“Breathe, motherfucker.”
– Wim Hof
WARNING: AS I’VE EMPHASIZED BEFORE, NEVER DO BREATHING EXERCISES IN WATER OR BEFORE TRAINING IN WATER. SHALLOW-WATER BLACKOUTS CAN BE FATAL.
Wim Hof (@Iceman_Hof) is a Dutch world record holder, adventurer and daredevil, commonly nicknamed “The Iceman” for his ability to withstand extreme cold. He is the creator of the Wim Hof Method and holds more than 20 world records. Wim is an outlier of outliers, as he routinely asks scientists to scrutinize and validate his feats. Here are just a few examples:
- In 2007, he climbed past the “death zone” altitude on Mount Everest (~7,500 meters) wearing nothing but shorts.
- In 2009, Hof completed a full marathon above the polar circle in Finland, in temperatures close to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dressed in nothing but shorts, Hof finished in 5 hours and 25 minutes.
- Hof holds the current Guinness World Record for the longest ice bath, now set at 1 hour 53 minutes and 12 seconds.
But it’s not just cold.
- In 2011, he ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without water. The run was performed under the supervision of Dr. Thijs Eijsvogels. He can also run at altitude without suffering from altitude sickness.
- In the same year, he was injected with toxins under doctor supervision and demonstrated that he could effectively control his autonomic immune response. Wim was able to raise his cortisol levels and lower his blood concentrations of cytokines (inflammatory mediators) using solely his meditation and prep techniques.
Not only this, but he was able to train others to achieve the same effect… with only 4 days of training!
We dig into all this and more. I loved this conversation and hope you do, too…
- Listen to it on iTunes.
- Stream by clicking here
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
Want to hear a podcast related to the science of extreme performance? — Listen to my conversation with Laird Hamilton, who is widely considered the greatest big wave surfer of all-time and who also practices Wim’s techniques. — stream below or right-click here to download:
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What physical feats do you find most impressive? And what physical ability do you wish you could improve? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
- The Vice documentary about Wim Hof.
- Biology Now by Anne Houtman, Megan Scudellari, Cindy Malone, and Anu Singh-Cundy
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
- Wim explains the breathing and pushups method in this free video series
- Connect with Wim Hof:
Show Notes
- Wim’s first world record & his most challenging cold exposures [07:23]
- What does Wim say to himself if he ends up in an unexpected situation and how does he deal with them [09:28]
- How Wim controlled stress hormones and his immune response when he was injected with an endotoxin at the Radboud University [11:34]
- The activities Wim took his subjects through on the first day of training to control their immune response to being injected with an endotoxin [17:46]
- The reason Wim’s subjects don’t pass out when the oxygen in their blood reaches very low levels [22:14]
- How the breathing exercises Wim puts his subjects through are used to control their immune response [26:13]
- Can Wim control his immune response if he contracts a disease without realizing it? [27:33]
- Why Wim is able to control his immune system and shield himself from diseases [29:22]
- The ‘impossibles’ Wim thinks we will be able to prove are possible in the next 5 years [33:10]
- What Wim recommends for someone who is depressed or a person just wants to lift their mood [38:19]
- Wim’s eating routine and his typical meals [40:45]
- Does Wim release more DMT during his breath work [43:58]
- How Wim lowers his body temperature in a hot climate and trains himself to endure high temperatures [47:47]
- How Wim learned 10 languages [53:03]
- Wim discusses why people are fat, and how people can develop more brown fat [54:09]
- How to start breathing for relaxation [56:49]
- The person who comes to mind when Wim thinks of the word successful [59:27]
- The steps Wim would tell someone to take if they don’t feel successful [1:00:02]
- The book Wim has given to other people the most as a gift [1:02:20]
- How Wim overcame dark times [1:04:17]
- Wim’s routine in the first 60 minutes of each day [1:07:16]
- Wim ‘s favorite exercises [1:11:44]
- The musician Wim looks up to the most and his favorite albums [1:14:00]
- The purchase Wim has made in the last year for under $100’s that has positively impacted his life
- Wim finds his stones [1:15:28]
- The advice Wim would give his 30-year-old self [1:17:19]
People Mentioned
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Thanks Tim.
That was awesome getting Wim on.
Great stuff.
Tim, this is awesome. You mentioned you had been recording with Wim a couple of weeks ago on Social Media and I have need eagerly anticipating it.
Thanks
Patrick
I found myself say yes, yes, yes… Someone speaking to what I’ve been stumbling about with for a few years. After giving up my desk and becoming a work at home dad, I started doing bikram yoga everyday I could like 300+ days a year. The method is great, but after a while I started to understand, for me, it’s more about the breathing (the oxygen) and listening to my body. I had no idea why I was taking ice baths, but I was. All of my calorie intake shifted to the end of the day (yes whatever I wanted to eat, I ate). I lost 50 lbs in 15 months of stumbling through it. I’d never even heard of this guy! Here he is saying exactly what I’m feeling. Thank you so much for the introduction.
Listening to this put science behind my stumbling. My body was slowly leading me down this path. Now with this connection, I can go deeper. I am so happy finding community with like minded breathers.
I started writing a book about my change and I literally just finished the first chapter on, guess what, breathing. I thought I was in touch. I am going to have to practice Wim’s method and go back and rewrite.
Tim, I give you credit for making mine the most outstanding midlife (awakening) crisis I could have ever hoped for. I read 4 HWW in 2012 shortly after the birth of my daughter. Honestly, I’m sure I misread a lot of it. Three years later, I am still figuring it out (and always will be), but with a depth I never could have imagined. I’ve been in a “I did all this, now what” phase lately, Wim was the leap over the ravine, I’ve needed so badly. My struggle to be deeply connected and listen to myself and my body now has a group. Thank you for that.
So much goodness in this chat between you guys.
“Breathe through the discomfort” and “let (inhale) go (exhale)” were my mantras.
Now… Breathe, motherfucker is way better.
Josh – Brooklyn
I tried this, but I felt sick and with horrible head pain, I think it was unrelated, but whenever I try to do the “hard” breathing, I feel like I’m going to pass out, is this normal? Why does this happen? Aren’t you supposed to have more oxygen circulating on the body and become more sharp? Why do I feel like the oxygen and blood are not going to my head and start to feel it go light and start to lose connection with my surroundings (just an empty space, it’s hard to describe)? Is this normal?
Maybe you are breathing too quickly, almost like you’re hyperventilating? I’ve experienced the “light” feeling but I found it goes away when breathing slightly more slowly.
Hi Tim,
I really enjoyed this episode!
Tim I was wondering if you could tell me if you’ve used any devices for meditation such Heart Rate Variability measuring devices? If yes, have you found them helpful?
Thanks,
Mark
The was an incredibly interesting show Tim. For my own interest, some self testing and further research is required to 100% believe what I heard…it was that “too good to be true”. That being said, the shelf life of medical “facts” is shortening significantly, so let’s hope the idea of eradicating depression in 5 years is actually plausible.
Thanks for letting us all meet Wim … huge value.
Yesssss
Thanks Tim and Wim – I first looked at Wim’s site after the Laird interview and has been queued for “spending” 🙂
Comfort is just not something to strive for. And this episode so deeply and amusingly articulates that! What will have me sharing this among a few friends and family is the commentary on depression. And delighted to get them into the Ferriss-fold too. I drive them nuts when trying to explain that comfort is killing them (Dad, and his relationship with the sofa, after a hip replacement…eek!).
Hope you’re having a great Labor Day weekend Tim.
Kevin
Awesome podcast with two people who’ve greatly influenced my life.
I trained with Wim a couple years ago in the Polish mountains. Before that I was a bubble boy living with severe asthma, lethal allergies and Raynaud’s phenomenon (hypersensitivity to cold). I was allergic to everything and was taking my inhaler four to five times a day. After two weeks training with Wim, the cold issues are gone, the allergies have gone down a lot and I haven’t taken my inhaler ever since.
It felt liberating and I decided to run a marathon to test my limits. I used the protocol in The Four Hour Body and completed it two months later.
Thanks both of you guys for your incredible work.You’ve transformed my quality of life.
That’s an incredible transformation, congratulations!
What did the training consist of? And of what you did, which do you think contributed/helped most? Do you still do the breathing technique?
The training consisted of breathing exercises and deliberately gradual cold exposure which Wim said helped reset the nervous system. [Moderator: link removed.]
This may sound strange, but the thing that helped the most was being near Wim. He has a powerful understanding of how the mind and body work and it really opened my mind to what was possible when I was seeing it in person.
After the training, I started studying breathing physiology and yoga more in depth. I still do the breathing (but not everyday) but the whole experience gave me a much deeper understanding of my body and more control over it as a result.
what a great experience! Wim is really a superman
I have Raynaud’s as well, my fingertips don’t care for cold showers much! I just found out about Wim and am trying to follow his method on my own. I am very curious if it could help me alleviate the Raynaud’s amongst other things. Any insight or advice on this would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks Tim! Can’t wait to listen to this! I checked out Wim’s method after hearing about it on your Rick Rubin interview. Have been doing Wim’s 10 week course for past 4 weeks, and have incorporated into my daily rituals – power breathing + meditation, cold showers, … Wim’s methods are the real deal, especially if you’re not into the quasi-religious aspects of yoga/meditation/mindfulness.
Great interview. Wim’s philosophy is straightforward and so NOT complicated. This is a good yang to your analytical ying, Tim.
Took an ice bath after listening to this today. Lots of “mother fuckers!” and breathing of course 😉 .
#QOTD – the run in the desert is the most impressive thing to me. To go from one side of temperature regulation to the other without specifically training for it is insane. I would love to just get my “wind” back. Looking forward to the school years. Kids in routine = parents in routine.
What a great listen!
Great interview. I have two questions regarding the breathing technique. In the beginning of the podcast, Wim said you lie on the ground and later on he said he personally does it in bed upon waking. Has Wim noticed any additional benefit to doing it on the ground? I remember reading on [Moderator: link removed] that the practice of grounding (being barefoot on the ground) allows the body to gather up electrons which bolster the immune system.
Also, Anthony Robbins had mentioned in his works that deep breathing stimulates the lymphatic system and by doing so you better facilitate the removal of toxins from the body and strengthen the immune system. Does Wim have anything further to say on this?
Thanks.
Excellent interview! Thank you Wim! And looking forward to trying the breathing techniques(combo’d w/ pushups) in the morning before meditating. Coincidentally, started the one meal per day a couple of weeks ago and amazed at the noticeable increase in energy it seems to bring throughout the day.
Very smooth interview and curious to know from you, Tim, what techniques you have for quickly building rapport prior to each of your interviews, as this one felt like you and Wim have been buds for awhile. Keep getting the same vibe with your other interviews as well, and noticed the conversations seem to flow very naturally. Thank you for bringing Wim to the podcast!
QOTD- I find anyone who can run (and finish) ultra-marathons to be impressive and hope to accomplish one myself. As I get the feeling that there is probably more mental preparation that goes into it versus physical.
Hi Jason,
I hope you don’t mind me asking, but with the 1 meal per day, what do you (generally) eat for the meal? Is it just regular meals? Low-carb, or something different?
Great question about rapport, would love to hear Tim’s answer….
Thanks
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for asking, and the short answer is: whatever my wife cooks for dinner. 🙂 But being she is Japanese, she usually cooks really healthy meals – Japanese style. So a lot of fish mainly, but also pork, beef, chicken dishes as well. Also with a salad or some sort of vegetable/tofu dish. Also, I’m a big fan of Natto which I try to eat 3-4 times a week. I try to stick to a Lo-carb/Slo-carb diet as best I can, following Tim’s blog entry and 4HB. Then also a cheat day on either Saturday or Sunday. But after listening to Wim I think you can eat whatever you would like.(Pasta and Beer, ha!) Btw, I only stick to the 1-meal a day during the work week.
Cheers,
Jason
Thanks for the reply Jason.
Sounds pretty simple. I am going to give it a try. I am a bit concerned about consistent energy levels, but It seems to work for people so I’m on board.
Thanks for the detail.
Cheers
Patrick
ps, oh and nice work on dinner being cooked for you. Good gig that!
Patrick,
Wanted to give some pointers that helped me get to one meal a day. So you don’t have to go cold turkey f/ 3 meals to 1.
1. I started about 6months ago with IFIK after listening to Tim’s podcast with Peter Attia, and tried the NKD, skipping breakfast and eating a meal at 3pm and 9pm. So the intermittent fasting would help get to ketosis faster. And then the step down to one meal a couple of weeks ago wasn’t so bad.
2. Exercise in the morning seems to reduce hunger for me, so might work for you as well. (about 30-45 mins)
3. If you get sugar cravings( like I did), Tim mentions to add a pinch or two of salt to a glass of water. It seemed to help out.
4. Going very lo-carb seemed to help reduce hunger as well. I try to stay away from breads, pastas, cookies, etc.
5. Keep a daily journal of what you eat, but I think more importantly, record how you feel. (Energy levels, mood, etc.) Because if you stick to diet for a length of time and you feel horrible the entire time(more than 3 weeks), then might be time to try something else.
6. If the hunger urge is screaming, don’t feel bad if you give in. It takes time to adjust. When this happened to me I would eat a handful of almonds or walnuts to alleviate.
Let me know how it goes for you. Good luck!
Cheers,
Jason
Dude, I cannot tell you how stoked I am to listen to this interview! I have been waiting in great anticipation for the two of you to connect for a long time!
I have always been largely enamored with Hollywood style kung fu type choreographed fights. While these acrobatic moves are probably ineffective in an actual combat situation, the skills necessary are still impressive nonetheless! More recently, I have really begun to admire free divers that can surpass 25 feet and or three minutes underwater – as those are personal records of my own.
I hope to improve unassisted, unsupported handstand push-ups. Currently on my best day I can do one.
Grip strength – ninja warrior cliff hanger obstacle
Those guys that do the crazy flips and jumps on Mountain Bikes out in the desert possess a physical ability I don’t have. You should cover them.
So Tim, are you going to train with Wim in Poland?
I admire the ability to memorize the names of an entire audience.
Downloading (slowly)… THANKS again.
So what physical feat am I most interested in accomplishing…? PERFORMANCE HIGH, FOCUS ON TASK, CUTTING STRESS. The usual bootstrapper issues.
Sounds like the thing … but after 30+ inhales I could only go 30 sec. holding. CO2 reaction? Lack of peer entanglement?
Okay, SUPER interesting and potentially valuable if it’s for mere mortals. Hof is like 56 – the iceman is cool! Who’da guessed a guy that runs naked on ice floes has an IQ that hot? (Okay okay.)
Hey Tim,
Anyway you can give me Dale Begg-Smith contact? I’m an athlete seeking advice about an issue.
The best interview so far. I’m so pumped up! We need to hear more from Wim! Part 2 and 3 please!
Thanks Tim.
Wim speaks about his breathing methods in very mechanical terms, primarily hypothesizing that over oxidizing the blood raises it’s(the blood’s) pH level, which in-turn allows you to engage deeper, more primordial areas of the brain.
If you ever do a follow up, quick 20 questions style interview with Wim, I’d be curious as to his thoughts on drinking Alkaline water. Which although through an understandably less holistically beneficial medium, seems to accomplishes the same goal of reducing blood acidity.
If forced to prescribe a title to Wim, modern/western Guru seems to be a good fit. Which makes this a fantastic conversation about mediation to listen in on, given the very mechanical and physiological angle Wim takes on the subject.
And while Wim is mostly concerned with physiological aspects(e.g. blood acidity), on previously podcasts with leading neuroscientists(Harris and Gazzaley), when the subject of mediation is breached, they make little to no mention of what Wim talks about. So it would be super interesting to connect those dots.
Obviously Wim is on to something; and these amazing claims, especially interesting when he gets down to a cellular level explanation of their benefits, could use a bit more scientific prodding.
It’s amazing the amount of useful, first hand knowledge that is continuously published here. It’s also equally amazing if you’ve made it to the bottom of this ill structured wall of text. So until I’m in a position to award you some sort of public service medal, my personal thanks will have to do, so thanks for the content Tim and stay rad.
Connor – great post and Tim – great cast, my favorite so far as well and I’ve heard them all, some several times. Both Wim and Connor raise a hugely important point and that is taking control of pH in the body. Connor, thanks for bringing up alkaline water, I’ve been meaning to post about for a while, specifically Kangen water. Of Tim’s interviewees, I know Tony Robbins is a fan and I’m sure others are as well. Bill Gates owns 16 Kangen machines and scores of pro athletes and A list celebs are avid Kangen drinkers. As a cancer patient, I found it helped significantly in my management and reversal without surgery, drugs or radiation.
I am excited to begin Wim’s 10 week course for a very reasonable $199 to see if I can duplicate some of the conscious immune system control. Kangen water ties in perfectly with Wim’s comments about raising the internal pH. But there is much more to it than alkalinity. The dissolved hydrogen and molecular restructuring provide superior hydration, detox of acidic waste and nutrient utilization.
Tim I really hope you dig into the issue of natural cancer reversal in future casts. A great place to start would be the doctors and authors that appear in Ty Bollinger’s fantastic 11 hour online documentary The Truth About Cancer.
With the odds at 1 in 2 for men and 1 in 3 for women, the time to start thinking about it is BEFORE you get diagnosed.
Tim thanks for the positive impact on so many lives. You might ask Tony about Kangen water next time you guys talk.
Typical Kangen rep, peddle your product at any given opportunity to feed the pyramid. There is 0 evidence of Bill Gates owning “16 Kangen Machines” besides a poorly photo-shopped picture here:
which is a cover-up of his /r/IAMA proof on reddit, here: http://hothardware.com/newsimages/Item24478/Bill-Gates-Reddit-AMA.jpg. What a perfect summary of the Kagen water empire, shovel people malarkey until someone asked you to back it up, upon which you have none. Bill Gates has never said anything about owning an Alkaline water machine, and particularly not Enagics.
Connor I think your first sentence should not say “over-oxidizing the blood,” but instead, hypoxia is correlated with alkalosis
Is there any research that the physical breathing is all there is to all this meditation and mindfulness stuff and chemistry of the body is more important than the mind bit? Just trying to get my head around this. How different is me exercising with a deep breathing good rhythm in a run or walk to meditation and breathing?
Wim delightfully bonkers and I don’t mean this disrespectfully at all!
yes like ion-christopher curious how much the breathing can lead to hyperventilating. And what does he mean by feel contractions?
get paul chek on please thanks mate, also are you comeing to Australia ?
I agree with Brian, an interview with Paul Chek would be amazing! thanks Tim.
Wow, what a fun episode !
I opened it because of “Breather MotherF*cker”, but really enjoyed it
Look forward to exploring this..
Thanks for another amazing podcast! The ones I don’t think I will like are usually the ones which totally blow my mind. The book Biology was it mentioned on the podcast? Didn’t hear you talk about it.
So if possible I would be really thankful if someone can say when in the podcast.
Thanks!
Fredrik
I listened to the podcast and watched the Vice doc. Then I tried one of this free lessons: the breathing technique while lying down. I was amazed. I felt full of energy and the daily discomforts I usually feel melted into the background. Ever since I got Chronic Lyme I’ve struggled with energy and other health issues. I’ve encountered a lot of bullshit but something about the simplicity of the Wim Hof method really appealed to me. I’ve done TM since 2012 which has taught me much about the natural power of the body and mind. Decided to give the 10-week course a try. For $80 x 3 months it’s really not much of a loss if it doesn’t work out. I’ve spent much more on techniques that never really led to anything. So hopeful I’ll get something out of this. Thanks Tim!
Hi Marc,
it would be great, if you could write a review after going through the entire course. I guess at least it will provide for some interesting experiences, but myself I’m an a budget and would be very gratefull for an (hopefully) objective opinion.
Thanks man
Thomas
Hey, hope you’re feeling well. Any suggestions?. I was just tested and diagnosed with late stage Lymes, sick for two years. Kinda sucks cuz I was super active, surfer, slack liner and long time yoga practitioner and now at 49 I feel like Ive aged 30 years. Positive for Borellia, Babesia and Bartonella and many other co-infections. In May I trained with my friend, Chris and Jared; who are certified to teach through Wim Hof. I’ve been doing the breathing and push-ups every day since. I think it’s helping, definitely helps me sleep better. When I’m herxing from the Cowden protocol I just start breathing and meditate after. I’m going to heal from this!!! And damnit I’m still slack lining!!. Let me know how the technique is going for you. And if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Best wishes, Thanks, Peace and Total Health!
Mark, also suffer from chronic lyme and do WHM. Interestingly I do TM too but would love to ask you some questions about it as I’ve felt quite strange and more disconnected since doing it
Absolutely fascinating!
I have long believed that we can harness the power of our immune system as well as other physical functions, in part due to my own experiments with the power of visualization and breathing techniques.
I have a core belief that we can direct our brain to achieve specific things that it normally does on its own, but with more intensity (meaning directing more resources at it than it would normally do).
Here is a random collection of successful experiments I have done:
> Stopping hiccups cold. It takes me a fraction of a second of thinking to just switch it off, immediately after the first hiccup. It took me a while to get there, and I noticed that not practicing it made me lose the ability, but I was able to regain it very quickly.
> Miraculous nipping in the bud of what appeared to be the onset of a severe respiratory infection that spread to my lungs. Tried/did this once 10 years ago out of sheer desperation given the inopportune timing of the disease.
> Healing problems with my lower back (disk and nerve issues). I have tried to accelerate healing and even reverse my condition through visualization.
In each case I combine breathing with visualization to imagine the body working the way I want. Super simple, especially if you have imagery in place. I used to watch the “once upon a time” cartoon series when I was a child (https://www.google.com/search?q=once+upon+a+time+life&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#safe=active&q=%22once+upon+a+time+life%22), and while scientifically outdated this provides ample inspiration for visualization.
Nothing scientific here certainly, but that never stops me from trying new things…
Hi Tim,
Wim is an inspiring dude! I’ve been taking the ice cold shower for 2 months now. You never get used to it yet your tolerance increases. Now I do stuff like hopping in front of the air conditioner after taking the shower. Tons of deep stretching too. Wim shows us that our bodies are energy, and we mold that energy with meditation, breathing, and by learning how to think and feel our way into new, never before seen realities.
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
Man how do you do that? I took ice cold showers for 3 days straight. They felt awesome, I loved it, but I got out of it on the 4th day. I was tired and couldn’t pump myself up for it. Of course I haven’t taken one since.
I have done it every morning for quite some time now, around 5-6 months.
1) Hot shower 1-2 min
2) Step out of the shower, switch to cold while you put on shampoo and soap (Thanks Tim)
3) Do 20-30 deep breaths. Fully in, not fully out.
4) Ice cold shower!
Pro tip: Remember to try to breath steady while you are in the shower and try to avoid hyper ventilating.
Such a cool chat, keep the guests coming
Tom Creans achievements are well worth a look…for his 18 hour solo walk through Antarctica alone.
“On the return trip Tom Crean would volunteer to march alone into the Antarctic whiteness, on a solo trek of 35 miles to save his dying friend, Teddy Evans. This effort came at the end of a 1,500 mile return march, hauling a sledge in harness, in the unforgiving and brutal Antarctic climate”
http://tomcreandiscovery.com/?p=1275
Tim,
Please interview Ido Portal. He teaches wellness through movement, and I think it would be a wonderful addition to the Show. I follow his philosophy, and have evolved my health so much. Just watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0Wr7HsylE0
Wonderful job,!
Always makes me proud to see a fellow Dutchman take the stage. He’s not as big a sensation here in the Netherlands as you might expect. Strange though.
My 1st comment 2U! Way after 1hr long meditations 1st thing, I listen to your podcasts in the background on very early mornings sometimes while working. I’m new to you. I never even wanted to know about this dude because he seemed very extreme & that’s not a yogi – “middle way.” But, because your email link made it easier for me to just click & go, I figured if I didn’t love him – I would simply move on to archived podcasts. THIS GUY IS FUN, DEEP & KNOWS HIS SHIT! About BREATHING it’s the 1ST THING to MEDITATION & EVOLVED MINDs & about the ROCKS! TIM, that’s YOUR queue for a future ideas on your PODCASTs: interview the best GEOLOGISTS – KNOW the MATTER chemistry of ROCKS – know proven remedies of rocks – Minerals contents, RARE EARTH & even Fluorescents,under black lights & SHOW PICTS! U R LOVED! I loved, Wim Hof’s – talking so wonderfully about overcoming being the black sheep in his family & his intimate personal emotional triumphs, those were the most touching to me! – Wim Hof – THANK YOU for such a genuine, authentic example of self spirited courage and emotional evolution = your personal story really crushes all your physical triumphs! ROCK ON! U both r SWEET & LOVED – Peace, Love, Abundance, Prosperity, Kindness, Understanding, Joy, Grace & BLISS! 2 u ALL!
Oh my gosh, I just love this guy! Thanks for another great podcast, Tim.
Best Show Yet! I loved most but this is real Gilden Nugget, change the World stuff here. Once enough people see and believe then reproduce the results he has achieved our species may have a chance to get to the next Level. Awesome!
Tim,
Just wanted to say how amazing and inspiring this episode of your podcast was, with Wim being an extraordinary human being!
Not only the useful resources, tips and tricks were interesting, but the emotion and positivity in his voice made me realize what a cool life I live.
Thank you very much for your effort into creating this series (alongside your books and the Tim Ferriss Experiment), keep up the good work and be sure that what you’re doing is of great importance for everybody on this planet who wants to push the boundaries and humanity forward!
With respect,
Ciprian (a Romanian fan who successfully applied the advice in The Four Hour Work Week)
The article behind the science of Wim Hof is here: http://www.innerfire.nl/files/pnas.pdf (note: it’s Wim’s own website, so no academic paywall).
His method works, I’m confident since I never wear a coat (except a packed rain coat in my bag, don’t like being wet). I’m also the coldest dressed person in any room. Before I received his training I hated the cold, but curiosity got the better of me.
After his training, I did experiment with wearing just a t-shirt the whole year but there are several issues with that. It’s just a nuance. His technique is awesome and very usable.
1) The technique is hard to use when I’m talking to someone socially for more than 5 minutes or when I’m near an area where gas emissions of vehicles are highly concentrated (i.e. near a road). Also my social state changes, since my adrenaline is really high (see article) I am a lot more in ‘cave man mode’. This can be a good thing, it also feels very spiritual.
2) When it is around 0 degrees celsius, I gotta work with my body actively to being able to handle the cold. This is the biggest problem. 10 degrees is still comfortable to just occasionally use it and still go about your day.
With that said, some simple gloves a good sweater and I’m ready for -15 degrees, and still feel comfortable while talking to people outside.
I’m a casual user of his method, I use it when I need it and prefer his method over warmer clothing. But I can still use my full abilities if I want to (e.g. the mountain thingy he mentioned). The adrenaline is so awesome. Let me tell you why specifically: the adrenaline level is higher than bungee jumping (scientifically speaking), but also a lot longer sustained. If someone does the Wim Hof Method for 30 minutes, then the adrenaline level stays high for 30 minutes and slowly wears off, whereas with bungee jumping it’s just a peak and falls back down. Wasn’t adrenaline a human drug made by the body anyway?
Just some notes. Call me enthusiastic, because I always am when it is about meditation and the neuroscience behind it or the Wim Hof Method and the basics of the science behind it.
Okay, one epic kicker: I’m a happier person because of his method. I never get bummed by cold weather anymore. I only get bummed out by severe heat. My mood on rain depends, if I don’t care about becoming dirty, then rain feels like a shower and I love showers since I was a kid. It’s akin to the feeling like you’re living in perfect weather and it’s all because you do it yourself. I wrote a Dutch blog post about it. If Tim allows it, you can find it when you click on my name to go to my ‘website’. It’s a point that should be made more often. I warn you though, I’m not a professional blogger, in fact the majority of the articles on my ‘blog’ are actually university assignments 😉 Except this one, which came straight from the heart.
Jambo!
Your comment interests me. I live in northern AB Canada and the winter is cold. Temps of -20 to -40 C are the norm from the end of October to Mid March. And I hate it. I still run outside and push myself to get outside but it’s hard and I really hate it.
Do you think it’s possible to live comfortably in these extreme temps and actually like it, maybe even love it? I am colder than most people around me and I attribute it to the fact that I come from a moderate climate.
thanks!
For someone living in Canada that’s quite a Dutch name you’ve got there 😉
I’ve never experienced -20 degrees or maybe I have, but can’t remember it. But I did experience -6 degrees walking in shorts and shoes for 2.5 hours as a final test and I aced it. Performing the method itself feels akin to exercise, but when I’m in that mode, yea then I do enjoy it.
I think those -20 to -40 celsius will never be a walk in the park, but if you’re fully equipped with clothing, especially at your extremities, and do this technique then yea it will be less of an issue. I learned how to heat my body (not good at it but it helps) from Wim and how to raise my adrenaline (proficient at it).
So yea it will help in the biggest pessimistic scenario you’ll hate the cold less, perhaps borderline neutral. Currently -15 degrees celsius is probably my threshold to put a coat on, as a casual user. Hating the cold used to be a playful part of my identity (if you happen to know Dutch, perhaps you know the word “koukleum”). Now the cold is the only time I can really practice my skill.
As an aside: Wim was known to train in cool cells of -20 degrees with just shorts on (not even shoes).
Much credit to you, congratulations, your efforts are inspiring!
Hi Tim – this was awesome! You mentioned in the pre-amble that you are travelling to Australia… any plans for a meet up whilst you’re out here???
I want to lower my pain tolerance and become immune to injury. Alternatively, develop superhuman healing abilities like Wolverine. I used to run a marathon and feel fine the next day. Now I’m old and everything hurts.
Physical feat I find most impressive: mountaineering and big wall climbing. I’m fascinated by it because the prospect of doing it utterly terrifying. Physical ability I would most like to improve: upper body strength – the ability to do pull-ups and good push-ups.
“Breathe motherfucker!”
Loved that part of the podcast. Been waiting for this episode and Wim did not disappoint. Thanks for making this one happen Tim.
Tim, Thanks for another excellent interview. There were two concepts presented by Wim that I am seeking clarity on.
1. Is Wim’s claim that he is using his “mind” to control his autonomic nervous system, or is his claim that he is conditioning his body/nervous system to respond in a new way (absent of his thoughts, mind/will). Is it a conscious process or does it occur unconsciously once he has conditioned himself.
2. Wim claims that his method strengthens the immune system, as is evident in the case study where people who trained in his methods did not suffer symptoms after being injected with bacteria. Wouldn’t the lack of immune response indicate that the immune system has been diminished?
Thank you for considering my questions,
Josh L
Maybe I can help answering. Disclaimer: not a scientist. I did study psychology, but that’s only very tangentiantly related. I did learn the technique from Wim and there happened to be some Radboud scientists when I was there and I asked them all kinds of questions. Still, I’m a lay person.
The scientific paper of the case study is here: http://www.innerfire.nl/files/pnas.pdf
1. I don’t know Wim’s claim that well, but scientifically speaking it’s biological. The way I view it, the breathing patterns give a signal to the body that you’re going to die or at least be in a state of fight or flight. Besides the adrenaline injection you’ll receive, you’ll also be a lot more instinctual and caveman like. Or a bit more precise: your CO2 levels will go down while your oxygen levels will stay in their normal patterns. The effect is that whenever you breath out and hold your breath it takes a lot longer for your body to notice whenever you ‘run out of breath’ since that feeling is always indicated by having too much CO2 in your body (not enough oxygen results in fainting but not an uncomfortable feeling of needing to breath). The result is that you will have bigger oxygen swings and low CO2 levels. I heard that a doctor who studies Wim say that he believes it’s not dangerous — he also said it hasn’t been researched.
This whole thing also gives rise to a higher cortisol level (stress hormone). Akin to a cortisol spike someone has when he or she is exercising. Indirectly this cortisol has an effect on the immune system. In most cases it *lowers* blood cell count (see 2).
2. In the case study people were *not injected with bacteria*, they were injected with a *marker* that is the signal of a bacteria to the immune system but to my knowledge is just a protein called endotoxine (check: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipopolysaccharide ). I’ll call it fake bacteria from now on. What normally happens with such a reaction is that the immune system spikes and fights like a maniac against something that is harmless. Normally the white blood cell count is really high (which leads to all the symptoms such as headache etc.).
The Wim Hof Method showed that by increasing cortisol, the white blood cell count lowered. This really means that the immune system went a lot less crazy on the fake bacteria. So The Wim Hof Method *seems* to be helping against auto-immune disease as a supplemental treatment. That’s the state of the scientific knowledge that I know.
3. Consider this one a bonus 😉 I do have one own thought though and tested it as well, which is: The Wim Hof Method can act as a pain killer. This happens in two ways. Lower white blood cells fighting the disease, since a higher count makes you feel all kinds of symptoms. A second way is adrenaline as a natural pain killer. One time I got ill and was in a really busy period. I’d use the WHM to dial down the pain when I needed to perform and let my body heal by resting when I didn’t need to. It definitely helped for me.
Personally I believe the “WHM strengthens your immune system” is a statement that should be taken with caution and should be researched. Fortunately, that’s the route Wim is taking 🙂 The scientific community has found interesting principles which humans could never do before (according to traditional medicine books), so it allows for some new abilities for most of us — except for some guru’s, etc. Most likely, the WHM is good for pain killer effects and supplemental treatments for auto-immune diseases and perhaps for a couple of unexplained effects — I could think of a few more daring hypotheses.
This is everything I know about the science of the WHM in a nutshell. Well, except for his second breathing technique, but that is less applicable to healing disease and more about staying warm by burning so called brown body fat.
Typo’s (don’t know how to edit my previous post):
*lowers* blood cell count (see 2).
–> *lowers* white blood cell count (see 2).
So The Wim Hof Method *seems* to be helping against auto-immune disease as a supplemental treatment.
–> addition: it seems this way because it implies humans can lower their white blood cell count via consciously breathing differently. Auto immune diseases have the problematic quality that the immune system produces a lot of white blood cells and then go haywire on their own body. Lowering white blood cell count would be a good idea, since less of these cells can then attack the body.
Tim,
What I find amazing is anyone pushing the boundaries of human capability: Wim Hof’s feats, Laird Hamilton’s feats, parkour, how fast people can swim or ride a bike, how high they can jump, snowboard half-pipe tricks, gymnastics, …
What I wish I could do: improve my flexibility (been trying now for years (multiple different techniques) with no tangible improvement) . Keep up the great work (I eagerly anticipate every new podcast and the new adventures it’ll take me on)
Cheers,
Rich
This has been the most interesting non business podcast for me. Thanks.
Breathe MotherFu@$!%@
I have just a couple of questions.
1. How in the world did Wim find the hole after loosing his sight under the ice cap?!?
2. If we already have an Audible account… do we still get a freebie?
Tim thanks for putting this together. Awesome reminder of the influence we have over ourselves. Hey Wim!!! What you’ve thought me most, is that beyond pushing my physical limits to feel alive “in the present moment”, being in touch within and to know myself was more important and has made me go beyond what I thought my capabilities were. Observing, discovering, influencing… So glad you are pushing humanity and science forward towards eradicating disease. Love you!!!
Haha. Amazing how people can reach the same conclusions, but coming from completely different directions. Anita Moorjani has the exact same advice. (referring to what Wim would say to his younger self)
Really cool podcast.
Well that was wonderful! I have been trying to figure out a way to get rid of this annoying & niggling tight throat/adrenaline/wired/heart palpitation feeling that I have been dealing with on a daily basis and breathing deeply makes such a difference! I have had a complete paradigm shift on life in the last few months and after setting up a business a couple of years in an industry I bloody hate, I am now looking to exit asap and spend my time on things which bring me joy. Time and how we spend it really is the most precious thing. Reading 4HWW cemented this decision and I am now impatiently waiting to exit so I can start the next chapter!
In answer to your questions:
Physical feats I find impressive is the crazy progression in snowboarding (as I am a complete snowboarding addict) and seeing these athletes put their bodies in the most insane positions, at such speed, hight and how they have trained their minds and bodies to be able to feel comfortable doing it.
The physical ability I wish I could improve is rapidly speeding up muscle memory for snowboarding and similar sports.
Thanks Tim and Wim 🙂 Breathe Motherfuckers!
Love The Iceman. Doing the breathing and push up gig as I type (almost).
Tim… Great discussion… Loved it… There is one problem…
The scientists doing the study of Wim’s trained controls got the science wrong. Breathing and Meditation trigger the Parasympathetic Nervous System, resulting in reductions in IL-1 and TNF, among other pro-inflammatory cytokines. Wim referenced Dr. Kevin Tracey’s position incorrectly when he said that Tracey encouraged suppression of the Vagus Nerve. In fact, Tracey suggests the exact opposite. This is an easy thing to confirm for yourself.
The PNAS article done on Wim and his Intervention group are obviously unfamiliar with Tracey’s work. They are clearly unfamiliar with the science of the PNS and its relationship to Cytokine Inhibition via NF-kB Activation Inhibition.
Why is this important to get right?
PNS Dominance is profoundly associated with increased Longevity, even in Humans. The link I provide as my website address includes a Survival Curve in Elderly Humans and a discussion with links to the scientific literature that demonstrate what I’m saying is true.
Still, let me emphasize: Great Interview… Loved It… It’s just unfortunate that Wim wasn’t working with scientists acquainted with PNS and the importance of Heart Rate Variability.
If you’d like to talk more about this, I’d be happy to talk with you!
Best!
HDW
Wim… I addressed my last comment to Tim… I wanted also to thank you for your life and for doing the interview with Tim…
You have a gift for suppressing Innate Immune System function. Specifically, that means you understand how to Inhibit NF-kB Activation Transcription via Vagus Nerve Stimulation, NOT Suppression. Doing that can be measured by means of Higher Heart Rate Variability. And Higher Rate Variability is profoundly correlated with increased Longevity, even in Humans.
I understand that my comments may be taken as negative. I hope you don’t take them that way… The reason I’m writing is because I believe you have knowledge that is valuable to many people. And, given my own passion for this topic, I want to do everything I can to ensure that you’re communicating the science that you have practical mastery of correctly.
For example… Check out slide 9 at the 9 slide Google presentation link I’ve provided to Tim. That slide is a graphic figure from a Kevin Tracey study showing that Vagus Nerve Stimulation prolonged the life span of mice given an endotoxin, something like the experiment you’ve done.
I’d be happy to walk you through this science. I’m a Longevity Science hobbyist and I don’t want anything from you except to acquaint you with some of this science. Ok, that’s a lie… I DO want you to teach me how to Breath Mofo!
Best!
HDW
Hey Tim,
I know you like to read a lot and also listen to a few books as well. My question is would you be interested in listening to long blog posts or articles too? Would you be interested in a service that provided this?
Great Interview with Wim.
Unrelated question, where do younger people find their travel inspiration? I have an Alaska adventure travel rental business starting next summer. Who are the influencers in that industry and demographic(25-45 outdoor types US and abroad).
Hi Tim,
Thanks a lot for this podcast – very eye opening. Here I am with my whimsical attempts at physical exertion, and here is this guy who can climb everest wearing just shorts! For any of you interested, I tried out Wim’s breathing exercise [Moderator: link removed] and oddly enough, it produced a mental high in me: an heightened state of awareness where my concentration levels hit its peak! Really relaxing and quietens the controlled chaos that is usually my head.
One of my favorite episodes! Such energizing insight. Thank you both.
Hey,
First off I listen to all of your podcasts, in fact many of them several times. Whether it be an entrepreneur, strength coach, movie director, you pick some of the most interesting people out there.
One quick question/suggestion is I have noticed a trend this past while whether it was with former General Stanley, or Wim Hof, the subject of one meal a day has come up.
I myself have used this for many years as well and it has been great for body comp etc. However a ketogenic diet has been the most optimal for myself.
Would you try and get Ori Hofmekler on your show? I believe he would be quite a fascinating person to interview, very much a jack of many trades, a modern renaissance man you may also appreciate.
Would be amazing. Josh Waitkins, Pavel, Charles Poliquin, I just can’t believe the quality of people you have interviewed. Its as if you went through my personal wish lists.
Btw what are your thoughts on One Main Meal (IF) vs Ketosis, or combining the two?
Podcast interview of 2015!
Wow that was awesome! Love this guy. Breathe mutherfucker!
this was a great episode. I’m really looking forward to following up on the science. I may be dropping the bread to get the method.
Tim what are your thoughts on WHM vs. meditation. or using one to supplement the other?
Na zdrowie Tim! This was a really awesome interview, thanks a ton!
Interesting interview, but am I the only one who feels like Wim leans too much towards the emotional persuasion side instead of factual knowledge, with the way he talks and conveys himself? Somehow it doesn’t really feel natural.
Also in Holland there has been decidedly more controversy around the ‘scientific’ statements he squeezes out of the PNAS article, with even two of the researchers that performed the study (Kox and Pickkers) repeatedly hitting the brakes and urging him to refine the claims he makes for his method. Especially concerning serious medical conditions. This is published in two main Dutch newspapers (Volkskrant, NRC).
I guess I felt a little nuance was in place here, before we all start thinking that some pH changes through deep breathing a couple of times, can solve many of life’s problems.
Yes, I suspect we aren’t the only ones who felt that something was amiss. What perplexes me is that here is a guy who has achieved extraordinary feats that have since been verified; who knows and can speak in more than 10 languages; and yet communicates in a way that doesn’t leave much room for self-doubt or skepticism for the methods he is promulgating. It might even be hugely beneficial if Wim can rationalize his conversation by courting uncomfortable ideas rather than to simply dismiss them by presenting counterarguments that have had the backing of a few doctors and scientists and hence must be generalizable since it worked for him and a few of his controlled test volunteers. There’s also a splendor and beauty involved in having our intellectual curiosities satisfied as to why is it that the methods and techniques he outlines have such life-changing effects on him. ‘Feeling’ our way through this and shutting down any further thoughts after a couple of references to papers leaves me a bit unsatisfied.
On the flip side though, I followed this interview up with a Ted talk Wim had given (not the one where he demonstrates by submerging himself in ice) and this interview is a giant step forward in terms of content.
Tl;dr, sorry.
This is the craziest show ever. Genius and insanity only one line apart. I started doing cold shower for 2 days now. I’m loving it and feeling awesome. Give me the coldest shower!!
I have a question for anyone who knows or cares to answer. I’ve been trying out the Wim breathing method a few times now…am wondering if it is best to breath through the nose and out through the mouth, or in and out through the mouth?
Wim says elsewhere that it doesn’t matter ‘which hole you use’!
Hello TF fans, Has anyone completed Wim’s online course, and would comment on results, especially with any efficacy in reducing high blood pressure? Thanks! John R.
time to freeze my ass off. Great podcast. He’s barebones, inspirational. I’m getting my meditation on in the mornin’ now.
I think important to note (perhaps someone can verify), when you say “only in shorts” that means no shoes WITAF (what in the actual f*ck)
The proof is in the pudding with this guy… now matter how insane the pudding tastes. If he didn’t have all the world records and videos I would think he should be locked up for his own safety… except WOW I would have egg on my face… egg pudding… hmm I think I might be hungry.
another amazeballs interview Timothy.
PS best/fastest billboard answer yet.
Tim, I loved this episode. listened to it multiple times, one thing I really was hoping you would ask was, when Wim mentioned about he loosing sight of the hole under Ice or when he lost in Mt.Everest, How did we recover or how did he handle that and got back???Really curious to know…Thanks for all the Wonderful Interviews!!!
Hey Tim! This was absolutely hilarious interview. Made my 1.5 hour train commute a breeze and kept me amused. Epic!
It’s amazing how he is able to withstand extreme weather conditions, and what amazes me most is that he seems to have superior control over his body than normal people. It’s just insane that he does all these stuffs without any damage to his body at all, and how he’s trying to achieve the impossible to prove that it’s not really impossible. What is Wim Hof made of??
Hi Tim, You wanted comments on physical abilities that listeners might want to improve. For me, it is flexibility, e.g. being able to do splits. Does it really take hours of boring stretching every day to get there? It seems to me all the stretching did not really change my flexibility at all!
Oh boy, this must be the greatest podcast I’ve listened to, ever! Thank you, Tim & Wim! I have a suggestion since this is somehow all about using the brain and consciousness to become super-human. Check out ‘brain magick’ by Philip H. Faber. It deconstructs magick and links it to the brain, connects it with NLP with the goal of having more ‘woohoo’ in your life. Maybe Faber would be a good guest on your podcast too?
I’m sorry, it’s Philip H. Farber, not Faber.
And one more thing, Tim: as you like Undies as much as I do, check ES from Barcelona http://www.escollection.es They have few shops in the US, but one shop is in L.A.
And yet another suggestion: the Dane Stig Åvall Severinsen, an apnoe diver who can hold his breath for 20 minutes, wrote the book ‘breathology’ that goes in a similar direction as what Wim Hof is doing. Stig is also doing breath-exercises based on his extreme sport to cure people. Watch his TED-talk – maybe Stig would be another great podcast guest! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9c7tkljd3A
Simply killer. Thanks Tim!
Does anyone know where the picture of Wim at the top of this page was taken? It looks like Jokusarlon in southern Iceland.
Thanks.
Bill
Awesome- Tim- can you help organize a Wim Hoff seminar in the US?????
Wims whacky non serious approach to living, to learning, to training really made such an impression on me So much wisdom that one statement about partying being part of training!! The real dividing line between ‘succesful’ people obsessing about stress, and someone like Wim are all the indications that Wim’s lifestyle enhance his heart and intelligence and creativity and spirit. He really is free in a almost Tyler Durden kind of way, without the soap and violence. ‘What do you want the listeners to know , Wim?’ ‘Just that I love Tim and I love you all’
My conflicts / questions are
1. Stress is good. I accept this, but what about stress being stressful? Stress causing shock or trauma not? Tim made the fascinating insight about his military friends being super relaxed – great point – but what about the other extreme with PTSD veterans? How does Wim reconcile living in the brain stem with the fight and flight response – not calm detachment – that all is that can occur there
2. Following from 1. : Body oriented psychotherapies teach the exact literal opposite of what Wim is saying – to get out of the reptilian brain, to dampen the amygdala which is the part of the brain where trauma triggers promote flashbacks and PTSD symtpoms, and to activate the higher brain (sorry forget names) whereby trauma can be processed and integrated and mindfulness can occur. The detached witnessing necessary can’t occur when the amygdala is triggering 7 times faster than thought.
(Babette Rothschilds work – read her books if you want to heal PTSD)
3. An entirely tangential point, theres an overwhelming body of evidence suggesting there is no scientific proof HIV turns to AIDS as a progression of HIV, or that AIDS in fact exists. Obviously controversial, I’m not saying you have to be convinced off my one statement but theres many excellent books backed by credentialed scientific representation – for those with an open mind its a subject one can delve quite deeply into, very interesting and a lot has been written about this. One famous scientist offered a one million dollar bounty to anyone proving the existence of Aids, and decades later it remains unclaimed. He was ostracised, blacklisted and had his license stripped shortly after that which you can intepret how you will
For follow up questions I urge you Tim to enquire more about him knowing 10 languages. That is really peak human, That is really uncommon – to retain that many languages. Question Wim about the ten languages not necessarily in themselves but as a symtpom of the enhanced congnition, neural pathway building, awareness and relaxation Wim must inspired (pun intended) through his lifestyle. Brain MRI’s would be fascinating! Do that, Tim!
Again i can’t reconcile this – such a capacity would indicate Wim is doing the exact OPPOSITE of living in the brain stem – his creativity and intelligence and ‘flow’ is in a peak state – the higher parts of his brain are fully activated
Some 4,000 years ago, the illustrious Lao-Tzu said “the perfect man breathes as if he’s not breathing”…. Wim is clearly on a similar track… For the past 21 years, I’ve been teaching people to breathe less with the classical Buteyko method – I guess you know about it, Tim? Brilliant technique for reversing chronic illness and mastering body and mind….
Hi Jac,
It seems to me that Wim is an advocate of deep breathing, and you/Buteyko advocate breathing less. Would you please explain what I am missing? Also, are there any substantive studies indiciating that Buteyko helps with lowering high blook pressure?
Thank you,
John R.
I just completed the the Buteyko Online beginner workshop. The Buteyko method primarily advocates soft, shallow breathing, and breath holds. Has anyone done both a Buteyko workshop, and a Wim Hoff workshop/course; and can note any differences, and preferences of one method over the other?
Thanks! John R.
I just completed the the Buteyko Online beginner workshop. The Buteyko method primarily advocates soft, shallow breathing, and breath holds. Has anyone done both a Buteyko workshop, and a Wim Hoff workshop/course; and can note any differences, and preferences of one method over the other?
Thanks! John R.
Absolute loved this episode! Wim is such an inspiration and his approach is groundbreaking. I have been taking cold showers myself for some time and I can feel the benefits it has on my health and overall energy. WIm’s approach is simple and there really is no reason not to try his methods.
This episode started slow, but it became great quite quickly. Another great episode. I love Wim’s attitude and his gratitude! It is infectious! I don’t know if he will be checking the comments but would be really interested in his thoughts about cryotherapy. Thanks, Tim. Great stuff as usual.
Hi Tim. Loved the interview. But it left me feeling frustrated again, like I felt after all podcasts recently. Reason = I do not spot your well published rapid learning method ” DiSS” in any of them. You seem to do the D. Or ask the client to do the D(econstruct) mostly anyway they want. And then at the end it goes into the standard list of questions. But you rarely do the S(implify) challenge on them (what would you remove, or could not remove). And do not challenge them on the best stakes to use for someone to try and achieve what they got world class at. Or what stakes they used to stay on track. Sorry for DiSSing your interview technique. Can you share with us here a list your top 20 out of 100 interviews that you think show the best DiSSing you have ever done with the world class achievers interviewed. :It would really relieve my frustration sir. And it would show us good examples of DiSS at its purest in action in interviews. I will donate $50 to a charity of your choice if you answer this.one:)
Tim,
You need to get Ed Stafford on the podcast. He is a ex- stockbroker who traveled across the amazon. The journey took him 2 years. He brought very little with him and got supplies along the way.
This would be a great conversation.
Hi Tim,
In a complete state of shock here. My mate raved about this podcast and as a fitness fanatic and long time fan immediately went to work applying the principles of breath work expounded. After 4 days he was thrilled to be at 3 min 30 of breath hold. He drowned this morning in a beautiful still tidal pool. I suspect he passed out due to dropping his CO2 level too far through hyperventilation and physics took it from there. I don’t know what to say.
Thank you very much Tim, since coming to know you a few years ago through my father (who loved the 4HWW), I’ve been enjoying your posts and insights into the universe. It’s been a blessing, thank you.
Amazing podcast. Awesome work Tim Ferriss! I recently read or heard that you posted a video of you and Wim Hof doing the breathing exercises together. Could someone here help me out with the link?
Thank you,
Guido
I’m in the second week of following Wim’s method. I heard in another podcast that Laird Hamilton is doing the training too. I know your a proponent of ice baths, Tim, but have you experimented with Wim’s regiment?
The first time I took a cold shower (50ish degrees) fear kicked in and I lasted at best 30 seconds. Over time, I’ve been able to withstand this temperature for several minutes with no fear at all.
The first time I actively inhaled, gradually exhaled 40 or so times, then held my breath, then started doing push ups, fear kicked in and I was good for all of 8 push ups. Over a few months, I’ve seen progress. I just did 35 push ups after exhaling and holding my breath with no fear kicking in. Pretty wild stuff.
Thank you Tim and Wim.
Tim, you sounded curious to try out Wim’s technique. Any results? I think everybody here would like to know, and that’s why I’m commenting so late.
My results from rather casually trying deep breathing and cold showers: much better temperature tolerance, much better circulation, much better mood (even in the morning, getting 4 kids to school), all this with very little effort. No strength gain, though. This is beginning to change my life.
Awesome Podcast, Tim. Breath motherfucka! ;D “Can’t wait to hangout and freeze my ass off, and breath.
Love the method, helps with focus and immunesystem!
[Moderator: link removed]
I loved this podcast. It stuck with me. I then signed up with WIM’s ten week online program and have been doing it daily. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks…
Wow! This was AWESOME! You made my day guys with “Breathe Motherfu**” and “Na Zdrowie!” – just perfect!
So many interesting stuff I can relate/connect to –
Cold therapy – just finished kriotherapy – visited 15 times chamber, where the temperature was -150 C. each time 3 mins. Backgroung music Pharrell Williams – “Happy” – you can just feel the endorphines being releases:)
DMT – also very interesting stuff having a chance to participate in aya ceremony very recently, this also explain near-death experiences… Amazing!
Immune system, (dis)comfort zone vs. hapiness, nervus vagus, depression elimination, hormones, relationships, relax – I will need to return so many inspirations and connections! Tim, Wim – I am so grateful, thank you guys!
I saw Wim’s workshop in Przesieka (polish mountains) led couple of weeks ago, so dissapointed I listened the podcast just today, looking forward for more!
Warm regards from cold Poland.
Justyna
I think Wim mentioned University studies he was involved in. Are there reference links for the studies?
Greatly appreciated
Awesome content as always!
[…] late last year I was introduced to the Wim Hof Method. I came across Wim Hof while listening to this podcast and immediately got sucked in by his infectious personality. This guy sounds truly crazy […]
I’ve seen same kind of breathing exercises in Russian systema. Interesting stuff. I teach breathing everyday to people, really love the way Wim reasons the benefits of breathing.
¡Excellent Podcast!
Wow! I just loved this guy! Breathe MF. I want more of him. As a yoga teacher he shed a whole new light on the importance of breathing. My new favourite podcast. Keep bringing us these amazing individuals. Love your work, love Tim Ferriss and now love Wim Hoff!!! 🙏❤️
The only statement I heard that should be corrected is that humans can “store” O2… what happens is that he increases his O2 levels above the normal 98% and then decreases his CO2 stores, or “pools”, in his body. This ultimately increases his pH levels and so on and so forth. The breathing exercise is money. Love it.
This is a brilliant podcast. You both outdid yourselves . Smart and well thought questions combined with heart warming answers creates the sweetest energy. I was caught by the Asian tsunami in 2004 and most people around me died. I was able to modulate my cortisol level and stay calm as I was drowning, which saved me in the end. Wim’s unique way of explaining similar experiences brought tears to my eyes but he does it in such a funny way that I was laughing at the same time. You are a more rational intellectual guy and Wim has a softer, more feminine perspective but you respect him so much and he respects you so much – the love just shines through and it’s what touched me most about this episode.
I have been eating one meal a day for the last twelve years and it’s not everyday that I hear someone else do that! I love it 🙂 I train every day, I spend loads of time outside and I never run out of energy. Wim has a great way of explaining how this works for him.
I am grateful to you Tim for gathering all these amazing people and creating exquisite, honest and humble interviews .