The Wim Hof Method — 3 Steps to Naturally Boost Your Immune System Chase Clevenger Follow Apr 15 · 5 min read

My favorite high mountain lake.

For those who have yet to hear of or experience the Wim Hof breathing technique, I would like to share with you how my experience with it has gone. Personally, it has been nothing short of miraculous. When I do the Wim Hof method, I feel better, both mentally and physically. There are many others who can attest as to its effectiveness, including folks suffering from autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and more.

It sounds like snake oil — but, snake oil, it is not. Naturally, the realm of science had to weigh in on this matter, and a study was performed in 2014. The Radboud study found some surprising results, including the up-regulation of white blood cells and b-lymphocytes, which are crucial elements of the immune system. They fight off foreign invaders at the microscopic level. In addition, this breathing technique raises the pH of the blood by about 0.5. This is significant enough that the authors of the study indicated that this breathing technique could have some positive implications for people suffering from autoimmune diseases, which tend to have the commonality of acidity in the affected parts of the body. This was the first time that a scientific study concluded that the body’s autonomic immune function could be influenced consciously.

Before I get to the ins and outs of this breathing technique, I would like to share a little bit about the “Iceman” Wim Hof. He holds 21 Guinness world records, primarily for being able to endure exposure to extreme cold. He has accomplished seemingly impossible things, such as, “climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle on his bare feet, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes.”

Wim credits all of his seemingly superhuman accomplishments (and many others) to his breathing technique. He also posits that anybody can do it. He has been featured on Joe Rogan’s podcast (twice), among others. I consider myself to be living proof of its effectiveness, as do many others.

1. Breathing

The first “pillar” of the Wim Hof method is breathing. It consists of 3–5 rounds of 30–50 deep breaths that are exhaled halfway. The result is a controlled state of hyperventilation that floods the body with oxygen. I usually get a bit dizzy when I do this, so I tend to lie down. It allows me to relax better and take deeper breaths. The point is to get as much oxygen into my body as I possibly can. When I exhale the final breath of the round, I hold it. I refrain from inhaling until my body experiences a gasp reflex. I hold this and tense my muscles for about 10–15 seconds. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

I have to admit, I was skeptical as to how effective this would be, considering that I am a former smoker. However, by the fifth found, I often find myself holding my breath north of two minutes. As a control, I tried holding my breath without doing the breathing technique. I didn’t even make it 45 seconds.

There are free guided breathing videos on YouTube that have helped me immensely.

2. Cold Exposure

The second pillar of the WHM is exposure to the cold. After I complete the last round of breathing, I will go outside (in winter time) and take a walk in shorts and a t-shirt. If I’m feeling particularly daring, I will try to make some snow angels. In the summer time, I will immediately jump into a cold shower. Once I begin to shiver, I return to the warmth of my home (or hop out of the shower).

The reason for doing this is to put the body in distress. This physiological distress activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and boosts the immune system. It feels absolutely euphoric. I find that after the breathing technique, I have way more mental focus. I am able to use that focus to eliminate my body’s natural inclination to shiver, at least for a little while. As I expose myself to more cold showers, the amount of time that I can tolerate them increases. Though it starts out slow, a 10–20 minute cold shower eventually becomes easy to tolerate.

Cold exposure is critical if you are in good health. However, if your immune system is already under attack, Wim vehemently recommends avoiding the cold exposure until you are feeling healthy again. Dealing with an illness provides enough shock to the immune system that no further distress is needed. In fact, further distress could be very counterproductive, because it forces your immune system to divide its effort between healing (which is very necessary) and the cold.

3. Commitment

The third and final pillar of the WHM is commitment. As with many things that are good for you, repetition is the keystone of its effectiveness. Admittedly, this is the area in which many people (including myself) tend to struggle the most. However, the plethora of benefits provided by simply changing my breathing make for a strong impetus to continue.

There are many people who can testify to the benefits conferred by doing the Wim Hof method. One that I found very compelling comes from a man who was suffering from multiple sclerosis.

“In 8 months I was completely symptom-free.”

It is very important not to strain yourself when doing the Wim Hof breathing technique. Listen to your body. If you start experiencing any pain, back off from whichever part of the technique you are doing. There is no need to push it, for any reason. It should not be effortless, but nor should it be painful.

Given the global pandemic that we are all dealing with right now, I think we could use an immune system booster. Anybody can do it, and it costs nothing to participate in it.

I am not a medical professional, and this is not medical advice. It is a summary of my own experiences and research with what I consider to be an incredible breathing and meditation technique. Please consult with your physician before attempting them.