The Wim Hof Method

I know the Wim Hof method is b*s* because I’ve lived in the third world. They’ve been practicing cold showers since birth with no noticeable superpowers.

Joking aside..Welcome to my The Wim Hof Method book summary!

“In nature, it is not only the physically weak but the mentally weak that get eaten.

The book really isn’t saying much. It’s a kind of biography and then repeating the same method. But I find myself choosing this book over the dozens of others I have on my Kindle.

One-Sentence-Summary: Iceman Wim Hof delves into his past while teaching the reader his simple breathing technique that results in a temporarily alkaline body pH by changing the ratio of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood.

You can skip the first two chapters. They are Wim Hof’s history, and I don’t think relevant to why I’m reading the book, which is to understand his techniques on a deeper level.

booboo real-time book rating: ★★★★★ (percentage of books with this rating: 4%)

Cold Showers

Start with a 30-second cold shower after your warm shower and work up to 2 minutes and beyond. You will notice effects in ten days.

I find that going cold with your head first almost neutralizes any discomfort.

You are reading my book review and summary by Wim Hof. Be sure to check out my digital bookshelf for 100+ book summaries.

Breathing Technique

Do it before eating

1. Seated or lying down, eyes closed, take 30-40 full breaths into the belly and chest, then exhale without force
2. On the final exhale, hold out as long as possible but without discomfort
3. When you feel the urge, inhale and hold for 10-15 seconds
   • Advanced: In round 2, try “squeezing” the breath to your head
4. Repeat the steps above two or three more times
5. Rest until you feel ready to move

Effects: increased focus, metabolic efficiency, hormone regulation, and immune system; decreased stress and inflammation

In the book, there is a Power Breathing For Endurance technique which has you breathe in 60 times and at a faster rate.

Another is called Interoception with the breath, where you focus more internally while doing the breathing technique.

Did you know I’m an author? I wrote four books on real estate investing, travel, and language learning.

Meditation

After breathing and before you get up, bring up a thought in your mind like an affirmation or that you will stay in the cold shower for an additional 15 seconds. Reflect on the thought and notice how your body feels. If you feel any resistance to your intention, just keep breathing steadily until you feel an alignment between your body and mind.

Note: the individual anecdotes are meaningless in the book and always. Whenever you do something, anything, you’ll find success in some even if 99% were unsuccessful; there’s always dozens who find success. Anyone in business knows this.

Thanks for visiting and thanks to Wim Hof for writing The Wim Hof Method!

Date Started: Monday, August 26, 2024

Date Finished: Thursday, September 19, 2024