not to disturb you for at least half an hour, close the windows, and so on. Also, start exercising on an empty stomach. In this case, it will be easier for your body to control systems and organs. As a result, you can achieve the desired results.
Stage 1 (pose)
As always, any spiritual practice begins with a correct, comfortable posture. Sit on your buttocks with your legs crossed in front of you (in Turkish). Take your shoulders back, level out, push your lower back and chest forward. The head should also be slightly tilted forward. Close your eyes and let go of the thoughts that swarm in it. At least don’t pay attention to them, let them appear and disappear on their own.
Stage 2 (breathing)
Breathing should be deep, so that there is a feeling of pressure in the chest area, where the solar plexus is located.
Take a slow breath, as soon as you feel that you can no longer and it already hurts, immediately exhale sharply. The more you push the air out, the better the effect. Wait a couple of seconds and continue. The cycle must be at least 15 times.
If dizziness and even a headache appear — do not be alarmed, this means that you are doing everything right. It’s just that the body is oversaturated with oxygen, and this is exactly what is needed to tame the cold.
Stage 3 (diaphragm)
Now you should imagine that you need to inflate a balloon very quickly. Only for this process, use the stomach, which should inflate when you inhale, and deflate when you exhale. As in the previous version, sharply and with force.
This method is the most effective, that is, it saturates with oxygen better. Repetition cycle 30 times.
There may be tingling in the body, do not be alarmed, this is also normal.
Stage 4 (breath holding)
The hardest part is holding your breath. For the longest possible time. To avoid the temptation to “break loose”, you can even cover your mouth and nose with your hands.
You will also have to relax the body at the time of this exercise and concentrate well on the sensations that will arise. Knowing how it behaves in certain situations, you will learn how to manage it.
Stage 5 (shower)
Now it’s time to take a shower, at first you can choose a contrast, but later be sure to turn on only the cold.
When you become more conscious and start to break your own records for holding your breath and the duration of taking an ice shower, you can try to practice in the cold.
Just don’t strip naked like Hof until you learn to control all the body’s systems. And as soon as you understand that you are ready to try, complicate the task by adding, say, ice to the bathroom.
In parallel with the so-called meditations, gradually temper. You can find out where to start in order not to get sick here.
Completion
Head over to the official Wim Hof website for more detailed instructions on how not to get sick and become more tolerant of the cold and exercise. There you can apply for training, both online, by video, and join his travels, expeditions.
Take care of yourself and be happy!
The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina