Book Review: The Wim Hof Method

By Danny Blonquist

Wim Hof is a man of many feats. He is known for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures for a prolonged period of time, as well as being able to control his autonomic nervous system. He claims that through cold exposure, breathing techniques, and commitment, we as human beings can control much more than we believe is possible. Through it all, he has obtained the nickname “Iceman.”

The first pillar and one of Hof’s main focuses in his method, which he describes in his book, is that living in a constant state of 72° Fahrenheit and avoiding the environmental stresses that many of our ancestors had to face may be what’s keeping our bodies from reaching their full human potential. He believes that our bodies have adapted too far and gotten too used to comfort. As we are exposed to environmental stresses like cold exposure, our bodies undergo a very natural, and often neglected, process in our physiology.

In one instance, the Iceman was injected with an endotoxin that in previous tests had a 100% symptom rate. Through his breathing techniques and meditation, he was able to voluntarily influence his autonomic nervous system to experience no symptoms from the bacteria. Here’s a video explaining it a bit deeper.

The second pillar of the Wim Hof method is breathing techniques. As mentioned before, he was able to completely overturn the endotoxin just by breathing and focusing on his mind. He claims that he is able to tap into his immune system and voluntarily influence it to fight against bacteria.

The third pillar of the method is commitment. Hof is a strong believer that if you try these methods and stay committed to them, you as well will be able to control your body to a level that doesn’t seem possible.

The Book The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential shared a lot of insight on what we can do to find the human endurance that Hof believes has been lost through evolution. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read this book and are interested in ways to learn more about your body and its potential, you may consider giving this book a read, or just look him up to learn more.