I decided to make the investment and go to a small and intimate weekend retreat with Wim Hof and his daughter, Laura Hof, and would love to share my 3 main takeaways.
1) Commitment: Train Yourself to Believe
When Wim was asked what the most important part of the Wim Hof Method was - ice baths or the breathing technique - he had a very clear answer. It was the mindset and your mental commitment, believing in yourself. Believing that you can go deeper within your breath or sit in ice water, and extending that belief to your everyday life. He talked about how placebo is a phenomenon not fully understood in science, but the key to the Wim Hof Method and his breaking of numerous world records was commanding his mind to believe in his body.
He recommends ice water for becoming mentally strong and the breathing technique for releasing trauma, but stresses that the combination of mindset, ice, and breathing forms the core of the Wim Hof Method.
TIP: A great and proven technique is simply visualizing yourself doing whatever it is that you want to do and tuning into the emotions of how you would feel if you succeeded. Try to practice this and then commit to taking one step closer to whatever you are working on, whether it is personally or professionally related, be it ice baths or building your business - it really works.
2) Consistency: Make it a Lifestyle
Wim Hof emphasized how we have become disconnected from our innate connection to nature. Looking at global health data, it's evident that cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, which can be prevented through regular movement, heat and cold exposure, and breathwork. However, very few people have made it a consistent lifestyle. Comfort has become a lifestyle, and people tend to run away from pain.
Wim emphasized repeatedly, "Everyday go to the pain. Or the pain will come to you. Get out of your 'comfort zone' behavior!"
This is exactly what the Wim Hof Method is about. When a participant asked Wim about his biggest fear, he responded that his only fear is not being able to change the world before he dies. He is on a visionary mission to provide everyone with simple tools to become happy, healthy, and strong, and he is definitely walking the talk. At 64 years old, he is flexible, strong, and has broken over 24 world records, defying science by demonstrating the ability to control the autonomic nervous system, which was considered impossible by traditional science 25 years ago. Recent studies have shown that he can teach regular people this method to improve their overall health. The core of all this is that most diseases are a symptom of inflammation in the body, and since these techniques target the root of our physical health, they ultimately affect everything - not just your physical state but also your mental and energetic state, leading to better performance and wellbeing, as well as changing your perspective on life and your everyday decision-making.
The team repeated this sentence several times: "What you do not use, you lose."
Read it again: "What you do not use, you lose."
So, how can we make the healthy, long-term, wise choice easier, more accessible, and consistent? The answer is social accountability, a.k.a. community!
3) Community: A Fun, Open-minded, and Uplifting Environment
Throughout the whole retreat, there was a light-hearted approach, and Wim definitely represented the "don't take yourself too seriously" mindset. The first day began with a spontaneous motivational speech by Wim, followed by tribal dancers and drummers that helped everyone loosen up and set the tone for the retreat. There were long breaks and time to connect, great food, live music, all flowing with moments to reflect, laugh, and break through our comfort zones.
I've experienced this atmosphere in many places now, and I love it. It also allowed me to open up completely on the second day, so when Wim asked about our intentions for the last ice bath, I openly shared that it was to heal myself from my bipolar 2 depression symptoms, which I am still learning how to cope with better and better.
Wim's response was motivating and simple: "It's just trauma; breathe, motherfucker. And go into the ice. Change your paradigm today. Unconditional love is who we are and what we are."
This whole trip was an unforgettable experience, and just feeling the presence of a person who has worked deeply with himself and is a true force of nature has inspired me to take my practice to the next level.
Fortunately, this is why Julie, Loui, and I created the Plugin Community in Copenhagen, to make it fun and simple to integrate healthy, social, and uplifting habits such as breathwork, Saunagus, cold exposure, and movement into our everyday lives!
Cheers to Wim and his team - what an amazing weekend. I will definitely be coming back.
With Loud Love,
Hjalte
