In short
Episode Notes: On Purpose with Jay Shetty - Wim Hof: Do THIS 10-Minute Breathing Exercise And ACTUALLY Lower Your Risk of Disease And Calm Your Anxiety
Podcast Overview
- Host: Jay Shetty
- Guest: Wim Hof, also known as the “Iceman”
- Focus: Exploring the Wim Hof Method, which emphasizes breathwork, cold exposure, and commitment to enhance mental and physical well-being.
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Episode Description Jay invites Wim Hof back to discuss his transformative methods for improving emotional resilience, managing anxiety, and enhancing overall health through breathwork and cold exposure. Hof shares personal stories and scientific insights about how these practices can regulate the nervous system, reduce inflammation, and promote spiritual clarity.
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Key Themes and Discussions
- Origins of the Wim Hof Method
- Personal Background: Wim's life mission stems from early traumatic experiences, including the loss of his wife, which compelled him to seek healing methods that reconnect individuals with their inner strength.
- Philosophical Approach: Hof regards the world’s suffering (like anxiety, depression, etc.) as arising from ignorance, advocating that everyone has innate powers that can be unlocked through simple practices.
- Understanding Breathwork
- Power of Breath: Breath is portrayed as a powerful tool for emotional regulation and physical health.
- Deep Breathing Techniques: Simple techniques that improve emotional regulation and stress management are highlighted.
- Scientific Validation: Studies show that breathwork can effectively reduce inflammation and improve the immune system's response.
- Cold Exposure
- Benefits: Cold immersion is seen not only as a physical challenge but as a method to build resilience against stress, improve mental clarity, and enhance emotional stability.
- Mind Over Matter: The experience of cold exposure teaches individuals to control their thoughts and emotions through surrender and acceptance.
- Simplicity and Access
- Accessible Practices: Hof emphasizes that these techniques are not esoteric; they can be learned and practiced easily by anyone, regardless of background.
- Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to try these methods daily, even for just a week, to experience significant changes in their well-being.
- Overcoming Anxiety and Grief
- Practical Steps: Hof discusses how breathwork can be a remedy for anxiety, emphasizing that anxiety is a signal from the body indicating that it needs to be cleansed.
- Healing Through Cold: He shares that his personal experiences with grief have shown him that engaging with cold water helped him process his emotions effectively.
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Key Takeaways
- You Are More Powerful Than You Realize: The innate capabilities of the body can be harnessed through breath and cold exposure.
- Surrender and Intention: Learning to let go and surrender in uncomfortable situations can unlock emotional and spiritual growth.
- Holistic Healing: The Wim Hof Method combines physical practices with mental and emotional healing.
- Community and Shared Experience: The collective effort to promote these practices can lead to a healthier society.
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Practical Tips
- Daily Practice: Start your day with 30 deep breaths and consider integrating cold showers to experience immediate benefits.
- Mindfulness: Use breath as a tool to connect with your emotions and manage stress effectively.
- Commitment: Stay disciplined in your practice to build resilience against life's challenges.
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Conclusion This episode serves as a powerful reminder that simple practices like breathwork and cold exposure can lead to profound changes in one’s mental, emotional, and physical health. The tools to achieve a more resilient and fulfilling life are already within us, waiting to be unlocked.
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Episode Resources
- [Wim Hof Method Website](https://www.wimhofmethod.com)
- Follow Wim Hof on:
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/iceman_hof)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxHTM1FYxeC4F7xDsBVltGg)
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Disclaimer Safety Reminder: It is advised to practice breathing techniques in a safe environment—avoid doing them around water or while driving to prevent accidents.
Note: This markdown summary serves as a structured outline and reflection of the discussed episode, aimed to provide insights and practical takeaways for listeners.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This is an iHeart Podcast.
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2:20Inflammation is the cause and effect of actually every disease. I'm into healing, into bringing down inflammation. That is what I give to people within an hour. So better control over the immune system, better control over the central nervous system, and you learn to clean the biochemical residue, which is the result of our daily life, hectic modern life. The number one health and wellness podcast. Jay Shetty. Jay Shetty. The one, the only Jay Shetty. Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the place you come to become happier, healthier, and more healed. I am so grateful that you decided to tune in today.
3:05Today's guest is truly an icon in this world. Someone that has been able to share prolific lessons, life-changing habits, and practices that have transformed millions of people's lives. His personal journey is also remarkable. I'm really excited to reintroduce, because we've had him on the podcast once, please welcome Wim Hof. Wim, it is such a joy. The last time I interviewed you, It was on Zoom during the pandemic. Today, we're finally meeting for the first time. And as a fan of your work and as a deep believer in your work, I'm so excited to have you here. So thank you so much. It's great to meet you in physical presence.
3:48I can feel your energy. It's great. Yeah, you're really a good man with very important work. Being here, I'm able to transmit something new, organic, alive from the heart. Yeah, thank you, Wim. Thank you so much. And the feeling is mutual. And I want to start by asking you, because what I find amazing is people like yourself who've dedicated their lives to certain work. And I wanted to ask you, what do you believe in so deeply? Why do you believe so deeply in your work and the impact that it's making that's allowed you to dedicate your whole life to it? I think it was my mother at my birth who invocated, is a naive, God-fearing mother, and yet in fear that this baby was going to die.
4:36There was the second baby, and nobody knew there was a second one. I was too deep in, so I was too long in, and almost suffocated. I came through her, fear and pushing and invocating, oh God, let this child live. I will make him a missionary. So I don't think it is my drive, but it is invocated by my mother a naive mother yet god-fearing is a formula is a powerful formula that is impregnated it's tattooed on my soul while i was nothing more than a purple little nothing coming out there defenseless and yet there her invocation came right into me and how that all works it works because i've been talking to her and when i was 12 i told my friends if the world thinks that's the way it begins to reveal itself 12 years you start thinking about what is life if the world think that is a hunger abuse pollution disease darkness depression is normal then I think it is sick and I'm going to do something about it and what I do not know I just do it that is where it came from and since then it starts and every moment is a drop after 40 50 years the draw all those drops have become a tsunami a way through the thick wall of ignorance because i think it is all all sickness disease darkness depression wars pollution etc is just based in ignorance so i have come up with a way looking in nature not in books something that works that makes that overrides my mind of all that has been filled up with and then the cold water came in and from the cold water you learn to breathe different and with that deep breathing you go past the conditioning and then you see all what has been written for real here now and then because it is so close it's so direct I had no need for looking in esoteric books anymore, traditions, languages, religions, anything like that.
7:12No, God was suddenly here and now. This is it, was the first time my feeling when I went into the court order. And I've been doing it since ever. And you know what? It was my mother's invocation. She was God-fearing, Catholic and all. And right now, the priests of the Catholic Church itself, the doctors, the theologists, they are coming and they are integrating the Wim Hof Method in the deep religious esoteric disciplines of the church, which equals mysticism of Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism. It's all the same layer. And that layer now has been hit and recognized by the best in the Catholic Church, the most learned of men.
8:05And if they are able to recognize that, then I say, I am not into abstracting knowledge on philosophies and esoteric disciplines, making it all so difficult. May God, where is he? Where is he? If we go, and it is recognized by the best of them to be a highly esoteric discipline, then now the discipline is there for everybody, accessible in a half hour. That means God is back. For someone who has no idea what the Wim Hof method is, how would you break it down for them and introduce them to it? It is simple. It is scientifically endorsed. And I'm inviting all the time. I got big studies done recently.
8:56They are into publishing. And it all shows the effectivity to go past our normal control, willful control within our bodies. What if we could control emotion? What if we could control the deep autonomic nervous system, the immune system? Those matters are now present and shown in science that we are able to control that. So that is based through very simple techniques. And what would change if we could control those before we know the techniques? If we could control those systems, what does that mean for humans? What are the benefits? There are multiple benefits from inflammation. Inflammation is the cause and effect of actually every disease.
9:46And we showed that people injected with a bacteria could withstand the influence of the bacteria on the immune system. Thus, the inflammation which normally happens within that controlled experiment, this time it doesn't happen. So people bring down the cause and effect of disease, which is inflammation. And we showed that in science. Now we see where we are in the world with the COVID. When there was COVID, we had to talk in medicines and pills. It's all money, money, money, money, money. So I'm into healing, into bringing down inflammation. That is what I give to people within an hour. The techniques come within an hour before they thought, But how much time does it take for people to learn what you can do, bringing down the inflammation after an injection of a bacteria?
10:49Does it take a year, one and a half year? I said 10 days. And then it became four days. And now it's a half hour. So better control over the immune system. Better control over the central nervous system, which includes our emotions. So our emotions become much more pacified by doing this. And you learn to clean the biochemical residue, which is the result of our daily life, hectic daily, modern life. So we bring our emotion, learn to regulate our emotions. We get a lot more energy because of the cardiovascular fitness workout, a cold shower. It's so easy also. It's remarkable. There was just last week I was in Poland with 500 people in the mountains.
11:44And it was one guy saying, I'm doing the cold and I'm doing this. But my results get lower. I say, come forward. Come here on stage. How many push-ups can you do? And he said, 15. Now, breathe this way for 30 times. Fully in. Let it go. Fully and be with your mind in one thing. You give the best you got. That's all. Follow your breath. Fully and fully. 30 times. 30 times. Last time, he fully in, let it go. On empty lungs, he did 40 push-ups. You see, the breath is power. If you know how to manipulate the nervous system, then you are able to generate a much greater power and you're breathing in through your nose and out yeah that does does not matter so much doesn't matter whether you breathe out through your mouth or out through your nose yeah it matters a little they say the nitrogen and through the nose and but if you do it such a short period of time you go just into the depth of the whole body.
13:02You cleanse the body of its biochemical residue, which is caused by stress of daily life. And therefore, just breathe. Don't think about nasal breathing, you know, Surya Beda Tattva and Chandra Beda Tattva and Kumbhakas and all that. No, don't be, no difficulties. If we go back to Patanjali, Patanjali says in the beginning,
13:35or yoga is the silencing of the modifications of the thinking brain then the seer appears that unconditional power that is where i am aiming at i just want to go through the conditioned mind and body. And we are doing the studies with the psychiatrists, neuroscientists, immunologists, and it shows that we go where in science was stated, this is not possible for humans, etc. And now it is. And that's my aim. Within a half hour, I want people to feel their real power. So the first step is 30 breaths, full breaths in and out. Yes. And do you recommend this doing this first thing in the morning or is there a sense?
14:25An empty stomach is, of course, the best. When you take a shower, take also a cold shower and try it out once. How many push-ups can you do? If you look to this podcast and you do only this biohacking great trick, 30 times fully in relax on a chair or you sit on the ground and you you know how many push-ups you can do you want to see how you can influence the neuromuscular mechanisms in the body for power just use your breath it's so simple it's really interesting because if you look at boxes they all know the value of breath. If you look at athletes, they all know the value of the breath. If you look at musicians who play wind instruments, they know the value of the breath.
15:20If you look at singers, they know the value of the breath. So this is something that we've known, but for some reason, we haven't applied it to normal life because we all are athletes in our own way in an everyday life. And I think we've lost connection with that. I remember when the first day I went to join the monastery in India, I saw a young monk teaching younger monks. And I went up to that young monk, he was like 10 or 11 years old. And I said, what did you teach them? And he said, it's their first day of school. And I said, oh, well, what did you teach them? And he said, what did you learn on your first day of school?
15:56And I said, maybe ABC, one, two, three, I can't remember. And he said, well, I just taught them how to breathe. And I said, what do you mean you taught them how to breathe oh but this is important jay here in america with the shootings in the school to simplify a monkey has difficulties learning how to swim and a fish has difficulties learning how to climb our minds and every person is different some fit into the system and some don't they get conflict with their identity. And so much when the stress comes in and they still have to perform and give results and cognitively keep on and they feel not good compared to others and all that might jeopardize the identity.
16:47And that goes in many cases to where they lose it. then they shoot their father their mother their siblings and then the people because they are completely lost we should bring a regulation of emotions done by breathing as you say he was totally right this man that was probably the best lesson you got the inquisitive nature always brings about answers. Yeah, absolutely. And he was saying the same thing as you're saying. He said that your breath is the only thing that stays with you from the moment you're born to the moment you die. He said, you'll change your country, you'll change your family, you'll change your friends, like things change, but your breath is always with you.
17:37And he said, what changes when you're happy? Your breath. What changes when you're sad? Your breath. What changes when you're angry? Your breath. And so he said to me, if you learn to manage your breath, you'll be able to manage any emotion in life, exactly like what you're saying. So you have these three pillars, breathing exercises, commitment, and then you have the cold. What is commitment? What do you mean by that? With commitment, just do it. Just do it regardless. And stay in that discipline. In the end, if you go into an ice bath, you learn to control your thoughts because you learn to shut up.
18:14if you want it yes or no you learn to surrender let the body do what the body is capable of once you get that you get a control like in the beginning you said intention intention is interoception and now we found in detroit top down regulated interoception which is interoceptive focus and that is the will able to enter into the body and to readjust what needs to be what is out of balance to reconnect with the body that is what the cult learns to shut up and to connect with the body let the body do what the body is capable and then you become aware that you suddenly willfully are able to control, to make stronger your body without moving.
19:05And that is top yoga, like dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Those things are now here. And we have seen that it activates the corona radiata and the corona radiata, the nerve endings in the human brain, which is the crown chakra. The crown endings, the corona radiata, the radiant crown, it now is able to be activated by us because we learn to surrender. That means we learn to let go. And then we are able to full bloom activate our brain capacity like 100 % willfully. That's where we are. In India, in Bangalore, I'm going to receive this prize award for excellence in yoga. What is excellence in yoga? Yoga means connecting.
20:02That's what I bring about. And make it simple. Breathing is so much more important than we can cover within this hour, within this podcast. just try it out once embrace the full power partial conditioned mind and body through breathing and we have simplified these techniques now and made it so accessible that the esoteric disciplines of all the religions they come knocking at our door they say this is highly esoteric. This is mystical. And this is here awaiting for any person because God or what is mystical should be there for everybody. Absolutely. Every time. Absolutely. All the time. So you recommend that if ideally people do this on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, it's going to allow them to have more clarity.
21:01It's going to allow them to have more energy. It's going to allow them to focus better. Yes. It cleanses completely. It's going to emphatic system all our daily habits activities result in stress biochemical residue it accumulates in our bodies and if we don't clean it then it obstructs our quality of life how does breathing clean it if we do these breathing sessions within four rounds you will be able to get into the the deepest of all systems to the deepest to the bone marrow to the deepest of your brain and learn to connect willfully how does it work if we do this breathing we blow off the carbon dioxide and then the alkalinity in the blood goes way up when it goes way up you can exhale and be without the need to breathe because breathing is because you become acidic now the acid is out of the body and you are very alkaline so you are able to stay one and a half minute two minutes without breathing after exhalation now what happens in the brainstem the reptilian the crocodile brain it says you are not breathing this is dangerous it doesn't look to ph levels in the blood is it alkaline or no it looks to oxygen and oxygen is completely depleted and when that happens then the brainstem which is connected to the adrenal axis that is the third eye pituitary gland hypothalamus and the adrenal glands then it activates the adrenal axis just to spike once in the body with twice as much adrenaline than a person who goes for the first time into a bungee jump in fear wow they have measured the blood of the people going into a bungee jump with fear for vertical.
23:13They took their blood and they took the blood of the people doing this breathing technique. And then they saw twice as much adrenal spike in the blood for people doing this breathing technique. Now, what happens with that double dose of adrenaline? It goes like hormones into the spinal fluid. And this is where we manipulate this breathing techniques, manipulation of the ki, the chi, the prana. There's 10 kinds, but hey, prana, we call it prana. So we get it sublimed, but we make it simple. We say fully in, 30 times breathing, and then exhale and stop. And you don't feel the need to breathe. Now, after one and a half minute, what happens if you don't breathe, five times more blood flows into the brain.
24:11Five times more blood flows into the heart. Nobody knew until they did cardio films on this. And they say, this is the future. This diagnostic, cardiology, this is for the future. Breathing techniques. Because it flushes like a battery the heart if it functions to less and that's terrible if you got a heart that is not strong enough you can make it stronger just through doing this and five times more fluid into the brain is flushing it and now because there's twice as much adrenaline and hormonally in it it cleanses everything anything that should not be there that is inflammatory markers but also pfas also microplastics also mrna techniques uh technology uh whatever the shit is and radio waves biochemical residue they're from all that has influence and we don't know how to clean it through doing this, you just clean it.
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28:46Thanks for taking a moment for that. Now back to the discussion. It's such an interesting prospect that we've been given the technology in how we've been created in order to cleanse, to survive, to live, to heal. Yeah. But obviously, you know, today, so many people are struggling with anxiety. And a lot of people listening today, people may have anxiety about meeting new people. People have anxiety about their work. People have anxiety about relationships. There's so much anxiety in the world. How can this help someone who's struggling with anxiety? Is there a different breathing practice or is it the same one?
29:24Exactly the same one. The simplicity is the power. so just try it out you will be able to cleanse that what obstructs you the quality of your life under performance when you need to perform a really could be a relationship could be having a new job interview could be a presentation on stage whatever is important to you there you want to feel more than normal in a functional power that one needs cleaning and this one does it this takes it away because your body knows exactly what you are up against but it is saying hey you are anxious because you cannot function the way you actually want because you're the shit inside and we need to get it out.
30:17That's what it is saying. So anxiety actually is a neurosignal, so tell it, hey, clean up before you go up. And you will see that these simple breathing techniques will lead to suddenly, oh, it's easy on stage. All these, the aha, elableness comes by itself. Is it true that this can also help us get less sick, less often? Absolutely. It has been shown in a scientific comparative study. People injected with the bacteria causing inflammation. That means fever, headaches, vomiting, nausea, muscle aches, back aches. But really, three to six hours is a controlled experiment. 16 ,000 became very sick.
31:05And the 12 I trained, not sick. and we already showed this in 2014 bacteria e. coli virus it's all the same we have like you said we got the mechanisms but we don't make use of our inner nature anymore to take down what should not be in there like sickness like anxiety depression inflammation or of any kind and it is preventative as well the thing is if you do this in the morning preemptively then you your day you are able to accumulate a lot of stress without feeling that you cannot deal with it yeah yeah that's clean yeah right it's almost like we could actually deal with more stress than we believe if we were able to be in a state.
32:03And then you come into this emotional, spiritual state to take on challenges because you feel suddenly, you don't feel that awkward anxiety, fear. You don't feel it anymore. And that makes you able to go into the challenges of life. You're saying something really important here, but I think the challenge that people have is we've become seekers of an even more comfortable life. if you look at everything we're creating around us it's so we can be more comfortable be more safe and I mean even physically comfortable and we don't want to do something too challenging we don't want to do something that's uncomfortable we don't seek discomfort so how do we encourage people to transform our mind to realize that discomfort is what creates goodness in life and comfort is what creates more problems later down the line exactly that So comfort is a false feeling.
33:03It is in the long term, it's really getting to you and it will cause psychosomatic disturbances in the body. It will heap up, accumulate. The body needs cleaning. And for that, we need to go into a certain kind of stress. if we stress our bodies up consciously we learn to connect with the stress mechanisms in the brain and body and with that the stress in daily life because if you're escaping into comfort behavior will not make you strong for the the shit that is going to happen anyway so better be ready before it and we provide with these simple techniques not only the the ability to tackle stress in life effectively but also directly when you did it when you take a cold show you feel good yeah for sure you give a little you get so much more back yeah and for people who are not motivated to do this don't wait until the shit comes to you you go to the shit i say always if you don't go to the cold the cold will come to you and then you don't like it so too much disease too much anxiety too much depression too much darkness all is happening too much stress it's all happening we know this and we found a way to deal with it we found the key and we just want to hand over out of love and respect to the person this key when i first started i think i mean i took cold showers when i was in the monastery it was very normal but the first time i did a cold plunge was probably around four or five years ago as well and i can honestly say that as someone who has tried to get massages to like feel relaxed and de-stressed and they probably get me to like a 70, 80%, but sitting in the cold and doing the contrast therapy of maybe 10 to 15 minutes in a sauna and maybe three to five minutes in the cold and then doing it three times over, I have never felt that level of relaxation or slept better than when I've done the cold, whether it's in the morning or the evening that day.
35:31The whole body just feels loose in a way that I've never felt. You'd assume it feels tight, like you think when you get in the cold that your body's just gonna like hold on but it doesn't it does the opposite yes and when you get out you almost feel so much looser calmer less stressed but that's not what the mind thinks the mind thinks it's probably gonna be really it is it is challenging in the beginning for sure the first time i did it i was in there for four minutes because i was doing it with a friend and we were trying to encourage each other but for someone who gets in there and just wants to get out in the first 10 seconds how did they get more comfortable with that discomfort what should they do if they're in there for 10 seconds they're like i need to get out like how do you get over that hunch i just know that this really will bring about a much greater uh control over stress in your daily life you only have to go through this say a minute once you are a minute in and anybody can do it last weekend i had people of 80 years who never had been in an ice bath they went in for 10 minutes 10 minutes and they loved it i mean young people should not be in the mind thinking learn to be in the body and then know that you are able to enter into the body into the depth and that will be yours for 10 seconds yes that is your reaction of a body that never has been in the cold but you are very able let me be very clear about it you as a young person i'm talking to the person who's watching this you are very capable of staying one minute and what happens then your body is adapted what that means is that your inner power is on and it's connecting to your will and with that you learn to take on stress of daily life which you don't need to escape of anymore you are able to confront yourself with difficult situations in all the other areas.
37:45So that little bit of a cold you're going to endure is going to give you so much more back. It's funny how the mind, when you're not, when you're in it and you finish it, you have a great experience. And then the mind's like, I don't want to do it again. It's really hard, like whatever. And then you have to keep reminding yourself. And I've, I've learned over time that things that are good for you feel good after and things that are bad for you feel good before, right? Anything that's bad for you feels good before. You want to eat badly. You want to drink badly. You want to do anything. It feels amazing before.
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38:20And then afterwards, it's like poison. It's like pain. But anything that's good for you before you do it, you're stressed, you're nervous. But then after you do it, you feel the benefits and you have to keep reminding yourself of that value because it's so easy to lose. Wim, how did you even discover the power of breath work and the power of cold. How did you even come to this for yourself? Yes, I was a young kid and very much in the head. What were you worried about as a young kid? Because I feel like now - About life. What were you worried about? I'm intrigued because I think - My career, my this, my that, what I'm going to do.
38:55Same stuff. Yeah, the same stuff as anybody. So I read a lot and I was philosophizing a lot, debate, running in my head, crazy. And then one day I found this irrational attraction intuitively to go into cold water. And when I did that, this circling, this ruminating, yes, stopped right there. This is it. I was looking in philosophies and religions. What is it? What is love? It's in you. It's there. It's alive. It's past thinking. And it's here now. And the cold has opened that up to me past my conditioning. Whatever I had learned, those are patterns. They keep you running in the same conditioning and can be very stubborn.
39:58But the cold was there and it went just straight through by which I started. I never stopped it when I was 17. So for you, it was almost the cold became the pathway to enlightenment to yourself. Yes. That that was the pathway because it just stopped the chatter. You can't hear the noise because the noise becomes, well, initially the noise becomes, oh God, it's so cold. Then what happens? Walk us through what that journey was. I think I was ready to take on that challenge within me to get rid of the chatter. What is that what makes me connect instead of chattering? I can say, oh, I meditate and I do this and I do yogic postures and I'm very good at it all and philosophy.
40:50That one I was looking for. I found it. And right now, right now, it shows in a big study we did, it's submitted at Nature, there's a big scientific paper with 500 people. And it says they compared it to meditation and mindfulness. So that the stress as stress tools, mindfulness and meditation stress tools in the corporate world. So we took people out of the corporate world, from the corporate world with a lot of stress. We took them and we went through and doing this cold practice and the breathing. And it shows that it is able to make this ruminating through the stress of daily life and having to perform and compete constantly.
41:40Very high up, the Price House Water Coopers people. They are not into yoga or into whatever exercise. They need to perform with numbers, accountancy, and it's very strenuous and arduous and all that. They did this and they compared thus the meditation and the mindfulness with this. And it showed that this is generating much more stress resilience, much higher cognitive awareness and less stress experience. And beyond all, much more trust in each other. interoception interoceptive being they just had these feelings and they expressed it 500 people what i want to say with that this running which i had a lot of people have and it is not just thinking it is related to the central nervous system and the stress accumulates in biochemistry that is wrong by which we have no control over it.
42:48And that is anxiety. And now we have the ability to make it go away. The cold did it for me. Then I started to do the breathing because I found out in the cold, if I do a slower breathing deeply, I'm able to stay longer in icy water. Yes. And those were the findings. This is almost 50 years ago. and now and then i started to cultivate hey if that happens in the water what happens when i do it out of the water at home and i did it and then i saw all the chakras old all what i have been reading for the first time i saw it all but that's not the goal the goal is the soul goal is god's providence to be direct here past the chatterbox and how to surrender how to let go how to uh not think but be and there you automatically naturally from there you come into your purpose yeah and this this podcast is on purpose the purpose of life itself everybody is different but everybody has a purpose from the heart not thinking from the mind the heart is able to give confidence and trust and that power that goes and takes on the challenges of life because the soul is indestructible and there is no fear not even for death because you are doing exactly why you are here for and you feel it because god is at your side is here and that made me a first breakthrough with the cold then the breathing and then i learned to control which i showed in sydney lately in a brain scan nine and a half thousand brain scans showed more or less the bandwidth of what the brain activities in humans.
44:55I did nothing in the brain scan and I was within the bandwidth of the brain activity of these people. And then I did what you did in the beginning, intention. I went out for half hour, did some breathing exercises, but very strong intention and let it be. Your body knows when you talk to it. that's a pure interoception and you know how to move it if you just have that faith that power that interoception that's what i did and then i went back in to the same brain scan and then the professor saw what he never had seen before such a activity of the subcortical full higher functioning of the brain that is confidence fantasy creativity trust empathy all those areas now willfully completely activated he saw this and this people say hey you are the ice man you can do this no no no no no excuse i only show what we all can do And then places like here, a podcast, a platform, which you made available, which is great work.
46:15Thank you. Thank you. For the whole wide world. They say, make America healthy. I say, let's make the whole wide world healthy. And it happens through these things. Absolutely. Faith. Something you said just really stood out to me in a way that it hasn't before. and you just said that when we talk to our body, it hears us. And I was just thinking in a really simple way. When I think to myself, I'm going to take a glass of water. That is me talking to my body. Yes. And my body just did that. Yeah. And then I'm like, oh yeah, I'm going to drink some water and then I drink. And it's like, I am talking to my body, even in the simplest of tasks that I do every day.
46:57Because when we hear, oh, you can talk to your body and it hears, You think it's some mystical thing. But the truth is we're all doing it right now. Like even me lifting my hand, I'm first thinking it and I'm talking to myself, I'm about to lift my hand. I'm going to shake Wim's hand. I'm going to meet him. I'm going to greet him. I'm already doing that. But then we forget that we can also code our mind and our body with emotion, with intention, with feelings, with states. With the purpose of life. With the purpose, yeah. And getting there and make the impossible happening past our conditioned mind and body.
47:34That now is on the threshold. I'm working with these universities and showing, for example, 26 people, emotional distress. They cannot get out of it. They got PTSD, people dying within their family, divorces, and they are really victims in that. I mean, they cannot get out of these loops. It keeps anxiety, pure anxiety. It's very tiring. They are exhausted. They went into this study. It took only one afternoon to break those patterns. Wow. And that's the way. And you know what happens the next thing is that they got the feeling that they got the steering wheel. Their confidence suddenly is there.
48:24And suddenly they feel their purpose of life that they can take on the challenges. 26 people. We just did the study scientifically and all. That shows that we're not only here to drink a glass of water. We are here to drink the full cup of life and to pass it on to our kids. fully in confidence and trust and in love and beauty and power and energy and flow make a paradise. I'm here to show scientifically that autonomy is ours, that we have a control far deeper than in science was thought possible, but now it's here. And through the pharmaceutical industry and the whole industry and the governments they are quite ignorant let me tell you that so we need to stand up like podcasts like this we need to become autonomous not believe in governments but govern ourselves because we are good people all all this so where we got our soil is goodness deriving from and we should be able to have faith in the goodness of ourselves and we bring through these tools autonomy to the people so they feel confident that they have control over the subcortical areas of the brain called the subconscious and all they told us that is only 16 % that we can control.
50:06It's 100. Sorry, it's 100. And I'm showing that in brain scans. And now we are shown with cannabinoid receptors, how we are able to create flow in the body, which is a natural state of ours. We only got conditioned. And if we look at society, too many wars, too many depression too many inflammation too many anxiety and all we can shoot people to the moon let's become happy strong and healthy i made a song on that by the way it's called sat chit ananda oh wow my roots are in india do you do you practice mantra meditation as well like as you were just singing and chanting right now i did a lot of that yeah well now mantras the repetitive citing words sounds i'm singing yeah all day should be meditation yes yes yes yes yeah it's the culture of india yeah yeah it's not even just repetition of word it's singing it's dancing it's chanting it's it's really beautiful meditation should be your natural joyful yeah yes yeah yeah absolutely absolutely yeah it's almost like a it's a soundtrack to your life that's how i think about it when i think about mantra meditation it's it's almost like you're listening to a soundtrack but the soundtrack's within your own heart and consciousness yeah and that repeated is kind of creating the rhythm of your life yeah if you if you sing you love it yeah you can yell out at your heart you you let your heart breathe it feels great Before we dive into the next moment, let's hear from our sponsors.
51:55This episode of On Purpose is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. I believe that travel is one of the greatest gifts that we've ever been given, and Chase Sapphire Reserve has been my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Every time I travel, I find a part of myself I didn't know was missing. I remember being in this small town, completely unplugged, and for the first time in a while, I felt still. Travel does that. It grounds you, expands you, and connects you to something deeper. That's why I'm always looking for experiences that go beyond the typical. Chase Sapphire Reserve makes traveling a breeze, earning 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel, and granting access to Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide.
52:45No matter my destination, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more with Chase Sapphire Reserve at chase.com forward slash sapphire reserve. Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., member FDIC, subject to credit approval, terms apply. Okay, I'm going to assume that everybody messages their friends. I'm also going to assume you've run into some issues when messaging, especially during group chats. I know I have. One time I sent a message way too fast, full of typos, and everyone had to guess what I was even trying to say. WhatsApp can help. First, you can message privately with everyone, even if you're all using totally different phones.
53:33It just works. Sent a message too fast and instantly regretted it? No problem, just edit it. And when the chat gets a little too intense, you can switch to a group video call and actually talk it out. Photos and videos come through super clear and messages get delivered without weird gaps or delays. Plus, WhatsApp has so many great features like polls, pinned messages, and even event invites with RSVPs so planning stuff doesn't just turn into a mess. I mean, it just makes a lot of sense. It's time for WhatsApp. Message privately with everyone. This is Jay Shetty from On Purpose. And if you've ever felt like you've lost touch with yourself, try changing your surroundings, even for just a few days.
54:22Delta recently invited four creators to do just that. Two trips, one question. What if travel isn't just movement, but recharging in motion? In Seattle, they focused on routine and self-care. Gym time, grounding walks and meditation. In Copenhagen, they let go. Biking saunas and embracing the moment. And what surprised them most? Their usual stress faded. They felt clearer, calmer, more connected. And Oura Ring data backed it up. Based on their Oura Ring sleep scores, everyone met the day feeling more rested. And their bodies moved more, without even trying. Travel gave them space to practice self-care.
55:03and not restriction, but balance. And the best part, that sense of well-being didn't end when they got home. With Delta, fly and live better. Explore the whole journey on Delta's YouTube channel. And back to our episode. I wanted to talk to you about willpower because you talk a lot about willpower and you talk about how people with low willpower make poorer choices in life. Can you define for us what willpower is in your opinion? willpower is the ability to have control within it's the six cents seven cents and eight cents willpower dharana concentration if i stay one hour in icy water i need dharana i need concentration i need to control my core body temperature to control the nervous system while I'm in this very stressful environment and stay there.
56:01This is willfully connecting and that makes my body strong. So anytime I need to concentrate using that connection with my central nervous system, which I exercised in cold water, and it doesn't need an hour. It only needs you adapting. Adapting is two, three minutes. then you are naturally connected with your central nervous system, which is the instrument of the willpower. You just need to learn to connect. Don't make it too complicated in yourself because it hasn't got to do anything with your thinking. It's taking on the challenge and your body adapts. It doesn't matter what it is, heat, cold, stress on the stage, it doesn't matter.
56:55you learn to take on instead of ruminating about it you you go into it because you have control of the central nervous system which is a connection of the prefrontal cortex and the central nervous system is everywhere and it adapts how far do you want to go i tell people yeah if i get people motivated last time i went on the kilimanjaro in shorts it was with a man was 76 years old 76 he had no experience in climbing he was suffering from lyme's disease is a debilitating condition and uh he had to go in shorts and he wanted to do this in record time what young people cannot do so and i looked in his eyes and i saw connection i saw motivation motivation is the right connection with your central nervous you really want it because you really are there and i went with him and this is a mountain you can do between five and nine days fully dressed because it's very cold up there and it's half the oxygen and less and you need oxygen to combust for energy and it's not there so five to nine days and then 40 only summit fully dressed this man did it in 31 hours in his shorts what you know what happened his Lyme's disease was also gone at the same time.
58:37What is willpower? It's there. Do you got it? Do you really want it? It's there. And it's not complicated. Wow. And you can test it that it is able to go way past what you think you can do. And it takes a half hour. Just try this out. We simplify these techniques to make it usable tools. Then it's only a matter of choice. What do you want with it? Because you will be able, as you shoot, owning your own mind and body in its full splendor. Wim, you've done so many difficult, challenging things. You encourage people to do them with you as well. what's the hardest thing you believe you've ever overcome?
59:29Well, at a certain moment, I could do a world record every day. You know, you get your body ready, and the connection is in the flow. Every day you can run a marathon barefoot outside in the snow or stay two hours in icy water, do crazy stuff. And at a certain moment, I was thinking to myself, actually I don't want some ridiculous new challenge doing showing I showed enough and what I want right now and that is might be the most difficult is to settle down and to let hundreds of millions of people are doing what I'm doing now this is real with or without my name Doesn't matter. I started this.
1:00:22This is my mission. My mother told me to do this and to be the missionary. I did it. I got to the Catholic Church itself, to the esoteric departments of the Catholic Church. The best of them, they came to me. My mother is in peace. So right now, I want to go on. I want to go on on my own. And the challenge is I want to reach billions of people, which is happening. That is the power of faith that keeps on going when actually I thought I did my mission. I will be keeping on going because actually normal life is a bit boring. I want to change the world. And it can be difficult. I don't care. I love.
1:01:12Well, Wim, I think it's very clear that you have no doubt been the modern greatest proponent of breathwork, of spending time in the cold and cold exposure. I don't think there's anyone else who has not only popularized, but taught those principles and made them as big and as famous and popular as they are now. And honestly, all that credit goes to you for sure. I don't think those conversations were being had in the modern world. And so I thank you for doing that because it's such a great unlock for the world to recognize the power that can be there for free, right? It's like you don't have to pay for breath work.
1:01:52You don't have to pay to have a cold shower every day. Freedom is for free. Exactly. Autonomy is there. And we want to bring, that is love. We want to bring love to the people. We want them to be able to feel good whenever they feel bad. You do that. I do that. That's why we are here talking to each other. Five years ago, we talked. And it's the same right there. That's the war we're going to win. Absolutely. General. Yes. Your energy is infectious. I love it. It's such a like. And my team was telling me, just to let everyone know. My team was telling me, you walked here today. to my house. How long was that journey?
1:02:36An hour and a quarter. Oh, is that all? Yeah, yeah, okay. Yeah, it's pretty impressive. I think it might have taken people a bit longer than that. Yeah. It was a nice walk. I was way too early here. But I enjoyed it. You live everything. Like it was hot today. It was a hotter day in LA. You walked here from your hotel or wherever you're staying. Like it's amazing because you live and breathe this. Like this is who you are And some of my friends, Lewis Howes is a good friend of mine, and he brought a lot of friends to you a few years ago in Poland. They had the best time. And everyone came out of that just saying they couldn't believe how much time they spent in the cold.
1:03:17And I think that's my favorite thing about what you unlock for people, beyond the breath, beyond the cold, is we don't know what we're capable of. We have no idea what this body and this mind is capable of doing. and if everyone listening and watching can remember that you are so much more capable than you believe you are, you're able to do so much more than you think you can, your mind and body are so much stronger than you believe they are, if you walk away with that message from today, that will change your life. Because in your head, you think you're a lot more limited than you actually are.
1:03:52If people take one message, love is where you are able to make that what is going bad within, Good. And that love we want to share and it's not complicated. Just try it out once and then you will see for yourself, feeling is understanding. Wim, a couple of last questions. We've talked about the like mental and physical health benefits. What benefits do you see for society at large if they practice your method? I think it is the soul itself. We are now being approached, I was in the Middle East, with the Catholic Church, with the highest esoteric departments about providence or God's providence and mortification about deep religious practices.
1:04:46They are taking this all on and see that God's presence itself comes much better toward the moment again. And that is unconditional love to me. And that is now accessible also for anybody else. So we made God accessible, the unconditional love accessible, just by learning how to surrender and to show scientifically that we are capable of controlling this deep autonomic nervous system, central nervous system, much better than we have learned in our schools to battle inflammation, depression, and energy itself. It's all there and it's not complicated. If you take something away, just do it once.
1:05:42How can people understand that breathing and being in the cold and surrendering ultimately leads you to God? because I think a lot of people are doing it. They do it for the health benefits. They do it for the physical benefits. They may not even understand the concept of surrender, which is what's actually happening when you're in the water. You have to. How do you connect that dot for people or is it just something people have to do and they'll get there? During this conversation, we already actually talked about it. It's your purpose. Yes, yes, yes. Once you are driven by your purpose, it's like if you love somebody, you just, there's nothing that can stop you.
1:06:21If you get your purpose by learning to control fear, to have a deeper control over the central nervous system inside, which we showed within a half hour, then suddenly fear doesn't block you anymore. The quality of life doesn't, you take on the challenges. Suddenly our nature is to take on challenges, to take away blockages, to live up to our purpose, and our purpose is rooted in goodness. And once we are in that power, we are stronger than what we think because love is stronger than what you think. That is happening. I'm not going to go into philosophies because this is not about philosophies, But the best philosophers, they come now saying they are recognizing that the real core principle of the best of philosophy is being done by doing this.
1:07:25so i take that but this is not my starting point yet i i take it as hey these people they are experts in those fields of what is god how to behave there how to do how to practice and all they are coming and they say that this and it makes sense to me but i say feeling is understanding If you do this, then God will be there. Have no doubt, God's presence is a goodness that is rooted within every person in the world. And this makes all the blockages go away. You connect and your purpose is like a flower. It's like a strong power that goes past your thinking. Wim, last question. You've talked before about this, but you talked about losing your wife and how that was such a transformative moment in your life, even though it was tragic.
1:08:28And you've talked today about the definition of love is being able to transform something that felt like pain into something good or purposeful. What helped you grieve and what helped you walk through that grief? Yeah, grief. And we did lately a grief study, and that shows within one afternoon, people are able to get out of these patterns. Through breathwork. Yes, because neurologically you are connected with the love of your life. She was the mother of my four children, and she still is. And we got completely honored. She is here, the afterlife. But that is another discussion. She is here. She's with us.
1:09:14And I'm with her children. And we have a very successful enterprise in the whole world on breathing. A mission to bring love and how to de-block. So when I went grieving about losing her in a suicide, the mother of my children, the love of my life, nothing could help me except for going into cold water. cold waters makes your mind shut up different areas of the brain suddenly start to be activated the sense of life the the brainstem is about survival just to live what is the purpose of life to be alive fully so it started over there it opened a little bit my grief it stopped my grief in those moments by which i opened up to myself and there the healing started i became a person missing my wife missing the mother but i made my family for my family my kids with very little money a warm nest and a lot of energy and that's because i could heal within and we still have her in all our honor and we can still think about all the emotions but here we are from there from that negative story this movement now is evolving so i've learned of the grief i've learned of my negativity inside my darkness inside and come out and so can anybody else this is what we are showing now in scientific studies people who also have loss of family members or divorces can be very strong inside or ptsd the the gruesome situations of war in inside and you can't change your your behavior anymore you're in despair this breaks it so it broke me back then and i had to find it, it's science.
1:11:42And it works for millions of people. Wim, I thank you for your work. I'm grateful to have spoken to you twice. I'm hoping that everyone who's listening and watching downloads the Wim Hof Method to actually practice it, to breathe every morning. What I really wish for you is that for the next seven days, just seven days, if you can start your day with the Wim Hof method on an empty stomach. Just watch how your life changes. Just seven days of either the breath work or the cold shower, whichever one you can. If you can do both, amazing, but just either one of them and just watch how your life changes because this is all about testing.
1:12:23It's all about practicing. It's all about building it. And I don't want you to think that you've got to learn a new technique or whatever it may be. This is really, really simple. Wim's made it absolutely accessible for each and every one of us and I think one of the things that I'm going to do based off of this is just constantly remind myself that whenever you think you've reached a limit to realize that that's actually not the limit your mind and body can do so much more so thank you so much Wim please read the Wim Hof Method download the Wim Hof Method follow Wim on social media across platforms and Wim I'm sure we're going to meet again and continue this mission together.
1:13:06I love your work. I love yours. I respect it and thank you so much. I came yesterday all the way out of Europe and tonight I fly on. Maybe not so good for the ecological footprint, but I had to see you. I had to be with you. And it's worthwhile all. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you so much for listening to this conversation. If you enjoyed it, you'll love my chat with Adam Grant on why discomfort is the key to growth and the strategies for unlocking your hidden potential. If you know you want to be more and achieve more this year, go check it out right now. You set a goal today, you achieve it in six months, and then by the time it happens, it's almost a relief.
1:13:51There's no sense of meaning and purpose. You sort of expected it and you would have been disappointed if it didn't happen. This is an ad by BetterHelp. We've all had that epic rideshare experience. Halfway through, you're best friends, and they know your aspirations to go find yourself in Portugal. It's human. We're all looking for someone to listen. But not everyone is equipped to help. With over a decade of experience, BetterHelp matches you with the right therapist. See why they have a 4.9 rating out of 1.7 million client session reviews. Visit BetterHelp.com for 10 % off your first month. This episode of On Purpose is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve.
1:14:32I believe that travel is one of the greatest gifts that we've ever been given. And Chase Sapphire Reserve has been my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times the points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel. And even access to one-of-a-kind experiences. Experiences like music festivals and sporting events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. Travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Trust me. Discover more at chase.com forward slash sapphire reserve.
1:15:10Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA. Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Terms apply. This is Jay Shetty from On Purpose. If you've ever felt off balance, sometimes a change of scenery is the best reset. Delta invited four creators to explore one idea. What if travel isn't just movement, but recharging in motion? And the results? Based on their Aura Ring sleep scores, everyone met the day feeling more rested. And a sense of clarity stayed long after the trip. With Delta, fly and live better. explore the whole journey on Delta's YouTube channel. This is an iHeart Podcast.
From the publisher
How do you usually calm down?
Have you heard about breathing for anxiety relief?
Today, Jay welcomes back world-renowned breathwork pioneer and “Iceman” Wim Hof to explore how the human body and mind are capable of far more than we believe. Together, they dive into the origins of the Wim Hof Method and how it harnesses the transformative power of breath, cold exposure, and commitment to unlock profound healing, emotional resilience, and spiritual clarity.
Wim shares the emotional story of how his mother’s invocation at his birth and the tragic loss of his wife became catalysts for his life’s mission: to help others reconnect with their inner strength and soul purpose. He explains how breathwork and cold immersion can help regulate the nervous system, reduce inflammation, conquer anxiety, and even break through grief and trauma. Jay and Wim also discuss the simplicity of the method, its scientific validation, and how surrender and intention unlock states of consciousness once thought to be out of reach.
In this interview, you'll learn:
How to Reduce Inflammation Naturally with Breathing Techniques
How to Strengthen Your Immune System in Just 30 Minutes
How to Calm Anxiety Through Simple Daily Breathwork
How to Access Inner Peace by Controlling Your Breath
How to Unlock Your True Potential in Just One Week
You are far more powerful than you realize. Whether you're battling anxiety, feeling stuck, or simply looking to reconnect with yourself, the tools you need are already within you—your breath, your body, and your willingness to try.
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
Safety Disclaimer:
Don't do the Wim Hof breathing in a swimming pool, before going underwater, beneath the shower, or piloting any vehicle. Always practice sitting or lying down in a safe environment. 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!
Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
00:41 Dedicating a Life to Wellness
05:04 The Benefits of the Wim Hof Method Explained
11:31 Unlocking the Untapped Power of Breath
13:45 Gaining Full Control Over Your Mind and Body
17:59 Cleansing the Body Through Proper Breathing
22:24 The Science-Backed Truth About Anxiety
24:11 Can Breathing Right Strengthen Immunity?
25:54 How Discomfort Training Builds Stress Resilience
28:22 Training the Body to Embrace Cold Plunges
31:37 The Origin Story of the Wim Hof Method
33:43 Finding Mental Clarity Through Cold Exposure
40:01 Simple Steps to Take Charge of Your Life
44:23 Exploring the Practice of Mantra Meditation
45:22 Defining and Strengthening Willpower
49:26 Overcoming Life’s Most Difficult Challenges
51:20 How to Self Soothe on Emotionally Tough Days
52:35 Revealing the Hidden Strength of the Body
54:21 How Ice Baths Can Benefit Society
55:49 The Role of Surrender in Facing Fear
58:22 Healing Grief Through Cold Plunge Practices
Episode Resources:
Wim Hof | Website
Wim Hof | Instagram
Wim Hof | X
Wim Hof | Facebook
Wim Hof | TikTok
Wim Hof | YouTube
The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
