Finding your breath in the cold
“There is something to be said about getting intimately close to our pain”.
It was a cool autumn morning in Thunder Bay, Ontario when I and a good friend (and boss), Gavin, trekked out to one of the local rivers for a session of breath work and swimming. Gavin had just recently started a morning practice of certain breathing and movement drills, all aimed at the goal of improving oxygen efficiency that would translate to benefits across the body and brain. So why, at 8 AM, were we hyperventilating and jumping into a brisk river?
We can be so easily pushed along in life by what feels good, it can really have us feeling like we are owned by it. “It” being the tendency to go with what’s easy and opt out of situations that we fear may be difficult, even though we are fully aware of the potential growth that those situations could precede. And it makes sense! If we don’t have a goal, or a guiding value system, our immediate desires can become the determining voice of our behaviours. Now I suspect because you are here, you have noticed this and with that awareness, have placed more value and curiosity towards your behaviours than others. You have watched yourself indulge in habits that you know will only satiate you momentarily – you seek genuine, longer lasting positive experiences (you’re in the right place).
I remember the first time hearing about Wim Hof – I had just finished watching a number of videos on YouTube surrounding diaphragmatic breathing and one of his videos was in the suggested box. I remember the thumbnail vividly; it hosted a picture of a bearded elderly man who couldn’t have been younger than 50 whose face communicated such a palpable expression of loving awareness. Upon learning his story, his message and philosophy cracked my heart open. Here was a man who lost his wife to depression and instead of indulging in lower pleasures for grief relief, he starred at and moved right towards his pain. He found peace swimming in partially frozen lakes and practicing breath techniques that would soon be found to hold many potent effects – especially for the untrained.
What has quickly become known as the Wim Hof Method, this set of principles and practices is aimed at interfacing with deeper, non language-based portions of your psychology; the realm of feeling. In an effort to improve the functioning of the immune, cardiovascular, endocrine, and cognitive systems of the body, the practitioner takes their body through rounds of intentional hyperventilating breathing followed by periods of retention – holding your breath. This breathing can be coupled with cold exposure, usually in the form of a cold shower for longer and longer durations. We now know that there are multiple mechanisms at work that bring about the benefits practitioners have come to love.
Benefits of Wim Hof Method
· Reduced inflammation across the body
o Translates to lower occurrence of chronic inflammation-based diseases such
as arthritis, types of depression and anxiety, and headaches.
· Prevents age related decline;
o Increased mitochondrial function
§ Powerful mitochondria = powerful you
o Improved vascular mobility
§ Flexible vascular highways predict lower occurrence of all cause
mortality, heart disease, some degenerative diseases such as
types of dementia, stroke, and even injury.
· Improved cardiovascular system; respective changes to HRV (Heart Rate Variability)
o A high HRV is a strong predictor of many physiological protective
factors/benefits
· Increased BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor)
o One of few strong compounds that increase growth of new neurons.
· Release of endogenous opioids and endorphins
o Endo. opioids like enkephalins and endorphins lower pain perception and
increase feelings of well being.
· Immunosuppressant
o By acutely lowering the responsivity and action of the immune system, the
body (if you aren’t already sick) can super compensate, leading to a stronger
immune system down stream.
Summary of the Wim Hof Method + Caveats
The nitty: The breathing portion of the Wim Hof Method is aimed at alkalizing the blood through intentional breath patterns that increase the amount of circulating oxygen. Practitioners often report feelings of tingling in distal extremities, light-headedness, and increased internal heat. These effects are entirely harmless if practiced in acute bouts.
- Quick deep inhales are followed by passive exhales causing the individual to take more air in than they are breathing out.
- 30-50 breaths are completed ending on an exhale, before a bout of breath holding. The goal is to relax into the retention as much as possible, taking a breath when you have an urge to take a breath. You may really surprise yourself how long you can go with this technique vs trying to do it with no preparation.
- Multiple rounds of this breathing can be done to further facilitate the response.
The gritty: A small word of warning; women who may be pregnant should avoid doing these practices as perturbations in the blood oxygen concentration can have harmful effects on gestation. Individuals with heart issues should start with very short bouts of cold water exposure and breath holding as perturbations in blood pressure can be damaging and/or catastrophic. Although there are many “programs” online you can check out, I’ll put a sample program here for your interest:
Example Program
· Weeks 1-2: Do Daily: 1-2 rounds of breathing + 15 seconds of cold water (shower tends to be easiest for this duration, feel free to end with a warm shower)
· Weeks 3-4: Do Daily: 2-3 rounds of breathing + 30 seconds of cold water
· Weeks 5+: Do Daily: 3+ rounds of breathing + 1 minute+ of cold water.
If you’re interested and want to give it a go, take an extra step and journal how you felt before, during, and after the breathing and cold exposure. The notes app in your phone makes this easy. Taking the extra 30 seconds afterwards will help solidify the psychological side of things; by writing it down, you get to sit and think about the evidence that shows you are a person who partakes in activities that will improve how you feel, move, think, and behave.
