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    Wim Hof Interview

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    Macak
    Wim Hof, known as "The Iceman", has developed techniques to withstand freezing temperatures through controlling his body's core temperature and autonomic nervous system. He holds over 20 world records related to cold exposure. Experiments on Hof have found that despite being submerged in ice for over an hour, his core body temperature only dropped 0.3°C and his heart rate and blood pressure remained stable, whereas a normal person would experience hypothermia. Hof attributes his abilities to a special breathing technique and meditation style called tummo that allows him to consciously control processes previously thought to be involuntary. Further research is still needed to understand Hof's abilities and determine if his methods can be taught to others to benefit health

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Wim Hof Interview

    Uploaded by

    Macak
    362 views7 pages
    Wim Hof, known as "The Iceman", has developed techniques to withstand freezing temperatures through controlling his body's core temperature and autonomic nervous system. He holds over 20 world records related to cold exposure. Experiments on Hof have found that despite being submerged in ice for over an hour, his core body temperature only dropped 0.3°C and his heart rate and blood pressure remained stable, whereas a normal person would experience hypothermia. Hof attributes his abilities to a special breathing technique and meditation style called tummo that allows him to consciously control processes previously thought to be involuntary. Further research is still needed to understand Hof's abilities and determine if his methods can be taught to others to benefit health

    Original Description:

    N by Norwegian Magazine January 2014

    Original Title

    Wim Hof interview

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    Wim Hof, known as "The Iceman", has developed techniques to withstand freezing temperatures through controlling his body's core temperature and autonomic nervous system. He holds over 20 world records related to cold exposure. Experiments on Hof have found that despite being submerged in ice for over an hour, his core body temperature only dropped 0.3°C and his heart rate and blood pressure remained stable, whereas a normal person would experience hypothermia. Hof attributes his abilities to a special breathing technique and meditation style called tummo that allows him to consciously control processes previously thought to be involuntary. Further research is still needed to understand Hof's abilities and determine if his methods can be taught to others to benefit health

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    362 views7 pages

    Wim Hof Interview

    Uploaded by

    Macak
    Wim Hof, known as "The Iceman", has developed techniques to withstand freezing temperatures through controlling his body's core temperature and autonomic nervous system. He holds over 20 world records related to cold exposure. Experiments on Hof have found that despite being submerged in ice for over an hour, his core body temperature only dropped 0.3°C and his heart rate and blood pressure remained stable, whereas a normal person would experience hypothermia. Hof attributes his abilities to a special breathing technique and meditation style called tummo that allows him to consciously control processes previously thought to be involuntary. Further research is still needed to understand Hof's abilities and determine if his methods can be taught to others to benefit health

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    THE

    I C E

    040\n

    N-040-046_Iceman.indd 040

    12/12/2013 12:48

    M A N
    COMETH

    Wim Hof is able to withstand deadly sub-zero


    temperatures by controlling his bodys core
    temperature. It could have important
    implications for you and your health
    WordsMandi

    Keighran

    n/

    N-040-046_Iceman.indd 041

    041

    12/12/2013 12:48

    The cold is
    merciless but
    righteous
    042\n

    N-040-046_Iceman.indd 042

    12/12/2013 12:48

    he cold is merciless but righteous,


    says Wim Hof. Although, looking at
    photos of the self-proclaimed Iceman
    practising yoga and meditation in
    sub-zero temperatures, relaxing in
    vats of ice, or conquering mountains in nothing but
    shorts and sandals, it is dicult to imagine the cold
    is anything but Hofs friend.
    The Dutchmans fascination with the cold began
    at an early age, but his superhuman abilities werent
    immediately apparent. At seven, he recalls, he tried
    to build an igloo but instead fell asleep in the snow
    and ended up in hospital suering hypothermia.
    Fast forward to the mid-1970s, however, when Hof
    was 17, and the story was entirely dierent.

    Previous pages
    Wim Hof goes ice
    diving at Botshol,
    a nature reserve in
    the neighbourhood
    of Vinkeveen near
    Amsterdam
    Above
    Practising yoga at
    Breiamerkurjkull
    lake near the
    Vatnajkull glacier
    in Iceland during
    a BBC television
    recording

    I had been discovering my mind and body


    already through esoteric disciplines karate, yoga,
    and philosophy, he says. When I was 17, I came
    across some freezing cold water with a thin layer
    of ice and it attracted me. I undressed and got in.
    There was this feeling of igniting something within
    my physiology at a deep level. It felt so good, I came
    back again and again.
    For the next 20 years, Hof built himself into the
    Iceman swimming in icy waters, running barefoot
    through the snow, and generally doing what would
    leave most of us in a state of severe hypothermia.
    It was only a matter of time before the media
    became interested in the Dutch daredevil, and
    Guinness World Records soon followed. To date,

    n/

    N-040-046_Iceman.indd 043

    043

    12/12/2013 12:48

    EXPERIENCE THE TROMSO REGION OF NORWAY

     
    
    
    

    Welcome to Camp Tamok, based in the Northern Lights heartland.


    >

    No.95118 Lyngsfjord Adventure.indd 1

    18/10/2013 16:07

    54-year-old Hof has broken 21 world records.


    Among these, he holds the record for the longest
    time spent in direct, full-body contact with ice (1
    hour 52 minutes 42 seconds); has run the fastest
    barefoot half marathon on ice (2 hours 16 minutes
    34 seconds); has run a full marathon wearing
    only shorts above the polar circle in Finland in
    temperatures of -20C; has organised the largest
    barefoot race on ice (361 participants); and reached
    the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro clad only in shorts
    and sandals in just two days. And, to prove its not
    just the cold he can
    endure, in 2011, he
    ran a full marathon
    in the Namib Desert
    without water.
    The question
    is: how? Hof
    says its a simple
    matter of mind
    over matter. Im
    able to control my
    body through the
    power of my mind.
    We have perfect
    mechanisms in
    our bodies, but we
    intervened with
    nature when we
    started wearing
    clothes. We need
    to reawaken those
    mechanisms.
    While most of us
    would shiver at
    even the thought of
    attempting an ice
    bath, Hof claims
    that with training
    anyone can become
    an iceman or
    woman.
    He attributes
    much of his seemingly superhuman endurance to a
    special breathing technique he has developed based
    on Buddhist tummo meditation and yoga. The goal
    of tummo the Tibetan word for inner re is to
    gain complete control over the bodys processes, and
    it has been proven that practitioners, like Hof, can
    signicantly increase the temperature of their core
    and extremities (one experiment in 1982 showed
    three monks could increase the temperature of their
    ngers by more than 8C during meditation).
    In 2007, following an impressive run of record
    breaking, which led to performances around the
    world, a series of experiments was carried out in New

    Above
    Wim Hof meditates
    in the snow in
    Amsterdam,
    Netherlands

    York. Hof claims these proved he had control over his


    vagus nerve, a part of the automatic nervous system
    that, among other things, regulates the heart, controls
    muscle movement, and keeps the digestive tract and
    stomach in order. It is generally acknowledged that
    we cant consciously control the vagus nerve.
    If Hof could, as he claims, teach these abilities
    to others, the implications for healthcare would be
    signicant, he says, given the automatic nervous
    systems role in the immune system. There were
    plans to conduct further research to see if he could
    indeed teach
    his methods to
    others, yet this
    never happened
    Hof blames
    pharmaceutical
    companies with a
    vested interest in
    suppressing the
    results.
    Nevertheless,
    in 2010, following
    a performance in
    Amsterdam, he
    was asked to take
    part in a research
    experiment at the
    Radboud University
    Nijmegen in the
    Netherlands, run by
    medical professor
    Dr Maria Hopman.
    Hopman set up
    an experiment in
    which Hof was
    exposed to extreme
    temperatures in an
    ice bath for 1 hour
    and 44 minutes. In
    a normal subject,
    this kind of extreme
    exposure would
    cause the bodys core temperature of 37 C to drop
    signicantly causing hypothermia, which kicks
    in at 35 C (death occurs at 27 C). Hofs core body
    temperature, monitored by a small pill-shaped
    thermometer he swallowed, dropped from 37.7C
    to just 37.4C.
    It is absolutely not important, says Hopman
    of the 0.3C dierence in temperature. His skin
    temperatures dropped by 5oC to 10oC, which is
    very cold, whereas his core stays warm. That is
    very exceptional.
    In addition, Hofs heart rate and blood pressure
    showed little change (a normal persons would

    n/

    N-040-046_Iceman.indd 045

    045

    12/12/2013 12:48

    What makes
    an Iceman?
    In experiments
    conducted on
    him, Hof stood in
    a cylinder lled
    with 700kg of ice.
    His core body
    temperature
    remained at 37C

    Hof is able to raise


    his cortisol levels
    and suppress
    cytokines
    (ammatory
    bodies) using
    his meditation
    techniques

    In 2007, Hof
    attempted to
    climb Mt Everest
    wearing only
    shorts and no
    shoes. He failed
    the attempt due
    to a foot injury

    Hof can suppress


    his immune
    response by 50
    per cent, meaning
    he showed hardly
    any u-like
    symptoms during
    experiments

    In 2010, Hof
    visited the North
    Pole, where he
    held his breath
    for 6 minutes and
    20 seconds below
    the surface of
    the ice

    Hof once
    demonstrated
    his free climbing
    skills by hanging
    between two hot
    air balloons by his
    middle nger at an
    altitude of 1,500m

    Getting there
    The Iceman offers oneday workshops, held
    around the world, and
    one-week winter trips
    in Krkonoe, Poland.
    Norwegian regularly ies
    to Prague in the Czech
    Republic, which is about
    a three-hour drive from
    the Inner Fire centre.

    Workshops
    At the one-day workshop
    you will learn to
    master Hofs breathing
    and concentration
    techniques to create a
    better connection with
    the nervous and immune
    systems. There will be ice
    baths involved. Check
    the website below for
    upcoming workshops.

    Wintry week
    If one day with the
    Iceman isnt enough,
    you can sign up for a
    week-long winter trip
    in Krkonoe. During the
    week, Hof will teach
    the group his yoga,
    meditation and exercise
    techniques. You can then
    practise while running
    barefoot in the snow,
    or going swimming in icy
    waters. The next trips are
    planned for February.
     icemanwimhof.com

    Find more online


     innerfire.nl
     hofoutdoor.nl
     guinnessworldrecords.com
     @mandikeighran

    Win!
    Visit www.norwegian.com/magazine/iceman
    to win an Iceman experience

    increase dramatically), and he sped up his


    metabolism to double the normal rate, using the
    energy to produce extra heat. Unsurprisingly, the
    results of these experiments posed more questions
    than they answered.
    Hopman has three theories to explain why
    Hof can withstand freezing temperatures the
    eects of tummo meditation, a gradual building of
    resistance over many years of training, or simply
    some kind of inherent genetic advantage but
    still no answers. We call this a mystery, she says.
    We need to do more research to see how Wim can
    control processes in his body we thought you were
    unable to control voluntarily.
    After suering years of mockery and cynicism,
    further research is exactly what Hof wants.
    Ultimately, he wants his techniques to be widely
    adopted around the world and used to boost the
    immune system and treat disease. My mission,
    says Hof, is to show that everybody can reach more
    depth in themselves. We all have healing powers
    an inner doctor but we have forgotten about
    this. By opening our minds, we can free that inner
    healing power and prevent disease.
    So, since 2010, Hof and his son have run Inner
    Fire workshops around the world, convincing
    regular, albeit adventurous, people to run barefoot
    through the snow and swim in freezing water
    all in the name of boosting the immune system
    and treating diseases from rheumatism and
    cardiovascular problems to obesity.
    He currently has a centre in Krkonoe, Poland,
    where he runs regular winter workshops, and
    there are plans to open a second centre in Spain
    in the coming years. As might be expected from
    the irrepressible Hof, he wont stop at these two
    centres. For the past two years he has been training
    several students to become teachers of his method,
    with the intention of setting up a global network of
    Inner Fire centres. Hes even considering installing
    a cryochamber that reaches temperatures of
    -120C (made famous by Welsh rugby player Sam
    Warburton, who used one in 2011 while training for
    the Rugby World Cup and dubbed it an evil sauna).
    I know how to be happy without money, says
    Hof. But, I do want to earn billions to create these
    centres because they are good for all humankind.
    Its impossible not to be infected by the Icemans
    enthusiasm, and all of a sudden a barefoot run
    through the snow or a dip in icy waters doesnt seem
    like such a bad idea.
    Krkonoe is three hours drive from Prague; Norwegian
    ies to Prague from Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm
    and Helsinki. Book ights, a hotel and a rental car at
    norwegian.com

    P H O T O S : H E N N Y B O O G E R T, J O H N W R I G H T, L I Z M C B U R N E Y. S T Y L I N G : N E U S P E R L A S

    How to
    become an
    Iceman

    046\n

    N-040-046_Iceman.indd 046

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