Wim Hof's Meditation

[voidisyinyang]

During his 8-day stay in an underground pit, Yogi Satyamurti exhibited a marked tachycardia of 250 beats/min for the first 29 h of his stay. Thereafter, for the next 6.5 days, the ECG complexes were replaced by an isoelectric line, showing no heartbeat whatsoever (see Fig. 1⇓). The experimenters at first thought he had died. Then, 0.5 h before the experiment was due to end on the 8th day, the ECG resumed, recording normal heart rate activity.

 

This psychology article - rocks - Yogi had no heart beat for over 6 days!

[forestofemptiness]

Except the Wim Hof method doesn't use vase breathing, not even close. 

[voidisyinyang]

Except the Wim Hof method doesn't use vase breathing, not even close. 

 

got evidence?

 

Magical Techniques of Tibet, by J.H. Brennan, New Age Books, 195 pages

 

Gives this detailed instruction of tummo:

 

 

Little is known about the esoteric Tibetan Buddhist practice of tumo, or psychic heat yoga. In Magical Techniques of Tibet (New Age Books), author J.H. BRENNAN explains this yoga in detail. An extract:

 

The term tumo actually means 'heat' or 'warmth,' but only in the special sense of psychic heat. Tibetans recognize three types:

 

1. The tumo that arises spontaneously during ecstatic religious experience;

 

2. Mystic tumo, which is the fire of bliss itself;

 

3. Esoteric tumo that keeps the adept physically warm. The third type of tumo is related to the subtle fire that warms the seminal fluid in a man and is the source of its energy. When the warmth is heightened, the energy runs throughout the rtsa or energy channels of the body.

 

Tumo initiation is essentially the passing of angkur (ability) from guru to student. Basic tumo training proceeds through preliminary preparation, practice, and practical application. Each stage in turn has several steps.

 

PRELIMINARY EXERCISES

 

Exercise 1: Visualizing the Goddess

 

In the first of five preliminary exercises, you are required to visualize yourself as the naked, virginal, 16-year-old Vajra-Yogini, a Tantric divinity who personifies spiritual energy. This goddess has a luminous ruby - red skin and a visible third eye in the middle of her forehead.

 

In her right hand she holds a gleaming curved knife high above her head to cut off all intrusive thought processes. In her left hand she holds a blood-filled human skull against her breast. On the head of the goddess is a tiara made from five dried human skulls, while around her neck is a necklace of 50 human heads dripping blood.

 

She wears armbands, wristbands, and anklets, but her only other item of adornment is a Mirror of Karma breastplate held in place by double strings of beads made from human bones that circle her waist and pass over her shoulders.

 

There is a long-staff in the crook of her left arm and a flame-like aura around her. The goddess is dancing with her right leg bent and the foot lifted up while her left foot tramples a prostrate human. In your initial visualization, see yourself in the form of this goddess about your own size. Once the image is established, imagine yourself growing.

 

Continue to grow until your goddess form is large enough to encompass the entire universe. Spend a little time in contemplating this state. Next, gradually reduce in size until you are no larger than a mustard seed.

 

Then shrink the imagined visualization still further, so that it is microscopic in extent, yet retains all its fine detail. Contemplate yourself in this minuscule state as well. This completes the first preliminary exercise.

 

Exercise 2: Visualizing the Channels

 

In the second exercise, you begin by imagining yourself as the normal-sized Vajra-Yogini goddess. Now concentrate on visualizing the dbu-ma energy channel that runs down the centre of your body as straight, hollow, about the size of an arrow-shaft, and a luminous red.

 

Expand the visualization until the channel becomes large enough to contain the universe. Again, shrink your visualized image until the hollow channel is no more than one-hundredth the thickness of a human hair.

 

Exercise 3: Posture and Breathing

 

Sit on the floor with your legs crossed so that your feet rest on your thighs, the soles turned upward. Your right leg should be uppermost. Place your hands in your lap at a level just below your navel with the back bend of the wrists pressed against your thighs.

 

Your thumb, forefinger, and little finger should be extended, and the other two bent into the palm. Straighten your spine and expand your diaphragm as far as it will go. Press your chin against your throat, place your tongue against the roof of your mouth, and fix your eyes on the tip of your nose.

 

Exhale completely to rid your lungs of stale air. Repeat this three times, then inhale as fully as possible and raise your diaphragm slightly so that your chest takes on the appearance of a pot. Hold your breath as long as you can without undue strain.

 

As you breathe out, imagine that five-colour rays emerge from every pore of your body to fill the entire world. The colours, which equate to the elements, are blue, green, red, white, and yellow.

 

On the in-breath, imagine these rays returning through the pores to fill your body with multicoloured light. Repeat the exercise seven times. Next, imagine that each ray changes into a five-colour version of the syllable 'hum'.

 

On your out-breath, visualize the world as filled with these syllables and listen to the sound they make. On the in-breath, imagine the syllables entering and filling your body. Repeat this breathing/visualization sequence seven times.

 

Now on the out-breath imagine that the 'hum' syllables become minute representations of angry deities. Imagine that on the out-breath the deities go out to fill the world, while on the in-breath they return to fill your body. Again repeat the sequence seven times.

 

The next step represents a critical stage in the exercise. You are required to imagine that every pore of your body is inhabited by one of these tiny deities with his face turned outward.

 

As a result, you see yourself as having grown a second protective skin composed of fierce and angry deities, which functions rather like a suit of armour.

 

Exercise 4: Visualizing the Letters

 

You begin the fourth preliminary exercise by visualizing the hollow ro-ma (right-hand energy channel) and rkyang-ma (left-hand energy channel). Imagine the five vowels of the English alphabet within the left channel and the 21 consonants in the right channel.

 

Each letter should have a fine outline and be seen as coloured red. Imagine them arranged in a vertical line, one above the other. Establish a breathing routine that alternates left and right nostrils, then visualize the letters streaming out with your out-breath, one after another.

 

On the in-breath, imagine them returning, but entering your body through your penis or vagina.

 

Exercise 5: Visualizing the Root Guru

 

This exercise requires you to visualize your own 'root guru' seated cross-legged in your heart chakra. Visualize the whole succession of discarnate gurus, in ascending order of importance, one above the head of the other in a vertical line along the central channel.

 

Once you have established the chain, you should pray to these gurus. When the prayer is finished, imagine the entire chain of gurus merging into the body of the root guru which in turn merges into the essence of bliss. Allow the experience of bliss to fill your entire body.

 

Psychic heat Generation

 

With the completion of these preliminaries, you are now ready to embark on the second stage of tumo, which involves the actual generation of psychic heat. Begin this stage by adopting the posture described in Preliminary Exercise 3.

 

Consciously link your thought process with the rhythm of your breathing. The Tibetan secret tradition teaches that your thought processes typically change after a period measured by a single in-breath plus a single out-breath.

 

Since breathing and thought processes depend on one another, control of the breath is the first step toward control of the mind.

 

Breath Control 1: Calm Breathing

 

The recommended breath control sequence begins with the establishment of what the Tibetans call 'Calm Breathing' which, in turn, is broken down into two separate parts. The first of these is known as the Nine Bellows Blowings.

 

Nine Bellows Blowings

 

• Close off your left nostril with your forefinger so that you are breathing only through the right nostril.

 

• Turn your head slowly from right to left while inhaling and exhaling three times through the right nostril.

 

• Now close off your right nostril and inhale/exhale three times while moving your head from left to right.

 

• Finally, with your head steady and looking straight ahead, inhale/exhale three times through both nostrils.

 

This sequence should be repeated three times. For the first of these three sequences you should breathe so gently that the breaths are scarcely perceptible.

 

For the second, you need to breathe more strongly, while for the third, your breath should empty the lungs completely on exhalation and fill them totally on inhalation.

 

Four Combined Breathing

 

Move on to the second element of 'Calm Breathing', which is known as the Four Combined Breathing. For this, you should first bend your head forward so that your neck takes on the shape of a hook.

 

Now draw in air through both nostrils from a distance of about 16 finger-widths without making a sound. The air from this silent in-breath should reach the bottom of your lungs. Contract your diaphragm to raise the thorax so that your chest puffs out.

 

You will find this pot-like expansion of your chest quickly becomes difficult to sustain. When it does, you are instructed to draw in a series of short breaths using muscular action to direct these inhalations to the right and left lungs respectively so that pressure is equalized in both lungs.

 

Once you have reached your limit, breathe out through both nostrils, gently at first, then with greater force, then gently again, all on a single exhalation. This process is described as 'shooting the breath forth like an arrow'.

 

Breath Control 2: Violent Breathing

 

The second aspect of tumo breath control, 'Violent Breathing', is broken down into five separate techniques. The first of these is emptying the lungs completely, then slowly refilling them to their fullest extent. The emphasis here is on slowly.

 

The purpose of the exercise is to prevent the rebound effect-a tendency to take quick, short breaths. The second technique is the 'art of inbreathing to cause the air to enter into all its natural channels'.

 

This technique should be performed in the conscious knowledge that you are breathing in energy with each breath. The third technique, known as the 'art of maximum lung expansion', is designed to take control of the breath.

 

This refers to breath retention, which permits a fuller extraction of the vital energy from the air. Technique four seeks complete mastery over the breathing process so that the vital energy extracted from the air enters the various rtsa channels.

 

In this technique, imagine the energy's light gently spreading throughout your entire body.

 

The final technique of the sequence seeks to mingle the internalized life force with the great reservoir of cosmic energy all around you. This is referred to as the 'art of relaxing the breathing', a name that suggests the process involves an out-breath.

 

The Mental Images

 

With the completion of breathing exercises, we come to the third and final part of the tumo technique. By now it should come as little surprise to learn that it involves the manipulation of mental images. The first of these images is that of the Vajra-Yogini.

 

But now, instead of imagining yourself as this deity, you should create an image of the goddess standing at normal human size before you. This image becomes your contact point with the universal energy and part of a visualized 'generator' that will produce the psychic heat.

 

The second visualization is of the central dbu-ma channel with its four major chakras flanked by the ro-ma and rkyang-ma channels. Begin by visualizing the hollow, perpendicular central channel, red in colour but transparent and bright.

 

Next, visualize the two peripheral channels that extend over the top of the brain and pass through the openings of the nostrils to travel downward, flanking the central channel until they curve inward to join at the bottom.

 

With the three channels clearly visualized, you should add the chakras to your image. The crown chakra should be visualized as radiating 32 'energy spokes'-minor rtsa channels-downward into the head. These are met by 16 more, which radiate from the throat centre, while 64 radiate from the navel centre.

 

Now comes what is understood as the core visualization of tumo, and a wholly unexpected one it turns out to be. According to the ancient texts, the secret of producing psychic heat lies in the use of half of the Tibetan letter A. Whichever half you select, the shape should be visualized at the point where the three major channels meet four finger-widths below the navel.

 

See it outlined hair-thin, reddish-brown in colour and hot to the touch, floating and undulating. As it moves, the shape makes a sound like the spluttering of a lighted taper. Next, visualize the Tibetan letter 'hum' on the median channel within the crown chakra at the top of your head.

 

The letter should be visualized white with a single drop of nectar forming on the 'tail' at the bottom. Draw in a breath to bring the life energy into the left and right channels and see them expand in your mind's eye.

 

Watch the vital force enter the middle channel and travel down to reach the visualized half, which fills out from its original outline until it becomes a fully-shaped red form.

 

As you breathe out, imagine that the air leaves the median channel in a bluish stream. Continue this sequence of breathing and visualization until it is well established. Then change the sequence slightly so that on the in-breath a tiny, pointed flame flares up from the outlined image.

 

The flame should be upright, bright red in colour, and transparent. It should also flicker in such a way that it appears to be spinning. Now, with each in-breath, imagine that the flame rises half a finger-width higher so that by the time you complete eight breathing cycles, it reaches the navel chakra.

 

Two cycles later the flame will have extended into every petal of this centre. Over the next 10 breath cycles, the imagined fire thus kindled moves down to the lower part of your body, filling your lower abdomen, legs, feet and toes. In 10 further breath cycles, it moves upward in stages, filling your body as far as the heart chakra.

 

In the next 10 cycles, it reaches the throat chakra, then, with 10 more breaths it reaches the crown chakra at the top of your head, where you have already established the letter 'hum'. As the imagined fire reaches this chakra, it slowly dissolves the symbol over the next 10 breath cycles into a pearlescent 'moon fluid', which spreads to fill the entire lotus.

 

This moon fluid is the key to the tumo effect. Watch in your mind's eye as it overflows from the crown chakra to fill the entire body. The overall sequence of 108 breath cycles constitutes a single tumo course. To become proficient, you need to repeat six courses over each 24-hour period in the early stage of your training.

 

TRIGGERING TUMO

 

You can trigger the tumo heat in three ways. The simplest is the use of breathing: push the inhaled air to the bottom of your lungs and contract your diaphragm to expand the chest.

 

The two remaining methods are as follows:

 

• While seated in a simple cross-legged position, grasp the underneath of your thighs with your hands. Use your stomach and abdominal muscles to circle the belly area three times to the right and three times to the left while keeping the torso still.

 

Churn the stomach vigorosly by rippling the muscles from top to bottom, then shake your body like a dog that has just come out of the water. While you are doing so, raise yourself a little on your crossed legs, then drop back again onto your cushion, in effect bouncing a little off the floor.

 

Repeat this whole exercise three times, ending with a vigorous bounce.

 

• Visualize yourself as the Vajra-Yogini with the three main channels, the charkas, and the visualized half of the Tibetan A symbol. Imagine blazing suns in the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. Bring your hands and feet together so that the suns meet.

 

Visualize another sun at the junction of the main channels below the navel. Rub together the suns in the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.

 

Fire will flare up to strike the sun below the navel, then the visualized symbol, and will go on to permeate your whole body. On your next out-breath, visualize the tumo heat going out to fill the world.

 

Extracted with permission from Magical Techniques of Tibet, by J.H. Brennan, New Age Books, 195 pages

 

http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/world-religions/buddhism/tumo.asp

[voidisyinyang]

https://books.google.com/books?id=e2juQnIFRUgC&pg=PT157&lpg=PT157&dq=tumo+stephen+koch+tetons&source=bl&ots=-rutE7PUmi&sig=-fkywktx_qLHRI5p8yJ60RycK6Y&hl=en&ei=idgPTpG5Bsnz0gHDl_XEDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Extreme athletes book on tummo. googlebook link

[Arya]

I watched the documentary and he said sadness is a deep trigger. Which was triggered by his wife dying.

 

When I want to cry, like today I was about to cry a bit but couldn't cause I felt like I've let down my mother who's done so much for me and wants the best for me. Being ungrateful and ruining her investment in me.  Even though she might be insane and completely behave like a mad woman at times.

 

Anyways, I read a Japanese comic book last year and a character I liked, she commits suicide, so I cried for 2 days straight but during that time I would breathe in A LOT of air. That episode pretty much cleared off my childhood trauma to a hefty extent. But I also became weak and pale. So it was worse than death at first but a sort of catharsis.

 

So sadness is probably converted into compassion. Cause I read a monk say that crying is when compassion fails. The compassion comes from love of humanity and even other beings. 

 

The adrenaline overload reminds me of the first Jhana. Jhana is done by progressive relaxation and breathing into the whole body.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Arya

[voidisyinyang]

During the same TED Talk, he mentions experiments showing that if you reduce the oxygen content in the air slightly, roundworms die, and if you reduce it a lot – down to 10 ppm – they stop moving and appear dead but are in fact alive in a state of suspended animation. Unlike their animated and lively friends, these suspended roundworms can be put into cold temperatures without harm.

 

http://inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com/2010/03/curious-case-of-human-hibernation.html

[voidisyinyang]

I watched the documentary and he said sadness is a deep trigger. Which was triggered by his wife dying.

 

When I want to cry, like today I was about to cry a bit but couldn't cause I felt like I've let down my mother who's done so much for me and wants the best for me. Being ungrateful and ruining her investment in me.  Even though she might be insane and completely behave like a mad woman at times.

 

Anyways, I read a Japanese comic book last year and a character I liked, she commits suicide, so I cried for 2 days straight but during that time I would breathe in A LOT of air. That episode pretty much cleared off my childhood trauma to a hefty extent. But I also became weak and pale. So it was worse than death at first but a sort of catharsis.

 

So sadness is probably converted into compassion. Cause I read a monk say that crying is when compassion fails. The compassion comes from love of humanity and even other beings. 

 

The adrenaline overload reminds me of the first Jhana. Jhana is done by progressive relaxation and breathing into the whole body.

 

 

Sadness is a lung blockage and converted to compassion by deep breathing which converts the sadness to courage and then opens up the heart love energy - love heart plus courage = compassion.

 

Nice insight.

[bluefire]

 

Here's a recent Ted talk where he discusses how he started his training.

[Green Tiger]

Here he explains his experience with cold and around 2:00 he mentions tummo and how he started practicing it at one point:

 

That's interesting. I wonder what tummo resources he had. In more recent interviews, he seems to downplay any formal teachings and credits the cold almost exclusively. I wonder if that has anything to do with the $200 online courses he's now offering in the Wim Hof Method.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Green Tiger

[forestofemptiness]

Let me preface by saying that I've been practicing some Wim Hof methods for the past month and I love them. I lost about 8 pounds and my energy levels are up. Having said that, I don't think his methods are similar to Tummo. Note that I am citing from Kathleen McDonald, who learned Tummo from traditional sources. 

 

Compare:

 

Tummo-Lite Kathleen McDonald

 

Wim Hof-Lite

 

I think that Wim's method leverages bodily anatomy, whereas Tummo is more meditative. Accordingly, I actually think Wim's method is more accessible. 

[juliank]

He has been doing the media rounds, and I sense this method getting wider exposure very soon. A lot of the self development personalities like Tim Ferriss et al, are doing interviews and Reddit has a whole sub-reddit devoted to him.

 

I had been meaning to start the method myself, and started today. Yes, you can feel something immediate and tangible very quickly. It induced strong prana shaking in me, leaving me with a sense of calm and strong buzzing energy. I imagine coupling this method with strong visualization can lead to some great results. Any experiences from folks doing this ?

[thelerner]

I'm on week 10   

http://thedaobums.com/topic/39544-wim-hof-method/?p=650846

 

Summary from my thread:

 

To summarize its been a worthwhile journey.  Short and well defined.  It's made me mentally and physically tougher.  Taught me to breath bigger and better.   It's made me face physical shock, like icy cold water, and see it as an illusion.  To face intimate stress of breath retention and relax and push my limits.   To move a little away from being a coddled person in a 24/7 controlled environment to a natural being who can take off there shoes, jacket and shirt in the snow and walk around (for a bit anyway).  Trusting my body to react as 10,000 generations trained theirs to. 

 

Benefits.. Lets take the breathing.   I've learned to breathe much better.  I was able to jump into a practice that was beyond me earlier, ie doing the 8 - 20 - 16 (now 8 24 16) breath pattern.  To fill up my lungs bigger and better then before.  Learned to relax once they're filled.  For the 16 seconds out, I have the mental and physical control to take my time.  That 'yogic breathing' pattern isn't part of the Wim Hof Method but the practice has given me far better breath control then I've had before.   I intend to see how far I can take such patterns.  Breath links mind, body and spirit.

 

The holds are also kinda miraculous.  If someone said its possible to hold my breath 2 minutes 20 some seconds after exhaling I'd say they were crazy.  The breath retention while unpleasant has helped develop will power and relaxation under stress.  I also feel I've got a mental block here and once I get past it, maybe I'll get the 3,4 even 5 minutes holds some report.  Maybe.  

 

In the practice there are periods of deep peace that feel very good.  The inner vision lights up.  The fluorescence behind the eyes show interesting lights and imagery.   There may be some physical brain hacks going on.  Blood being shunted to parts of the brain that unusually don't get much attention.

 

I haven't been doing much of the yoga he calls for, despite that my flexibility has been improving.  Some due to stretching using his breathing technique, part of of it might be the practice relaxes the body and takes away some unconscious restraints of the mind.  I can squat down on my haunches (Indian Squat?) much lower and stay there .   That used to give me problems. 

 

He calls for doing push ups, and my pushup numbers are higher.  I'm doing a 2 or 3 sets of 44ish easy incline pushups and I'm seeing some definition from it.

 

The cold showers have progressed nicely.  Despite being on the swim team in highschool I've always been a wimp about cold water (cept for Aikido Winter Misogis).   The gradual approach of the method has helped me man up.  Its just a shocking sensation I can handle, after icy showers I don't shiver.  Sometimes I even like'em. 

 

Some research shows it improves the immune system, stimulates the cardiovascular.  I make sure to get the cold water in my arm pits to stimulate the lymph nodes there.  There's even some writing on benefits of cold water on the head to help keep your hair so I make sure I hit there too.  I've always had dandruff, but not any more, the Hof method and not using shampoo has cured it. 

 

I've been working on cold conditioning, going out in freezing weather without a jacket.  Redefining what I consider cold, when its acceptable and when a jacket is needed. 

 

 

Let me add this:

Cons: It's not a comfortable practice.  Cold showers while invigorating are a bit shocking and long breath holds can feel like you're being choked.   The course isn't cheap at $200 (http://highexistence...-immune-system/ might still have 25% off coupon making it $150).  I get the feeling there is a significant attrition rate.

 

Lastly and significantly there is some danger involved.  Some of the exercises may be spiking your blood pressure.   At some points your in the snow and could get frost bite.  Your doing long retention holds in the shower and could faint or lose balance, same with being in a ice filled tub by yourself.   There is risk involved.  

 

Which I accept.  Matter of fact I like it.   My life in my hands.  A little risk to gain a new skill set.  A little eccentricity because I'm an individual, breaking rules and taking names. 

Edited January 21, 2016 by thelerner

[juliank]

This is a wonderful report Lerner! It sounds like it has really made a positive impact.

 

When I get the money I think I may splurge and get the package.

 

Right now, I am on Day 4 of just simply doing the main breathing practice with retention. I love it already, it feels incredibly strengthening both on a physical and subtle energetic level. I sense that if properly used it can really open up energetic blockages.

 

I have been doing the cold showers, which I admit I had been doing already but going from warm to cold, now I just do straight cold and the difference is immeasurable.

 

Do you think it's possible to see decent progress just doing the breathing technique and just extending the holds?

 

Cheers.

[thelerner]

Do you think it's possible to see decent progress just doing the breathing technique and just extending the holds?

 

Cheers.

I shouldn't be looked upon as an expert (or even an intermediate) in the system.  But I think so.  In truth the breathing practice stays the same throughout the 10 weeks.  Along with the cold showers that's the majority of the system. The showers get longer, by week 5 they're 10 minute, then actually go down and you do some full breath retention holds gently and carefully in the shower.  

 

In most ways those 2 practices are the main thing.  Building up endurance.   Do what you can without pushing too hard.  Buying the course is worthwhile, not for any secret information, but it has the yoga and listening to and watching Wim Hof is inspiring.   It outlines the course in a nice booklet, with explanatory videos, plus you read dozens of comments and clarifications from those doing the course as well as access to the Facebook site.  

 

The biggest warnings are don't do the breath hold underwater, you can drown.  Watch your balance in the shower when doing retention holds, they're never longer then a minute in the shower.   The breath holding isn't a competition, important since you have people posting unreal times and you don't need to be.  I'm certainly on the lower end of what people are reporting. 

 

I've found on youtube 'The Swedish Iceman' is a great resource.  He's a guy who's done the course as well as (I think) done sessions with Wim Hof.  His videos tend to clarify some practices.  

Edited January 22, 2016 by thelerner

[z00se]

TheLerner: I remember you used to do HT. I'm guessing this is a more physical practice with the breathing and such. Plus with the physically testing yourself in the cold and with holding your breath instead of say testing one's posture in iron shirt. Do you find things like MCO & all the other channels just open themselves through the practice? I've tried other practices but i think i've done HT so much that everything just seems like it opens the channels and activates the HT within me haha.

 

I've always liked Wim's outlook and practices and how he goes all about it. It's always attracted me because he's real, upfront and just dying to help others, but not many people want to know - Which goes all throughout life in many different ways, general people don't want what's best for them and being given away for free or cheap, they want expensive and a second rate job done for them. Wim has been teaching and been on TV for years but he got more attention overseas than he did in his own country. I mean really, $200 bucks is not expensive, people will pay $90 for a massage, and if you get the whole course it's worth it.

 

I've bought the iceman before but didn't get alot out of the book really, seemed like he was still feeling his way a bit, had confidence in his technique but not in his ability to spread the benefits, but it's a few years on since he'd written the book and I watched the Ted Talk and he looks more confident and experienced in spreading the word.

 

I think i might try the breathing and whats been posted on the this website http://highexistence.com/the-wim-hof-method-revealed-how-to-consciously-control-your-immune-system/ that somebody posted before and see how I go after a couple of weeks. It's summer here in Australia so cold showers are nice at the moment and the cold water doesn't even get that cold hahah, plenty of time till it cools down to a winter cold shower.

[thelerner]

Its been awhile since I've been doing Healing Tao stuff.  I'll still run the orbit sometimes, but its always felt like more of a nerve/physical mantra, ie like a ball is rolling up and down along my spine and front rather then what some describe as the 'real' MCO which is a more powerful phenomena.  Worthwhile, but after years, its not the kundaliniesque experience it should be.  Note, I tend to be energy insensitive though. 

 

I think following the writing in Higher Existence https://highexistence.com/the-wim-hof-method-revealed-how-to-consciously-control-your-immune-system/ you can take the practice pretty far.  They used to have a 25% off coupon. 

 

This morning I was thinking of how I do the Wim Hof Breathing.  It's fast yet deep.  Some describe it as hyperventilating, but I consider it slower then that and ofcourse controlled. 

 

When I concentrate on first expanding my stomach once it 'inflates' my attention moves to my lower ribs and I like to feel them expand a bit, then I fill up my upper chest, which tends to arch my back a little and spread my shoulders.  I try not to 'pressurize' much.  Keep it full without adding.    Taunt but not uncomfortable. 

 

The out breath is quick and natural.  Letting it go naturally without pushing out the last of it.  What ever releases normally.   On the last breath of the series I'll mentally try to keep a little more air in on the release, not by much, but a little.  I'm about 2 or 2 1/2 seconds a breath including a tiny pause at the end to feel relaxed.  That's how I do it, other may be a little different.

 

Learning to breath that deep has helped me on another practice, Silent Grounds Yogic Breathing.   I'm comfortable with there 8in 24hold 16out cycle and have started with the 8 32 16.  After 8 or 9 repetitions tends to start feeling uncomfortable, but I'm getting used to it.  And its a 56 second breath cycle!  

Maybe by the middle of the year I'll be able to do the 12 48 24 cycle (or beyond).  Then I won't have to do Wim Hof at all.  I can just find a cave and hibernate for the winter.   

[Fu_doggy]

About 7 months ago I paid the $200 for Wim Hof's course.   It was one of the best investments I've ever made.   So I have been practicing it for 7 months now and it's is an amazingly powerful method.  I honestly have never felt better.   My energy is excellent, my sleep has improved, my mental clarity is sharper.   And oh yah, my cold tolerance has improved dramatically.  

 

Regardless of how Wim came up with his breathing technique, it is a simple and effective method for improving energy and well being.   

Edited January 23, 2016 by Fu_doggy

[z00se]

I was wondering if anyone here knew if there was any difference in techniques of not needing to drink water while running in the desert was the same as becoming immune to the cold? Does the inner fire help in the heat too, or do you need some kind of inner cold?

[bax44]

Started doing the breathing and cold showers a few days ago. Ive always intuitively liked the cold water so this just seemed like a no brainer. I do meditation and reichian bodywork/breathing as well, and this seems to go along with those practices beautifully. I have a feeling this can be very powerful if one sticks with it. The feeling one gets after doing the breathing and the cold shower is excellent. will keep following this thread.

[thelerner]

On 1/26/2016 at 2:58 AM, z00se said:

I was wondering if anyone here knew if there was any difference in techniques of not needing to drink water while running in the desert was the same as becoming immune to the cold? Does the inner fire help in the heat too, or do you need some kind of inner cold?

Unlike most tummo style things, Wim Hof isn't such an inner fire kind of technique.   He doesn't stress generating heat so much, a  little but not like most tummo system, imo.  When asked he does say the source, mind/body control that allows him to swim under ice, is the same that allowed him to run a desert marathon without water. 

 

The breathing system seems to make it easier to ignore some body safeguards, for better or worse.  (I believe on Everest he got some frostbite.. everyone has limits except Batman)  And ofcourse he's a tough sonofabitch. 

[bax44]

Unlike most tummo style things, Wim Hof isn't such an inner fire kind of technique.   He doesn't stress generating heat so much, a  little but not like most tummo system, imo.  When asked he does say the source, mind/body control that allows him to swim under ice, is the same that allowed him to run a desert marathon without water. 

 

The breathing system seems to make it easier to ignore some body safeguards, for better or worse.  And ofcourse he's a tough sonofabitch. 

 

Today was my 4th day practicing the breathing. The first day I could only hold after the 30 breaths for about 25 seconds. Today I got a minute and ten seconds after 3 rounds of the breathing. whatever it does, it works rather quickly. I was shocked at getting over a minute as after the first day I was thinking there was no way it would be possible to go past 30 seconds without passing out.

Edited January 27, 2016 by bax44

[thelerner]

That's great.  Increasing the 'reps' to 40 helped me.  I've been working on long breathing rhythms and there's a big difference between doing it after Wim Hof breathing and without.   I was doing 8in 32hold 16out after Hof breathing and thought it'd be a little harder doing it normally.  Turns out its much harder.   The WHM makes long term rhythmic breathing much easier.

 

It's either oxygenating the body very well or turning down some mechanism that controls the need for breath.  

[bax44]

Anyone have any thoughts on the safety of the breathing? Of course you read things online about the danger of the breath hold and fainting but Im talking about the possibility of starving the brain of oxygen. From what I understand it decreases Co2 levels  which allows more o2 to be uptaken, but first theres a big O2 drop similar to being in high altitudes. I notice some light headedness obviously but then feel pretty great later on. Just wondering if anyone experienced in the methods had any thoughts on this

[bax44]

That's great.  Increasing the 'reps' to 40 helped me.  I've been working on long breathing rhythms and there's a big difference between doing it after Wim Hof breathing and without.   I was doing 8in 32hold 16out after Hof breathing and thought it'd be a little harder doing it normally.  Turns out its much harder.   The WHM makes long term rhythmic breathing much easier.

 

It's either oxygenating the body very well or turning down some mechanism that controls the need for breath.  

 

Yeah it definitely is doing something.. Like I said in my post above I tend to feel a little spaced out for a time after the breathing and the cold exposure but then a few hours later I feel very relaxed, warm, and loose. Has this been your experience? haha I probably shouldnt read stuff online, you have skeptics telling you the breathing is "dangerous" etc etc, hence my post above. I have a chronic health condition so I really am intrigued by the method and possible immune benefits, etc.

[thelerner]

Spacing out is reported.  It's happened to me, not terrible, kindof a blank out, where I'm peaceful and think I was just counting breaths, wasn't I?  I've done pretty well as far as not being chilled afterwards.   That varies widely with some people reporting it lasting a while after the showers.  I think it goes away in time. 

 

This is a 'you are in charge' of your health kind of thing.  Better to go slow, repeat weeks and take breaks, as I did, then push too hard.  Especially if your older, like me (51) or have health problems. 

 

There are frequent warnings not to hold the breath underwater, to be careful and conservative in the shower or bath.  Ther comments in both the facebook and video site (both private) and are overwhelmingly positive, but who knows if bad ones are edited out?  Some people credit it with solving health problems, but then doesn't every 'method'.

 

Going into the cold is shocking and accelerates the heart (I think)  Cold showers can drop core temperatures which can be dangerous.  The breathing style is a bit extreme, not too far from rebirthing methods (I think) and those can prove psychologically fraught and maybe physical dangerous for some subset of people who push it too far.  The method is not without its risks, though I think they are low.  I haven't really researched skeptics of the method.  

 

For me, its been worth it.  Like most things the truth is somewhere in the middle.  Done slowly, carefully its not dangerous, nor will it be a miracle cure all.   Finishing it will be an accomplishment and you'll be much more tolerant of the cold and perhaps a few more goodies.