Earlier this year I had the opportunity to attend a wim hof workshop in San Francisco with a few friends. I wasn’t sure about the experience going into it, but I knew just meeting Wim Hof would be a cool experience. The workshop was more than I could have ever asked for. The experience was a full day experience, especially since we drove from El Dorado Hills to Treasure Island, and we could have been there much longer to stay for the Q&A, but decided against it since it was a Sunday and we all had a busy week ahead of us. But let me tell you more about the workshop.

The workshop was very well organized. We checked in, waited in line for the doors to open, and found a seat in what I think was a 300 person room. The room was just right for the type of experience we were walking into. The workshop began with the story of Wim Hof and his exploration to the method. There were several other presentations by a doctor of medicine on the physiological changes and benefits of the breathing exercises and cold exposure. The explanations started with some simple science, but got pretty deep for me to explain to anyone. I struggle with giving a good explanation of the science behind the method and benefits, and with some studying I hope to be a better ambassador to explain what is actually going on in the body when people take part in the breath charges and ice showers / baths.

The breathing experience was super cool. I had tried it a few times with the app on my phone, but I wasn’t convinced of continuing with it. At the workshop I quickly realized how to better implement the method and practice it. One person sitting in front of us actually passed out…. An usher came to his help, but he just went right back to the breathing exercises. In total we probably spend 20-30 minutes actually doing the breath exercises. After that we walked into the cold. It was COLD. Bone chilling cold. I’ve always been scared of the cold, but I got in and I realized I needed more practice with this one. The workshop was good practice but I needed more coaching to embrace the cold. As Wim says the cold is “merciless but also righteous.” Since then, my friend Reed in Houston TX has really helped me with embracing the cold shower and baths.

I’ve now figured out that I need about 20 minutes of “ME” short for ME-ditation time to practice the breathing daily. The breathing is a method to meditation, and it’s shares some common grounds with typical meditation mantras. I definitely get a boost during and after the session but most importantly, I find strength in the connection between breath, calm and focused mind, relaxed and energized body, and a steady glide of consciousness. The “me” time gives me joy, it gives me a sense of connection, and a smile on my face.