inspire

Today is: Wim Hof

“One cold shower a day, keeps the doctors away.”

Many times happens in my life that I meet a teaching way before I can applay it in my life. This is especially true to my realtionship with cold.

When we were living in New Zealand especially during wintertime on Waiheke Island I was challenged with how I adopt the colder weather. Everyone was asking to me when I was complaining “how cold it is during winter?” But it is not just about the outside temperature but the comfort level you live or you are used to.

During my life I was used to have a central heating in the house and hot showers or long baths during winter. In Waiheke Island was the first time in my life that I was living in houses without a proper insulation or heating systems.

However I learned to adapt. My body learned to adapt. I’d learned tai chi and practiced that during the winter months while I was taking long walks by the sea. Because one thing become quite clear quickly: “you must keep moving, keep doing if you don’t want to be cold.”

I’d shifted my seated meditations into a moving one, and I’d learned to breathe in a way that I was able to heat my body up.

When we moved back to Hungary, oh gush-about 8 years ago- I got used to central heating again. I enjoyed the warmth we can create in our home, just by switching on the heating.

During summer as my husband takes his cold showers I always get inspired by his attitude but only this year was I able to try myself. As we went for a holiday to Italiy I was listening an audiobook from Wim Hof, because just before we went I’d attended a conference where he was one of the speaker and I instantly got inspired by his approach.

I have been a pretty got dot connector in my life. I always loved to put the bits and pieces together. As this time I remembered our travel to Samoa where I went into that freezing cold water where the guys who invited us went into such a great ease and was telling me, “it is not so cold, come, try!” (So I did! See the smile in my face? freeeziiiing!!!! 🙂 Then I remembered the book I read by a Hungarian writer in which there was a main caracter who took cold showers each morning and said how that practice in itself changed her whole life. Then I remembered that sodier I met once who told me, having a cold shower through winter and he was able to stand the cold weater even if he only wore a T-shirt. Then I’d allowed to born the deep yearning in my heart to give it a try as Wim suggests but more then that as my husband was showing the way.

“It only takes 10 days, then your vascular system gets conditioned and used to it. Everything depends on your approach! Just decide you’ll gonna do, then just do it!”. It was easy because it was Summer and pretty hot and also I was on a holiday.

I have also been practicing Wim’s circular breathing which he claims that it can even get you out from hang over if you practice it longer. Otherwise he said: “Practice 4 circle of circular breathing also called Wim Hof’s breathing, a cold shower and then off you go! Without being sick, with more zest in your life, more stamina in your Nervous System and more aliveness!”

Who wants this for free? You don’t need to do anything just train yourself to bear cold shower for about 3 minutes every day. (As you train yourself during those ten days first about 30 seconds, next day 45 second and like this way increase the duration of time you are under the cold water. If you want support you can download Wim’s App.)

For me as a mother of a 5 year old, and a yoga practicioner for more then 15 years this is a great start of my days because since my daughter was born I did not really have either the time or the stamina to do my two hours long morning practice I was used to before having her.

Now I have found a new chalanging practice other then Ashtanga Yoga!

Try yourself!

See you next time!

Till then, never fail to ask good questions!