I felt invigorated and alive... and that night I slept for eight hours
On a chilly March day JANE ODDY took an al fresco dip with The Iceman Wim Hof to put his revolutionary technique to the test
I HAVE always prided myself on my Northern grit, but the words “get me out of here” kept springing to mind as I psyched myself up for a cold water swim with The Iceman himself –Wim Hof – on a chilly March day at Brockwell Lido, south London. Peering into the icy, unheated pool, it looked horribly unappealing and I was genuinely afraid I would wimp out at the 11th hour.
As I huddled in my fake fur, the Iceman arrived int-shirt and sandals. International phenomenon, legend and movement figurehead. “Metarzan, you Jane,” he boomed as we were introduced. So far, so good.
Loud, crazy, and charismatic, this man is a one-off who has broken 20 world records relating to cold exposure, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts and sandals, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle in his bare feet, and standing in a container while covered in ice cubes for more than 1 hour 52 minutes. I figured if he couldn’t get me through this challenge then no one could.
Being aware that a dip in the Lido would be like a hot bath for him did slightly quell my agitation, along with his assertion that all his feats are not superhuman.
His method is based on the principle that the power of the mind works in connection with the body to impact human capability in a profound way.
As he puts it more simply, I could “get high on my own supply” by breathing and exerting mind control to combat the extreme cold of the pool. It would go on to improve my sleep, boost my immune system and empower me.
He said: “In cold water you lose yourself. It’s great for
‘I even went back in the pool and it felt warm’
mood, it’s stress relief, it’s a cardiovascular workout, it’s great for blood flow and deep breathing.” I was sold.
First he introduced me to breathing exercises – inhaling fully, slowly and deeply, four or five times, then letting the breath go each time.
Lying on the floor it took a while to get into the right frame of mind as I was feeling so tense, but a combination of his exhortations, his unexpectedly tuneful singing and a gently strummed guitar lulled me into a deep relaxation.
After 20 minutes of practising the breathing technique it was crunch time. After changing into swimwear, we did a warm-up movement by the pool, fist pumping the air.
Then came the moment of truth as I slowly lowered myself into the freezing pool.the shock of the 9C cold was brutal, but with the help of the breathing techniques I was able to control my reaction to the water.
Yet after a couple of minutes it became almost unbearable and I was ready to quit.
Wim was having none of it and insisted I stayed put
– and I did. At around 10 minutes he allowed me to climb out and the feeling was quite incredible. I felt invigorated and alive. I was high on my own supply to the point where I even went back in the pool – and it felt warm.
A cup of tea, some food and a hot shower topped off the experience and the after effects lingered in my body for the rest of the day. I felt de-stressed, revitalised and slept for eight hours that night. Just as he had predicted.
It is easy to see why people become evangelical about the technique. It shows we have the ability to strengthen our immune systems, stress less and sleep better.