the-wim-hof-method.md

the-wim-hof-method.md

Foreward:

• Little stress is good for longevity.
• There are measurable observable indicators that show the effectiveness of these mthods.
• Research: effectivenss requires boht body and mind to be on the same page.

Preface:

• You can have more energy, less stress stronger immune system; sleep better, higher cognitive and atheletic performance, lose weight -- all in just a few days by following this method.
• Inside us, we have dormant processes that have made our ancestors so strong. These methods reawaken those processes.
• Based on three pillars: cold expose, conscious breathing and the power of htem ind.

Chaoter 1: The Missionary

• Being outside in nature heightens our sense. Staying indoors is possibly the reason that's leading to depression.

Chapter 2: The birth of the iceman

• Routine: (in the early days)
  • wake up at 3.30am, do 50 pushups and you're awake
  • big cup of coffee
  • cycle to deliver papers
• Through unexpected enounters, the authors realized that cold exposure was actually making him feel good, without any suffering.

Chapter 3: cold shower a day keeps the doctor away

• Cold knows how to trigger our vasualar system. Vacular system contracts and opens the viens to maintain body temperature.
• Wearing clotehs is de-stimulating. Vascular muscles stop to act, putting undue stress on our heart on a chronic basis.
• How to avoid this? By taking a cold shower everyday.
• Cold shower sounds painful, but our body gets adjusted to it. After doing cold showers for a while, our body will start to crave it.
• Prediction: After 10 days of taking cold showers, you will see that your resting heart rate has reduced by 15-20 beats per minute; and remains that way 24 hours a day. That leads to a lot less stress. You'll feel much more active.
• Prediction: After 10 days, you're going to be addicted to the cold showers.
• Precition: the skill of not being stressed by taking cold showers, will translate to other parts of our life. We won't be stressed with other things in our life too: that work deadline, being stuck in traffic, etc.
• You will feel less anxious.
• Action step: take cold showers with increasing length for the next 10 days
• Wim Hof way to get warm:
  • you can generate heat by activating brown fat tissue (capable of energy combustion) and your intercostal muscles.
• we can have top down control of our autonomic functions, we can also contorl our emotional state.
• ice water bath exercise to not have cold fingers or feet

Chapter 4: Breathe

• There are physiological differences that happen by training in the Wim Hof method.
  • When people go minutes without breathing using this method, the blood oxygen saturation numbers go to 50 (typically where people die, <88 they go to the emergency room)
    • Why? Because the alkalinity of the blood has changed and the brain's adrenal response if activated; which enables the body to go beyond it's comfortzone and enables it to overcome stress.
  • Inflammation is the an essential process of the body's healing process. It occurs when inflammatory cells travel to the place of an injury or foreign body like bacteria. If inflammatory cells stay too long, it may lead to chronic inflammation.
    • By using the correct breathing techniques, we're able to supress the inflamatory markers in the blood.
    • We're able to tap into the "autonomic nervous system" and also regulate mood, emotions, body temperature and more.
• Reason for diseases: doing stressful activities that leave behind a biocomical residue that leads to inflammation. By turning our biochemistry to alkaline and cleansing the reside, we can eliminate the primary cause of diseases.
• So what is the breathing technique? 30-40 deep breaths taken while lying on a sofa or bed, with periods of retention.
  • Deep breaths that involve the diaphram massages the interstines, but we mostly take shallow breaths from chest.
• Full breathing protocol:
  • Do it on an empty stomach.
  • Breath through the nose, fill your belly and let it go like the waves.