Wim Hof Breathing: Training the Body to Stress and Recover
Banff, Alberta,Canada — Hike with the family in Summer 2025.
“Breathe consciously and you improve the deepest systems that normally run on autopilot.”
Why
Wim calls it getting high on your own supply, expect euphoria.
Processing the suicide of his wife and the weight of raising four young children alone, Wim Hof turned inward. He drew on Tummo (Tibetan inner-heat meditation) and Pranayama breathing, pairing them with ice baths (never concurrently) in the frozen canals of the Netherlands.
He found stillness.
In 2014, science caught up. A controlled study injected a trained group with endotoxin (E. coli) and confirmed his anecdotes:
- Reduced inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α)
- Higher epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Fewer flu-like symptoms
Everyone’s experience is different, but for me nearly every session brings something — a flash of clarity about what I’m wrestling with. The insight feels so pure, so precise, it still surprises me.
Modern life keeps the nervous system half-pressed on the gas—constant notifications, low-grade anxiety, caffeine before stillness.
Wim Hof breathing flips that script by moving energy.
Each breath cycle deliberately introduces stress, then trains recovery.
The deep, rhythmic inhales flood the body with oxygen and trigger mild hyperventilation—a controlled sympathetic surge (your “fight or flight” gear). Heart rate and body temp rises, adrenaline spikes, pH shifts.
Then comes the hold: you exhale, pause, and the system pivots. CO₂ builds, the parasympathetic network (your “rest and repair” gear) re-engages, and the body resets.
Round after round, you’re rehearsing one of the most valuable physiological skills:
Move from stress to calm on command.
It’s interval training for your nervous system—stress, release, stress, release—until recovery becomes reflex.
What
The videos below will talk you through like this:
- Get still. Sit or lie down somewhere safe. Never near water or while driving. I like laying in the sauna with a pad under my seat and head.
- Breathe in deeply through the nose (preferably) or mouth. Exhale by relaxing, not pushing (important).
- 30–40 breaths, like waves: (very) full inhale deep in the belly and then a final thrust into the chest, relaxed partial (80%) exhale.
- After the last exhale, hold for 1 min / build to 3 mins with experience.
- Stay calm. Notice stillness. Open yourself to a higher frequency. You might feel warmth, tingling, lightness. If a thought or worry comes, thank it and let it drift away.
- Hold until your body naturally wants to breathe. Okay to take a small (10%) to extend duration if needed. You might feel bliss or your body panicking, that’s okay. It’s important to increase gradually, not forcefully.
- Inhale fully and hold again for 15–30 seconds.
- Squeeze the belly, then the neck, then the head, draining lymph nodes and moving energy.
- Feel the calm pressure return, then release.
- Repeat 3–4 rounds. Increase the hold time by 15-30 seconds each round.
Finish still for a few minutes. Your body will hum—relaxed but alert.
Write down the insights that have come, they’re a gift that you’ve earned.
The Point
This isn’t about oxygen hacks or biohacking theater.
It’s about agency—reclaiming control of your internal state.
Every breath cycle is a micro-lesson: stress is fine if you also practice recovery.
Do it daily. Three rounds take ten minutes. Over time you’ll notice:
- Quicker calm after chaos.
- Lower baseline anxiety.
- A clearer divide between effort and rest.
It’s not meditation, it’s not cardio—it’s a bridge between them.
Training the breath is training the system that runs everything else.
Guided videos
New to Wim try this
Advanced try this
Tutorial here
“All the love. All the power.” - Wim Hof
Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only. Consult your physician before beginning any breath-holding or hyperventilation practice, especially if you have cardiovascular or respiratory conditions.
- Don’t take the method and techniques too lightly, they go deep and the effects can have a huge impact.
- Always practice in a safe environment. Don’t do the breathing exercises in a swimming pool, before going underwater, beneath the shower or piloting any vehicle, without proper supervision.
- Keep in mind to do the exercises without forcing them, gradually build up, and don’t exceed your limits.
- Note that tinnitus symptoms may appear as a result of pushing too forcefully during the breathing exercise. If this happens, take a step back in your future practice, it’s important to increase gradually, not forcefully.
…you are loved
