And in experiencing this for himself, he reasoned that others might be able to benefit by emulating his example. Via practicing a controlled form of hyperventilation, Wim was giving his body a turbocharged oversaturation of oxygen that seemed to safeguard him against some of the worst effects of the extreme cold. They call him the “Iceman” for a reason.Īnd somewhere along the way, Wim figured out that as he achieved these superhuman feats of endurance, he was doing something a little different the Wim Hof Breathing Method that helped him bolster his system both prior to and during these incredible physical challenges. Like I said - straight-up superhero stuff. Yet another world record almost didn’t make it into the books when Wim literally froze one of his corneas during a practice run for an under-ice distance swim, but after a good night’s rest, his eye healed up enough that he successfully set the record the next day. He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts – you know, it’s causal. Another for spending nearly two hours in full-body contact with a solid slab of ice. He set a world record time (two hours, 16 minutes) for a barefoot half-marathon in freezing conditions. In the coming years, Wim made subjecting himself to extreme feats of cold endurance his personal claim to fame. And while most of us would immediately regret that decision and vow to never do it again…Wim went the other way and made it his profession. As a kid, he felt a sudden urge to jump into a freezing-cold river. Wim was born in the Netherlands, where winter is a way of life. And Wim Hof, A.K.A the “Iceman,” is one of them. I got a lot out of learning from the perspectives of everyone involved, so I know you will, too.
This episode is a different sort of talk, one with a collective of incredible people who have all enriched my life (and those of many others) in countless amazing ways. Usually, I have an in-depth one-on-one discussion with a single guest who embodies greatness in an inspirational way. This episode of The School of Greatness is quite a bit different from most. “We are using the breath not only to go into these deeper systems of ours to bring it within our willful control, we are here to show that the breath actually is the carrier of consciousness.” – Wim Hof Breathing Method.