Get out of your comfort zone! The Wim Hof Method

Stop for a minute and think about this question: “How comfortable is your life?”  “When was the last time that you stepped out of your comfort zone?”. If you are reading that, you are probably abroad doing one of the projects of the European Solidarity Corps; or you took part of it in the past. That means that you have gone through the process of adapting yourself in a new country, with different language and culture than yours. You have definitely pushed yourself out of your comfort zone by doing so.

What I want to discuss in this article is something slightly different. I am talking about getting out of your comfort zone physically, as well as mentally. We life in a society where technology and evolution has given us all we need to have a comfy and easy life: we live in houses with heating, we can always shower with warm water, we have good clothes and accessories that keep us warm… In this pleasant and benevolent environment, we tend to relax, we become spiritually drowsy and, overall, we become weaker. Are you curious to discover what your body is capable of?

With the “Wim Hof Method” that I am now going to describe in a nutshell, you have the opportunity to get out of this vicious circle that keeps you stuck in your comfort zone. Not only that, but it will help you deal with stress and anxiety, boost your energy levels and immune system, and improve your sleep quality, among other benefits. Are you in? Let’s see what’s that about!

Wim Hof Method has three main pillars: cold exposure, conscious breathing, and the power of the mind.

• COLD EXPOSURE

What do you know about the cardiovascular system? How does it work and what’s for? Briefly, the cardiovascular system consists of heart, blood vessels and the blood itself. It can be thought of as the transport system of the body, the heart is the system’s pump and the blood vessels are the delivery routes. Why is it so important to keep this system healthy? Well, as you might know, blood contains the oxygen and nutrients the body needs, it nourishes our cells.

If we don’t stress this system, the vascular muscles become weaker and the heart is then forced to pump more, deeper and stronger, in order to get the blood flow through. Combined with diet and exercise, the weakening of the vascular muscles is one of the reasons for cardiovascular-related diseases: the number-one killer in our society.

What can you do to tone, to wake up, your vascular system? As Wim Hof says: "A cold shower a day keeps the doctor away". You can start with 15-30 seconds of cold water at the end of a warm shower, and gradually increase the duration.

Wake up the muscles in your vascular system! Although it can be unpleasant at first, with time and practise you will get used to the initial shock, and you will start craving this sensation instead. It won’t take long until you experience the benefits of the improvement of the tone of your vascular muscles: your heart rate will go down during the day, therefore reducing your stress level; you will feel energized as the improved blood flow delivers better nutrition to your cells; and you will also make your body less vulnerable to deseases.

Cold showers are one way of exposing ourselves to cold temperatures, but it’s not the only one. Have you ever tried to swim in a lake in winter? Take advantage of the cold weather and try to practise some ice-bathing!

CONSCIOUS BREATHING

Many diseases, including cancer, depression or asthma, are triggered by uncontrolled inflammation in our bodies. You can supress that inflammation through some breathing exercises. By doing so, you will be able to control your mood, emotions, body temperature, and more! The steps for the breathing exercises developed by Wim Hof are the following:

1. First of all, look for a quiet and safe environment and, either sitting in a meditation posture or lying down, close your eyes and try to clear your mind.
2. Then, take thirty to forty deep breaths in through your nose or mouth: start by filling your belly, then your chest, and all the way up to your head. Relax while exhaling.
3. We enter now into a retention phase, in which we let all the air out and hold the breath (1 minute, 2 minutes, or maybe more).
4. Once you feel the urge to breath, it’s time to take a recovery breath: take one deep breath in and hold it for 10-15 seconds.
5. Let your breath go and start a new round. You can repeat the full cycle three or four times.

Throughout this process, you will feel a tingling sensation in your arms and hands, as well as a looseness in your body. Be conscious of it, feel it and enjoy it. These breathing exercises will help you achieve a biochemical and hormonal balance, which will increase your energy, boost your performance and lower your stress levels.

In order to carry out these excercises with some more guidance, you can follow the instructions of one of Wim Hof Youtube’s videos. You will easily find them, probably also in your language, just by writing “Wim How breathwork” on the searcher.

• THE POWER OF THE MIND

Once you bring your body to extreme conditions, such as going into the cold, your brain stops thinking about all those small stressful thoughts related with your life. Instead, your mind enters into a survival state, in which you can address any anxiety, fear or depression present in your body.

You can train your mind, invest in it by practising the foresaid techniques, by doing meditation regularly as well. Your mind is powerful and you are in charge of it. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” After all, your mindset, your confidence, is all what matters. You just need to believe that you are capable of something, and you will be able to do it.

Hof, Wim. "Wim Hof Method". wimhofmethod.com. 

Hof, Wim. "Wim Hof Method Breathing". Wim Hof Method.

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/regular-ice-baths

https://healthengine.com.au/info/cardiovascular-system-heart#:~:text=The%20cardiovascular%20system%20can%20be,are%20like%20the%20delivery%20routes.