You Are More Capable Than You Know
Perhaps you have heard of it? Perhaps you already practice mindfulness and breathing? Perhaps it is a new year’s resolution to access your inner healer and fulfill your potential? Perhaps you would be interested to learn how to use your own breath to increase your immunity, build strength and vitality, clear your ancestral karma, tap into your extrasensory perception and more?
I was introduced to the Wim Hof Method last year by a very dear friend who happens to be a doctor. He couldn’t speak highly enough of it. Months later, a friend and Reiki student mentioned it as part of his daily practice. He too raved about it. Two Universal hints were enough for me to investigate further. I love mindful exercises and meditations that help me access my infinite connection to the Universe, or what Dr. Joe Dispenza refers to as the ‘Unified Field’.
More popularly known as the Ice Man, Wim Hof holds 26 world records. He is not a superior athlete by mistake. His method combines breathing, with yoga, meditation, cold therapy and mindful attention. Only a few days in to it, I started sleeping incredibly deep. I began sharing it with others and they too experienced nearly immediate benefits that only grow.
One of the main components of the method are breathing exercises that can be done in a relaxed environment or even in bed. Our ancestors were not the shallow breathers that civilization has bred over time. We lived in nature and when we are in nature, we automatically take in deeper breaths receiving fresh oxygenated air fully in to our lungs, our blood stream and into our cells. When we live indoors, we automatically do not breathe as deeply. Perhaps it is an innate protective response as the modern indoor environment is very toxic compared to a natural environment. The culprits come from chemicals that off gas from paint, furnishings, draperies, carpets and household cleaning supplies. In cities, a similar predicament prevails with industry leaving a residue of invisible and visible pollutants. It is no wonder we do not breathe as deeply as our predecessors. Getting a fresh bountiful supply of oxygen in to the body on a regular basis oxygenates the entire body bringing it in to an alkaline state where disease cannot exist nonetheless thrive. This helps to counterbalance the acidic influences of our lifestyles especially our choice of foods which are often cooked or processed. Just twenty minutes of deep mindful breathing can foster increased oxygen absorption, improved performance and recovery times, assist the body to detoxify and influence a more positive frame of mind or mood.
Another pillar of the method is gradual exposure to cold through daily cold showers at the end of a warm one. If we lived in a natural environment, we would be affected by the elements on a daily basis, even if we lived in the tropics. The temperature still gets cool at night and at elevation, sometimes even chilly. We would live without the comfort of clothes. With this exposure, our vascular system has to respond to the cold to protect the internal organs. The musculature is accustomed to constriction and dilation. Living in an artificial environment with comforters, heating pads, clothing and hot water, the vascular system is not challenged in this way; it is relaxed most of the time. This creates weakness which then can make us vulnerable to the cold and susceptible to illness and even disease as blood is not efficiently delivered to all parts of the body. When our vascular system is fit and toned, more blood is circulated throughout the body. The stronger the vascular system, the more blood that is delivered to all the parts of the body that need it carrying life giving nutrients, vitamins and oxygen. This nourishment helps to alkalize the pH of the body and optimizes the functioning of the immune system. The Wim Hof Method is scientifically validated through numerous rigorous studies. It has been shown to boost immunity, cultivate strength, improve lymphatic drainage, increase the control of the autonomic nervous system, prevent and even reverse dis-ease.
Also incorporated into the method are exercises generally following the breath work as a way to measure improvement in performance and ability. As an example, most adults might only be capable of a dozen or so push-ups, however after a single round of breathing many can remarkably reach 30 – 40 without even feeling tired. The results are fast. The body immediately responds to the positive stimulus of increased oxygen to the cells.
The last primary pillar of the method is one of commitment. Dedication yields result. In no time, one quickly builds confidence in one’s body and its ability to exceed your own expectations of what you are capable of doing. The breathing in combination with movement, gradual cold therapy and commitment are the primary pillars to build a robust cardiovascular system, develop resiliency, build cold tolerance, raise self esteem, open the third eye, strengthen spiritual connection and enhance performance.
I always appreciate the masters who share their secrets to good health and a more rewarding existence. His method does not require the use of psychedelics as a short cut to tapping into divine intuition, guidance and potential, rather it requires consistency. To say ‘the whole world is your oyster’ would be an understatement to describe what is possible with your commitment to self exploration through this technique or perhaps any number of others. You are more amazing, more capable than you’ve dreamed and stronger than you ever thought.
The Wim Hof Method may resonate with you. It certainly has with me, like a truth that I have always known but somehow taken for granted. I recommend diving in to his method for at least six months before evaluating its benefit. Consistency is key. Imagine it like a person that goes to the gym to gain strength or to lose weight and then quits after only a few weeks or a few months and never gets to reap the fruits of their labor. The Wim Hof Method, like all good things, when practiced regularly will yield far greater benefits than if engaged only randomly.
His method starts out slow so one needn’t be concerned about going too fast or being too uncomfortable. For me, I have an aversion to cold. It was a vulnerability and one that could be life threatening. I realized the Wim Hof Method may provide a solution to help me cope with the cold. While I live in the tropics, there are often blizzard like conditions on the summits. The streams are often filled with snow melt. Hiking at elevation in the winter held some real risks for me and plunging in to the cold water streams held absolutely no appeal. It only took one time to be physically paralyzed by the cold water to deter me from venturing in again. Yet when I look back at myself as a kid, I loved taking a cold rinse at the end of a hot shower. When I went to Asia, I swore I would never need a hot shower again as I was so invigorated after a month of daily cold showers. I was vitalized by the cold and loved playing in the snow. Over the years I got weakened by my cozy habits. Last year I dove into Wim Hof’s breathing exercises and slowly added meditation and movement and the cold shower rinse offs last. I am so glad I did. My core body temperature almost immediately increased and my aversion to cold has decreased significantly as I’ve built up a tolerance to cold I never dreamed I would have. My confidence grew as my meditations became deeper following the breathing exercises. This has been the quickest way I have discovered to access the ‘nowhere’ from the now here.
I quickly improved on my breath hold time as this method activates the mammalian dive reflex. All humans have the capacity to breath hold for incredibly long intervals of time. It only takes a little practice to awaken this ancient gift within each of us. I made such fast progress that I was excited to see what adding his other exercises might do. One by one I have brought each one in to my daily practice. I am loving the changes I am feeling on every level, not just in my physical body but in my emotional, mental and spiritual being. In harmony with nature, Wim Hof thrives on a plant based diet and his method is free for everyone to use. If you want to check out the method for yourself, you can check him out online. He has many books including an audio and offers a free phone app.
Go ahead – give it a chance. Let me know how you grow. XO
Resources
For more information, check out the Wim Hoff Method: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
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