While I’ve long known the benefits of taking cold showers, I decided some time ago that they were not for me.
That was until Wim Hof suggested, in his book The Wim Hof Method, that we try to tolerate just 15 seconds of cold water after a warm shower.
That sounded slightly more manageable than immersing myself in a torrent of cold water first thing in the morning.
On a mission to delve further into the world of self-development, psychology and happiness, it felt only right that, reading a book written by the ‘Ice Man’, that I give it another try.
I quickly concluded that it is still not for me.
The result of cold showers, Hof writes, is that all the little muscles in our vascular system begin to waken. Over time, they improve and develop so our core body temperature is not affected. This leads to better blood flow throughout the day, which gives us more energy.
For me, however, it meant a miserable start to the day and a general feeling of grumpiness until I’d had my morning coffee.
Ten days of cold showers enables us to regulate the blood flow into the depths of our brains and unlock their true potential.
I managed one day and that was enough. I’m back to warmth and comfort.
The next part of the book introduces breathing techniques as a way of regulating mood, emotions and body temperature. But I was more interested in the section on the power of the mind.
Hof’s method emphasises the importance of focus, willpower, and discipline in achieving goals. He talks about the importance of embracing discomfort, stepping out of your comfort zone and fostering a growth mindset.
His practices promote mindfulness and presence, leading to improved mental clarity and emotional regulation.
Back yourself. Care for yourself. Be calm in your love for yourself. If you engage too much in outside validation, you will lose the path to yourself. Don’t seek to change others; change yourself. Just mind your own mind and let others mind theirs.
His years spent living as a squatter in an abandoned orphanage surrounded by other free thinkers, allowed him an existence free of judgement and of pre-conceived notions, which he argues allowed him to take stock of who he was and what he wanted to become.
So many of us today are afraid and unwilling to let go. Our lives are governed by rules, morality, and a sense of ethics driven by conformity, and informed by the commotion of politics and the unceasing cycle of current events. This has caused us to become too narrow-minded in our perception of the world, which is the opposite of freedom.
Escaping the world and living outside the system, in a place Hof describes as having no rules, with a hundred other people, all peacefully co-existing, might not be something any of us can do in this day and age.
But it demonstrates the importance of having peace and head space, time to connect with nature, to digitally detox, to really think inwardly about our lives and ourselves, and to get in touch with the things that really motivate us and excite us, for that is where it is valuable to spend our time.
It’s quite impossible to find anything meaningful when you are caught up in the stress of daily life, which can be all-consuming. Once you are able to detach from that stress, a new reality can enter your consciousness.
The Wim Hof Method is not without its criticisms and experts say it does have its risks. A study undertaken by Dr Omar Almahayni and Dr Lucy Hammond from the University of Warwick found that the research provided “valuable insights into [the method’s] potential as a complementary approach to wellness”.
However, they added that further research into its effects on stress, inflammation and overall health was needed.
While not one to take ice baths, run a marathon in the Arctic or climb Mount Everest in only shorts and shoes, swim under ice or run on it barefoot, I could see through Wim Hof’s work, the transformative potential of a strong, disciplined mindset in enhancing physical and mental well-being.
That said, a note of caution is needed to those looking into this method further with a view to practising it and further research needed.
Exerting oneself in such an extreme way in such extreme conditions does not come without extreme health risks and is therefore not open to all.
Professor Mike Tipton of the University of Portsmouth points out the following:
Standing in snow barefoot for 30 minutes introduces the risk of cold injury. Plunging into cold water introduces the risks of drowning and cardiovascular problems.
There are definite benefits to achieving peace and having the time and space to think, offline and in nature, and of loving ourselves and not trying to seek external validation.
They will be my key takeaways from the book, along with the importance of having the right mindset and mental strength to achieve what you want to in life.
Hof has made it his life’s mission to teach this to others. He’d found his passion, his One Thing, and his commitment to it is admirable.
