#36 Take the Plunge
This blog is about a new experience in my well-being journey - I attended a Wim Hof Method workshop culminating in me taking the plunge LITERALLY into ice cold water for 2 minutes! Taking the plunge also means doing something that you may have been considering for some time or that you have been putting off because you know it will be challenging.
I don’t know about you but for me, every week and weekend is a bit samey? There isn’t much variety of activities to quench my thirst for excitement. I decided to break up the monotony by do something to take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me.
What is the Wim Hof Method?
Wim Hof (aka The Iceman) is a Dutch extreme athlete know for his ability to withstand freezing cold temperatures. He attributes his abilities to the Wim Hof Method (WHM). Like many success stories, this one started with tragedy when Wim lost his wife to suicide leaving him with 4 children. He found solace swimming in the ice cold canals after which he investigated ancient breathing methods with Tibetan monks.
Essentially, the method is based on 3 pillars:
Cold therapy - Learning how to use the power of cold to burn fat, boost your immune system, sleep better, reduce inflammation and enhance nature’s own mood boosters
Breathing - Master scientific breathing techniques that improve your energy level, detox your body, reduce stress levels, rebalance the nervous system and strengthen your immune system
Commitment - Going deep into your own physiology takes commitment and a willingness to move out of your natural comfort zone
It is also advertised as ‘a practical way to become happier, healthier and stronger’ clearly all important for overall well-bring. So obviously I thought, where do I sign up?
My WHM experience
Firstly it’s a shame that I am outside a village hall in Birmingham rather than a beautiful ice lake in Canada but never mind. The reason I wanted to do this is that I really don’t cope well in the cold - I suffer from poor circulation so my body reacts quite dramatically to extreme cold temperatures. I am also very interested in breathing techniques as pranayama is such an important part of the yoga practice.
Ice-breaker
As common in this type of workshop, the day starts with an ice-breaker (pun intended but I can’t take credit). What fascinates me is how many different types of people attend these workshops looking for different life experiences. The group included an electrician, a barge-builder, a taxidermy artist, a teacher, a German university lecturer - all with very different reasons for being there.
Breathing
The breathing workshop was quite mind-blowing. It teaches you how to control the inhale and exhale to the extent that you can hold your breath for a few minutes and it feels completely natural and calm. I honestly believed at one point that I would never need to breath again. It was a very powerful emotional experience - when you get in touch with your own body, all sorts of feelings can arise. One man was sobbing uncontrollably because he let go of many years of suppression.
Ice bath
The day concludes with each person submerging into a pool filled with ice water for at least 2 minutes. This was the part that caused the most excitement and dread. The ice bath is actually a metaphor for the stress that we put our bodies under - our immediate reaction is to panic and want to run away but with controlled breathing, you can cope with much more than you think. I got in and soon started shivering uncontrollably and as expected I turned a shade of blue (this has always amused / concerned people who know me as I tend to go blue when I am cold!). The picture above is of me laughing at myself after about 90 seconds because I couldn’t stop shaking. However, with the instructor guiding my slow exhales, I did manage to do it and felt a great sense of achievement.
Apparently daily cold showers do us the world of good - waking up our senses and honing our coping mechanisms. I am really not sure that I am going to build this into my daily life but perhaps I will try it every now and again.
