Most of us struggle when trying to limit our consumption of meat, sugar, and caffeine. We’ll whine when our alarm goes off in the morning. When we stub our toe or prick our finger, we gasp and yelp like a five-year-old. We’ll then complain about our tiny pain for the rest of the day.​ Enter The Ice Man or just “Iceman.” After surviving his wife’s suicide, Wim Hof raised his four children alone. With deep pain and sadness as his motivation, he learned to hold his breath for 10 minutes, swim naked beneath thick ice, and set world records. To date, he is the proud owner of 26.

“I Think Of The Cold As A Noble Force. It’s Just Helping Me. It’s Training Me. It’s Bringing Me Back To The Inner Nature, The Way It Was Meant To Be.”
— Wim Hof

Here’s a sampling of facts about The Iceman:

• He ran a marathon in a desert with no training or water. When he emerged victoriously, he rehydrated by drinking beer for a few hours with friends
• He’s a Yoga master
• An expert in nutrition, he has eaten just one meal a day for 38 years
• He can control his heart rate and hormonal system through breath and meditation
• He learned to speak ten languages without the use of any apps

The Iceman was born as Wim Hof on April 20, 1959, in The Netherlands. With nine siblings, one of whom is a twin, Wim had to fight hard to stand out. He also had to quickly learn to defend himself from teasing and abuse throughout his childhood.​
At age 17, digging deep within himself, Wim became an extreme sportsman. It all began with a spontaneous jump into a freezing cold canal. The Iceman was born.

The Wim Hof Method

When you’ve endured near-freezing water for just shy of an hour, run Arctic marathons in your bare feet, swam like a madman under a lake’s thick ice for what seemed like an eternity, and learned to control your sex drive, you have but one thing left to do: launch a method so others can do the same.

​The Wim Hof Breathing Method was not initially created through academic research or scientific experiments. It wasn’t established by channeling information from aliens or Gods. The science of the Wim Hof Method was born from personal experience.​

Imagine if all health, healing, and endurance modalities could be developed in this fashion: no red tape, no government approval – just cold hard facts born from focused obsession.

“I Do Not Only Endure The Cold; I Love The Cold.”
— Wim Hof

Wim Hof’s website is chock full of information about his processes and experiences, including free instructions on his unique breathing method, known to fans as the WHM (Wim Hof Method).

Here’s a brief description of the WHM:

• Sit comfortably with your back straight.
• Take 30 quickened breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through the mouth.
• After the quickened breaths, take one long, deep breath. Hold it for as long as you can.
• When you feel the need to breathe inwardly, inhale deeply. Hold this breath for 10 seconds.
• Repeat this process as many times as you’d like.

From a Kundalini perspective, this will open up your air passages and awaken your power center. You’ll immediately feel better.

In addition to his breathing method, Hof believes that repeated exposure to cold air or cold water will stimulate the immune system and improve your health. You can learn more about this on his website.

Wim Hof Method Benefits

According to Hof’s website, WHM has a long list of benefits, including but not limited to:

• Stress reduction
• Faster recovery from physical exertion
• Better sleep
• Improved sports performance
• Reduced inflammation
• Improved integration of pain
• Enhanced metabolic activity
• Increased energy
• Heightened focus and determination
• Increased willpower
• Enhanced creativity
• More focus and mental clarity
• Greater cold tolerance
• Stronger immune system
• Potential reduction of symptoms from rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, sarcoidosis, vasculitis, and several autoimmune diseases.

Wim Hof Quotes

Wim Hof is known for his inspirational talks, beliefs, and procedures. Here are a few gems that Hof has shared in recent years:

• “If you can learn how to use your mind, anything is possible.”
• “In the Bhagavad Gita, they say, ‘The mind under control is your best friend, the mind wandering about is your worst enemy.’ Make it your best friend, to the point where you can rely on it. Your mind makes you strong from within. It is your wise companion. The sacrifices you make will be rewarded. Life doesn’t change, but your perception does. It’s all about what you focus on. Withdraw from the world’s influence and no longer be controlled by your emotions. If you can grab the wheel of your mind, you can steer the direction of where your life will go.”
• “Ask yourself, ‘Have I ever experienced the wonders of life?’ Meditate about it. Meditation helps your spirit bloom like a beautiful flower. The experience can be beautiful and great. Poetry is the language of the soul. So listen. Life is like a dewdrop on a grass leaf. When it slips away, it’s gone forever.”
• “We can do more than what we think. It’s a belief system that I have adopted, and it has become my motto. There is more than meets the eye, and unless you are willing to experience new things, you’ll never realize your full potential.”
• “Fear does not go away by itself. You have to confront your fear, mold it, then learn to control it in its own irrational reality. Every human being has the power to do just that. To go deep within and confront your inner being is a powerful act. Going deep and developing the will power is the only way.”
• “Once you know the way to your spiritual destiny, you can change. Once you realize that there are no limits in your mind, once you realize there are no boundaries to what is possible, you can change.”

“I Do Not Fear Death; I Fear Not To Live Fully.”
— Wim Hof

Wim Hof Diet And Philosophy

Hof states that his methods are based on three core principles: breathing, exposure to cold, and commitment. Hof says, “Together, these three pillars provide you with a means to take control over your own body and to battle stress, fatigue, and many other obstacles in life.”

While becoming The Iceman, Hof also established a dietary routine in a form similar to The Fast-5 Diet outlined by Bert Herring. The rules of this diet are simple and akin to intermittent fasting: eat within five consecutive hours, every day. Herring says that integrating intermittent fasting into a daily routine “gets appetites working like they should — reducing intake if you have excess fat and maintaining a healthy weight if you don’t.”

If you’re ready to take your life (and immune system) to the next level, you can enroll in Wim Hof’s latest video course offerings. The new course consists of 10 major themes:

• Going Deep
• Stress Control
• Energy Management
• Inflammation
• Endurance
• Longevity
• Under Pressure
• Spirituality
• Creativity
• Life Adventure

Wim Hof explains that it is each of us who harnesses the power within. He’s designed these courses so that initiates will advance themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. Hof hopes that every participant will gain more peace, strength, and control over their energy and happiness.