The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential

by Wim Hof, Elissa Epel PhD (Introduction)

Overview

The only definitive book authored by Wim Hof on his powerful method for realizing our physical and spiritual potential. More than one million copies sold worldwide.

“This method is very simple, very accessible, and endorsed by science. Anybody can do it, and there is no dogma, only acceptance. Only freedom.”
—Wim Hof

Wim Hof has a message for each of us: “You can literally do the impossible. You can overcome disease, improve your mental health and physical performance, and even control your physiology so you can thrive in any stressful situation.” With The Wim Hof Method, this trailblazer of human potential shares a method that anyone can use—young or old, sick or healthy—to supercharge your capacity for strength, vitality, and happiness.

Wim has become known as “The Iceman” for his astounding physical feats, such as spending hours in freezing water and running barefoot marathons over deserts and ice fields. Yet his most remarkable achievement is not any record-breaking performance—it is the creation of a method that thousands of people have used to transform their lives.

In his gripping and passionate style, Wim shares his method and his story, including:

• Breath—Wim’s unique practices to change your body chemistry, infuse yourself with energy, and focus your mind
• Cold—Safe, controlled, shock-free practices for using cold exposure to enhance your cardio-vascular system and awaken your body’s untapped strength
• Mindset—Build your willpower, inner clarity, sensory awareness, and innate joyfulness in the miracle of living
• Science—How users of this method have redefined what is medically possible in study after study
• Health—True stories and testimonials from people using the method to overcome disease and chronic illness
• Performance—Increase your endurance, improve recovery time, up your mental game, and more
• Wim’s Story—Follow Wim’s inspiring personal journey of discovery, tragedy, and triumph
• Spiritual Awakening—How breath, cold, and mindset can reveal the beauty of your soul

Wim Hof is a man on a mission: to transform the way we live by reminding us of our true power and purpose. “This is how we will change the world, one soul at a time,” Wim says. “We alter the collective consciousness by awakening to our own boundless potential. We are limited only by the depth of our imagination and the strength of our conviction.”

If you’re ready to explore and exceed the limits of your own potential, The Wim Hof Method is waiting for you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781649630209
Publisher:	Sounds True, Incorporated
Publication date:	06/28/2022
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	37,961
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Wim Hof, a.k.a. “The Iceman,” holds multiple world records for his feats of endurance and exposure to cold—such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro wearing only shorts and shoes, running a barefoot half-marathon in the Arctic Circle, and standing in an ice-filled container for more than 112 minutes. Having been taught by the majestic natural power of the cold, Wim is on a mission to share his discoveries with the world.

The benefits of his method, now practiced by millions, have been validated by eight university research studies. He has been featured on the BBC, VICE Media, Discovery Channel, and The Joe Rogan Experience, The Tim Ferriss Show, and The School of Greatness podcasts.

For more, visit wimhofmethod.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword An Unlikely Meeting xi

Preface It's All There for You xvii

1 The Missionary 1

2 The Birth of the Iceman 9

3 A Cold Shower a Day Keeps the Doctor Away 19

WHM Protocol: Cold Exposure for Beginners 23

The Wim Hof way to Get warm 27

Wim Hof Method Experiment #1: Ice-Water Bath for warmer Hands and Feet 34

4 Breathe Motherf*cker 35

WHM Protocol: Basic Breathing Exercise 41

In case of Altitude Headaches 43

Breathing Exercise while Walking at High Altitude 44

Resting Breathing Exercise to Adjust to an Altitude Greater Than Thirteen Thousand Feet 44

Wim Hof Method Experiment #2: Extending Your Retention Time 45

5 The Power of the Mind 51

WHM Protocol: Basic Mindset Exercise 57

WHM Meditation 71

WHM At-a-Glance: Three Pillars of a Daily Practice 72

6 Olaya 75

7 WHM for Health 89

8 WHM for Performance 107

WHM protocol: Power Breathing for Endurance 111

Wim Hof Method Experiment #3: Does WHM improve Your Athletic Performance? 115

Wim Hof Method Experiment #4: How Long Can You Hold a Horse stance? 118

9 The Truth is on Our Side 121

Breathing for Pain Regulation 125

10 A Day in the Life of the Iceman 129

WHM Protocol: ice Baths and cold Plunges 134

11 Freeing Our Ancestral Burden 137

Breathing for Mood Regulation 146

12 Beyond the Five Senses 149

Interoception with the Breath 153

Interoception of the Heartbeat 156

13 Into the Light Within 159

Wim Hof Method Experiment #5: Breathing for stress control 164

Units with the Light: The "Stroboscope" Exercise 169

Epilogue How to Change the World 171

Acknowledgments 175

FAQs 177

Notes 183

Glossary 189

Further Reading 197

Photography Credits 201

About the Author 203

Editorial Reviews

08/17/2020

Dutch endurance athlete Hof (The Way of the Iceman) explains his method for surviving extreme conditions in this stimulating guide. To fight disease, pain, and trauma—and also improve personal health and athletic performance—humans, Hof writes, must “get back to our innermost needs.” He structures his program around “three simple, natural pillars: cold exposure, conscious breathing, and the power of the mind,” arguing that high-stress daily routines have disconnected humans from nature and led to any number of illnesses. To recover, he delves into how combining exposure to the cold with breathing exercises can engage the “mind-body connection” and allow one to sustain oneself in extreme conditions. Hof touts the program’s benefits as strengthening vascular, immune, neurological, mental and emotional health, as well as clearing “biochemical residue” (undesirable by-products of chemical reactions in the lymphatic system). Hof also shares his struggles with emotional pain (particularly in the aftermath of his wife’s suicide), and how his method helped him come to terms with that tragedy and endure. This spirited and humane guide will inspire self-help readers who are looking for a challenge. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"This spirited and humane guide will inspire self-help readers who are looking for a challenge."
—Publishers Weekly

“Wim Hof has inspired millions of people to use just their bodies and breath to heat, then heal, themselves of a laundry list of chronic illnesses. Dubious, you say? I certainly thought so, until I discovered the real scientific research from real scientists around the world proving these ‘impossible’ claims were in fact true. This book is a valuable guide to anyone looking to take better control of the health, heat, and untapped potential locked away within us all.” —James Nestor, New York Times bestselling author of Breath

“Wim Hof is a legend. This book is great. It’s like learning yoga from Thor.” —Russell Brand

“Wim Hof is a man of extraordinary talents who demonstrates great control of involuntary physiological functions, developed by learning to tolerate exposure to cold and by working with the breath. He has taught the Wim Hof Method to many people, and in this book he explains it in detail. Recommended reading for everyone interested in human potentials.” —Andrew Weil, MD, director of the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health

“Wim Hof’s program has become an essential part of my daily regimen for self-care and grounding. I warmly recommend it.” ­—Gabor Maté, MD, author of When the Body Says No

“If you had to read one book on how to feel great, this is it. I’m so glad Wim’s techniques have been summarized in such an easy-to-digest way. I’ve been doing his method religiously because it works.” —Jesse Itzler, serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, endurance athlete, and an owner of the Atlanta Hawks

“With the bombastic certainty of a man obsessed, Wim Hof offers scientific curiosities worthy of further investigation, as well as groundbreaking self-healing tools worth experimenting with yourself, especially if conventional medicine has failed to help you.” —Lissa Rankin, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine

“The Wim Hof Method allows us to cultivate our body and mind in ways that release our potential for greater health and vitality. When provided with low levels of healthy stress, our body becomes more resilient and more alive. My days are better when I begin them with the Wim Hof Method.” —Doug Abrams, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy

“Wim Hof is a wild-crafted yogi, sharing instantly accessible tools of cold exposure and breath work to return us to wholeness and health.” —Elena Brower, bestselling author of Practice You

“Wim is a force of nature and love! I have been lucky enough to spend intimate time training with him in person. This book is the next best thing. Take the journey with Wim through his stories, the science, and the method to discover that you are capable of more than you thought possible.” —Lewis Howes, New York Times bestselling author and host of The School of Greatness

“I enjoyed this book immensely! Get inside the mind of Wim Hof and learn why millions of people worldwide feel the freeze and do it anyway. Breathe in, chill out, and enjoy the ride.” —Patrick McKeown, author of The Oxygen Advantage

“I’ve never felt so alive.” – Joe Wicks, “The Body Coach”

“This book fortifies that the mind is the most powerful tool we possess; however, very few use it like Mr. Wim Hof. A positive and persuasive read.” —Ant Middleton, British adventurer

“This book will change your life.” —Ben Fogle, travel writer and broadcaster

“A fascinating look at Wim's incredible life and method.” —Fearne Cotton, English television presenter

From the Publisher