Participants of the study were found to have fewer flu-like symptoms, increased levels of epinephrine and anti-inflammatory mediators, as well as a decreased proinflammatory cytokine response. al) study also tested 12 practitioners of his method with the same endotoxin, and like Hof, they were able to control their sympathetic nervous system and immune response. But it’s not just him that this works for. Using just his breath technique, he was able to control his ANS and immune response and avoid any physical symptoms of the toxin. In a 2014 study, Hof was injected with an endotoxin known to provoke a violently sick reaction in humans (a strain of E.
But in the first study done, scientists were shocked to find that these techniques can positively influence the two systems. Prior to 2011, it was believed that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and innate immune system were out of the scope of voluntary control. Early results show his breathing techniques does affect our brain, immune system and metabolic activity as well as inflammation and pain in the body.
The Wim Hof method has been studied across the world since 2011 and he has literally changed our understanding of the biological ability of our bodies. A mantra he repeats during his guided breathing exercises is “let the body do what the body is capable of doing.” His theory is that the body is capable of doing astounding and incredible things, when we are in the right state of mind. Hof believes that we have more control over our brains and bodies than current science leads us to believe. But after a bit of digging, come to find out the science is on his side for more than a handful of these claims. So it would make sense to this writer that a greater level of control over your conscious breath would lead to greater control over our autonomic nervous system as a whole.įrankly, it all sounded a little too good to be true. Breathing is often thought of as an automatic skill, though anyone with a long-term anxiety disorder will tell you conscious breathing is one of the best coping tools available. The autonomic nervous system controls our breathing and blood pressure, and is one of the first systems to change in environments of fear, discomfort, or pain. Hof claims that through his methods, he is able to regulate both his immune system and his autonomic nervous system.
He ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking.He holds the record for longest under-ice swim (66 meters or 188 feet).He climbed Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro (in two days!) wearing only shorts.He ran a half-marathon above the Arctic Circle, barefoot only wearing shorts.He’s known as the Iceman because of his incredible athletic feats in some of the coldest parts of the world and he currently holds 21 Guinness World Records. He believes every human has the ability to accomplish what he has through a dedicated practice. He developed this ability through a three-part training regime he named the Wim Hof Method that allows him greater levels of control over his breathing, heart rate, blood circulation, immune system, and brain chemistry. His claim to fame is his unique ability to endure brutally cold temperatures in extreme circumstance and often for extended periods of time. Wim Hof, also known as the Iceman, is a Dutch endurance athlete, adventure, and philosopher. What if your body was capable of hiking mountains in shorts, running marathons barefoot in the Arctic circle, and holding your breath for minutes at a time?
“Let the body do what the body is capable of doing.”