In April 2018, I attended Wimhof’s workshop in Munich / Germany at Beach38. I was already taking cold showers for a few months or so continuously as I did on that very day. I left central Switzerland early morning with the excitement to have my very first ice bath later the day and to learn new techniques by the Iceman himself.
The personal story behind Wimhof is very touching. You can learn more about it from Wimhof directly. But the way he mastered the cold immersion allowed him to control his mind.
Once I arrived in Munich at Beach38, Wimhof was playing the ukulele and singing songs and people started to flock in. He was simply radiating love and joy, truly a remarkable man. I found my spot and let the atmosphere sink in after a 3.5 hour car drive.
Wimhof’s method is based on 3 main stages before you immerse yourself into the cold. Be aware to consult one of Wimhofs instructors before you try it yourself.
Every day is a beach day – at least at beach38 in Munich where today's WHM experience took place.
— Wim Hof (@Iceman_Hof) April 14, 2018The combination of the unique venue, German efficiency, and the amazing crowd really took the event to another level. Thank you, Germany – until the next one. X pic.twitter.com/ORz70c8pM1
Stage one: Lie on the ground comfortably and inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth for approx. 40 secondes. It resembles to hyperventilating.
Stage two: Retain your breath for 1 – 2 minutes (Seems very long, but your blood is pumped with oxygen from stage one).
Stage three: Inhale deeply and exhale shallow for a few minutes.
You can repeat these stages a few times. But we did it only one time. You will feel very strong sensations in your body. I went straight up to Wimhof to talk to him after the breathing exercises. He spontaneously gave me a hug, a hug I did not forget ever since. It was a hug full of love. The man is amazing.
Sensations of dizziness, energy rush and most importantly, a sensation of the power of now overwhelms you.
Watch, that you don’t pass out from this exercise by overdoing it. At all times, you have to be tuned in with yourself and know your personal limitations. After that, we were ready to take an ice bath for a couple of minutes as we did at Beach38. It was beautiful! Remember to continue to inhale and exhale while you are immersing yourself into the cold.
After the ice-bath, the workshop was over and it was time for me to drive back home.
I felt that the workshop was absolutely worth the experience and to get that knowledge transmission directly from Wimhof. Since ever then till today, almost all of my showers I have taken are between cold to ice-cold. I plan to continue on taking cold showers for the rest of my life. Also in winter at minus temperatures, I do go swimming in the lake. Since I am praticising cold showers consistently for years, I don’t do any intensive breathing exercises when I immerse myself into the cold, but if needed, I know I have a proven plan.
The benefits of cold showers:
- High energy: Your energy is ramped up and you are ready!
- Immune system: Cold immersion greatly enhances your overall immunity and it does that immediately.
- Peace of mind and emotional harmony: The chatter in your mind is greatly reduced and you feel tremendous ease, even by doing nothing.
- Laser focus: The level of attention is greatly enhanced for all your sense organs.
- Sleep: Even before going to bed, the benefits of a cold shower are very soothing and your sleep quality improves.
- Overall health benefits
- Beauty: Cold revitalizes your skin and makes it smooth.
