The Wim Hof Method

August 17, 2020
Dutch endurance athlete Hof (The Way of the Iceman) explains his method for surviving extreme conditions in this stimulating guide. To fight disease, pain, and trauma—and also improve personal health and athletic performance—humans, Hof writes, must “get back to our innermost needs.” He structures his program around “three simple, natural pillars: cold exposure, conscious breathing, and the power of the mind,” arguing that high-stress daily routines have disconnected humans from nature and led to any number of illnesses. To recover, he delves into how combining exposure to the cold with breathing exercises can engage the “mind-body connection” and allow one to sustain oneself in extreme conditions. Hof touts the program’s benefits as strengthening vascular, immune, neurological, mental and emotional health, as well as clearing “biochemical residue” (undesirable by-products of chemical reactions in the lymphatic system). Hof also shares his struggles with emotional pain (particularly in the aftermath of his wife’s suicide), and how his method helped him come to terms with that tragedy and endure. This spirited and humane guide will inspire self-help readers who are looking for a challenge.