I first heard about the Wim Hof Method in 2020, during the pandemic. How could anyone forget those days when we were stuck at home, worrying about the global health crisis? I was drawn to this method after learning that it could boost the immune system through intentional breathing techniques. Interestingly, I had actually learned about Wim Hof himself years earlier after seeing him perform a stunt on live TV — staying in ice for hours, far longer than science says the human body can handle — I just hadn't connected the two at the time.

This led me to do some research, where I discovered that he had appeared on many other TV shows, performing similar feats. In fact, he holds many Guinness World Records for the longest ice baths, the longest swim under ice and many other stunts that seemed impossible before I learned about him — or at least impossible according to conventional science. Yet he describes himself as a normal human being who simply found a way to heal through breathwork and cold exposure.

One of the most remarkable things about people who achieve the unimaginable is that they all have one thing in common: they have all emerged from suffering. They have all learned to use fear, hardship and suffering to their advantage rather than against themselves — Wim Hof being no exception. Following the death of his wife, he found a way to cope with his grief and related emotions through breathwork and exposure to the cold. He learned to master the art of self-regulation.

However, what truly resonated with me was his insistence that he is a normal person, which he demonstrated during a scientific experiment showing that this potential exists in all of us. At Radboud University in the Netherlands, researchers conducted a study in which 24 healthy volunteers were split into two groups. One group was trained in the Wim Hof Method (WHM) by Wim Hof himself over several days. Both groups were then injected with a purified endotoxin (a component of E. coli bacteria) to safely trigger an inflammatory response. The group that Wim Hof had trained experienced few, if any, flu-like symptoms, while the other group experienced significant symptoms.

This empowered me and, at a time when I needed it most, made me feel that I was not alone.

You can read the published study here:
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1322174111.

Seeing this evidence confirmed that he was onto something, which is why I decided to give the method a try. I started the method primarily to keep myself healthy, especially during that difficult period when health was a global concern. However, what I discovered was far more profound: during the 20–30 minute breathing sessions, I would experience moments when my mind was completely blank — no thoughts, no judgement, nothing.

I had just learned a new technique. It was a tool that I would desperately need a year later, and it became my anchor for finding small moments of peace during a very difficult period.

By itself, breathwork creates a direct link to our autonomic nervous system, helping us to regulate our emotional state. It resets the CO₂/O₂ balance in the body, anchors us in the present moment, and stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a vital role in helping the body return to a state of homeostasis. Also, while many things are out of our control, breathing is one of the few things we can consciously control.

The Wim Hof Method is about more than just breathwork. It has two other important pillars: cold exposure and mindset. This combination helps build commitment and discipline by exposing us to controlled discomfort and ultimately building resilience. Resilience is precisely what we need to face whatever obstacles life puts in our path

Wim Hof endured immense hardship and struggle to find this path, and he now uses it to help others. This inspires me to share my own journey in the hope that it might help you, too.

The fact that so many people, myself included, have improved their lives using his method while facing great adversity is a powerful reminder that we’re all in this together.