POISCENTER
General Category => General POIS Discussions => Topic started by: Aladin on February 08, 2020, 07:28:44 AM
-
Has anyone already tried the Wim Hof method?
The guy claims to be able to control his immune system and autonomous nervous system with breathing exercises, meditation and ice therapy.
Quite some research has been done with astonishing results: he was injected with a virus he would have conquered just with concentrating...
(his claim)
As several of us believe in an auto-immunity theory + others had effects with cold showers, this might be interesting.
I'm waiting for a friend confirming to join, and i will give it a try in March.
https://www.wimhofmethod.com/activities/whm-fundamentals-workshop-uccle-pieter-coenaerts-3#act-bring
THIS METHOD IS EXTREME
CONSULT WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE PROCEEDING !!!
-
Hi man,
I haven’t tried it. just searched this topic today, and saw your message. Seems like we had the same idea today..
anyways, I am going to give it a try, and I have access to the videos. I can share them with you if you like, I’ve saved the course on my google drive, so it’s easy to share. Just send me your email.
-
Hi there! Been doing Wim Hof method for close to a year and it has changed my life. I don?t even have to plan my ejaculation anymore. I still have some symptoms left from my 6 years of POIS but my whole life is different. Can answer questions if interest exist and i, as you probably can guess, recommend it wholeheartly. It?s free and simple to do so go ahead! :D
-
korv_mannen, welcome to the forum!
-
Korv-mannen, can you describe us what your POIS symptoms were before and after trying this method?
I started, then gave up when corona broke out: these cold showers will be for summer, once the virus is gone
-
FWIW, Wim Hof method is supposed to improve your immune system response. The cold showers are 1/3 of the method (in addition to meditation and breath work).
One would think that the cold showers are part of the formula to bolster defense against the corona virus?
Then again, the studies of Wim Hof immune response were specifically around injecting bacteria (e coli) into him and other participants, so I really don't know if or how the method can help suppress viral load. Just adding to the discussion : )
-
Great to see this topic in discussion.
I've watched a few documentaries on Wim Hof. And his breathing techniques and ability to control and monitor his internal biology is amazing.
I have not tried the breathing technique myself. But he lays it out clearly in the videos. The benefits of this technique seem quite amazing.
Wim is a "Master" On the level of a true wise man, or sensei... some say an "extreme athelete".
Just bear that in mind...
He is also 60 yrs old, which gives a lot of hope for those of us over 40! Who want to better our bodies.
-
I had tried the Wim Hof Method a couple of years back for several weeks, but then my life situation changed (moved to a different country) and I stopped. Your posts reminded me of the method, and I've picked it up again. Here is what I do:
- breathing exercise in the morning (3 cycles of deep breathing and breath-holding), followed by
- 20 minutes of yoga, followed by
- cold showers (currently still at the stage where I am starting with a warm shower, but ending cold)
I have noticed the following phenomenon: the cold showers feel energizing, but some time later (maybe an hour or so later), I feel exhausted, both mentally and physically, such that I have to stop working and want to lie down. I also feel as if my body is not generating enough heat. I remember that I had similar experiences when trying the method some years ago. When I don't take the cold shower, I don't get into the exhaustion phase, hence I attribute it to the cold showers, not to the breathing exercises.
Does anyone of you have similar experiences with exhaustion after cold-exposure?
Also: I recommend this video which discusses the science behind the Wim Hof Method: https://youtu.be/D6EPuUdIC1E
-
I have noticed the following phenomenon: the cold showers feel energizing, but some time later (maybe an hour or so later), I feel exhausted, both mentally and physically, such that I have to stop working and want to lie down. I also feel as if my body is not generating enough heat. I remember that I had similar experiences when trying the method some years ago. When I don't take the cold shower, I don't get into the exhaustion phase, hence I attribute it to the cold showers, not to the breathing exercises.
Does anyone of you have similar experiences with exhaustion after cold-exposure?
Same. I was doing it for about two months and I stopped as well.
My thought is that the Wim Hof Method (in addition to the oxygenation) increases the blood's levels of adrenaline. The sexual exhaustion theory on POIS is that there is an over-conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine, and then the excessive binding of norepinephrine on a1A receptors is what triggers the fight-or-flight sympathetic response (full POIS cascade).
The elevated levels of adrenaline in the blood only exacerbate the already burned out HPA Axis, that plus the weakened liver function is not really conditioned to handle the elevated adrenaline, thus leading to the crash.
Just a theory correlating two similar topics together.
-
Korv-mannen, can you describe us what your POIS symptoms were before and after trying this method?
I started, then gave up when corona broke out: these cold showers will be for summer, once the virus is gone
Yes. It started around 20-something with me getting really weak one day after ejaculation. Didn't matter if it was from sex or masturbation. At the culmination at around 1 year ago (i'm 31 now) i had the following symptoms that stayed for three days with me slowly recovering during those days: Mental fog, physical weakness, easily stressed, irritable, ache inside the body (hard to describe but I almost suspected arthritis or MS or something similar. The pain was really bad from time to time.), stuffed and runny nose instantly after ejaculation. Emotionally i basically went into a depressed state after each ejaculation. I also had problems with premature ejaculation and that I would ejaculate during sleep if i didn't ejaculate in some other way for approximately 10 days. So when I found this forum two years ago i was like wtf, this is a thing. I'm thankful for being able to put a name on it! :)
The symptoms also got worse by living a stressful life.
Does anyone of you have similar experiences with exhaustion after cold-exposure?
Yes, I did experience the same. It was like I couldn't regain my body heat and got fully exhausted after one or two hours just as you describe. For it to work for me I instead start with the cold shower and stand in it for a while and when i'm comfortable with the cold i take a small break and then I take a really warm shower and let the shivers out of my body. Trying to be present in my body.
So i usually start the day with the three breathing cycles. I don't do it as fast as the Wim Hof Method (WHM) because then i couldn't hold my breath as long as expected (it took time for me to find my own tempo but I think i find it and can gradually do it faster :) ).
I save my cold shower to the end of the day because of practical reasons and do as stated above. Been doing it for about ten months now and I rarely have pain. I still get weaker after ejaculation and more stress sensitive but the mental fog is mostly gone. Some days after ejaculation I even experience a higher mental clarity. It's amazing. :) My mood is still a bit negatively affected but it's usually totally manageable.
I do attribute this mainly to exercising WHM but I also, at the same time starting WHF started intermittent fasting (not eating breakfast basically) which i've continued with since and it's hard to determaine what effect comes from what but my intuition tells me that most comes from WHM.
So it's a bit of work to get it into your routine but I really believe it has helped me!
-
Hello, excuse my English, I use the translator since I only speak Spanish. I have been doing the Wim Hof method for about 23 days, the first week for me was excellent, I felt stronger, I went for a half hour walk a day, but suddenly I started to feel bad, last night I had an ejaculation and I had already done method three twice in the morning and once at night, in the morning I did it again and after doing it I began to sneeze and sneeze, feeling feverish, mental confusion, many symptoms of POIS. Has anyone continued with this method? How have you felt since then? I would like to know new experiences. Thanks and regards
-
up
-
I was feeling like complete XXXX today. Then I opened a video in youtube and followed the Wim Hof method por 10 minuts.
I felt refreshed. Wow... I'm feeling so good after this that I had to come here to post
-
While I think wim hof method is real, but I could not do it. I tried 2 days of breath holding the way he explains, I became very sick, I still have chest pain from doing it, or maybe it was Covid stress, I am not sure, but I did not feel good. Now I practice the normal 'belly breathing' as my heart rate is most times elevated.
I also get sick on cold showers (which by the way are great for healthy people). Cryo-therapy literally put me in bed for a week.
-
I never would have imagined something so simple could be so life-changing with an IMMEDIATE effect. I often wake up feeling exhausted to the point where I have brain fog and can barely walk straight. If I have an O on a day like this, my POIS is simply unbearable for 2-3 days. Anxiety skyrockets, brain fog, social anxiety, fatigue, etc, all through the roof.
Today I tried something suggested on this forum, after Googl'ing more about it. Many have probably heard of this, but I never bothered to try it. Please do not dismiss this without testing it. One POISer here actually found this COMPLETELY CURED his POIS and others have mentioned it as part of their overall strategy. While I have not tested it on POIS yet, I discovered this technique this morning and the effect was instant. I am quite shocked by this, and wonder what other issues are caused by this simple, natural process we rarely consider.
Ok, it's the Wim Hof breathing technique. Don't dismiss it yet. It takes a few minutes to try, is really easy, and is free.
For those unfamiliar with it, you take 30 fast deep breaths through the nose, out through the mouth. Followed by several deep breaths where you inhale and count to 10, and then breathe out for as long as you can until you need to breathe again. Try this (the fast, then the slow) 3 or 4 times, and see how you feel... For me it was almost instant. From brain fog and lack of normal bodily functions, to total functionality.
It made total sense to me. My breathing has never been quite normal (I have a feeling I have sleep apnea), usually breathing the mouth, and not deeply at all. There must be a real lack of oxygen to the brain, and there may be in yours too, which no doubt affects POIS.
"If you oxygenize the body the way we do it, the oxygen gets into the tissue. [Regular] breathing doesn't do that, he says. What happens in the brain stem, the brain says, ?There is no oxygen anymore.? Then it triggers adrenaline to shoot out throughout the body. Adrenaline is for survival, but this time it is completely controlled, the adrenaline shoots out throughout the body and resets it to the best functionality.
Hof speaks convincingly of the heightened mind-body connection his technique engenders, begging comparisons to a long tradition of semi-mystic practices such as pranayamic yoga, tummo breathing and breathwork."
I won't go on and on, but this is the most simple technique you can try, free, anytime you want. Whether you're in POIS or you suffer from CFS, tiredness, insomnia, etc.
Not only may it ensure oxygen is getting to where it needs to in all the body, which often doesn't occur when we breathe 'normally', but this is also a form of breathing meditation if you do this for an extended period daily, which boosts the GABA, and is excellent for relaxation, stress, cardiac function, blood pressure, etc...
It has been mentioned that this method is "extreme", and that it should be done under medical supervision, so I am adding that warning here. I certainly did not find it extreme myself, and I felt instantly energised as others in this forum say they did too, but I am not a doctor, so please be careful.
Would love to hear from others who have benefited from WIM HOF, and how that affects your POIS, when you do it, what percentage decrease in symptoms if any, etc?
-
WHB also alters certain cytokines (scientifically proven).
-
Laotzu1980, thanks for sharing. I tried it also, and this was my experience:
As part of my symptom picture, I've had a lot of pain and stiffness in my jaw, to the point where the right meniscus (padding between the jaw and cranium) slipped out of place temporarily at one point and I couldn't close my mouth. In addition, I've always had a subjective feeling of bad circulation, especially in my hands and feet.
When I tried Wim Hof, I got this amazing tingling feeling in my jaw and extremities, and the pain and stiffness receded temporarily. I also felt a sort of natural high, similar to how I feel after intense exercise (which I avoid because it triggers POIS symptoms). I was also very surprised at how quickly I was able to hold my breath for waaaaay longer.
I suspect it would have been good for me to continue, and that there is some substance to the claims behind it. However I personally stopped doing it after 4-5 sessions because the quick breathing part of the exercise felt quite bad for me; It felt a bit like drowning, and I found myself dreading each session. It felt like it heightened my stress, at least during the exercise, which surely can't be good. Also, and bear in mind this is 100% subjective, I was worried that I would get a heart attack or something as the whole experience felt pretty extreme. Again, this is not based on any scientific evidence, just subjectively felt a bit too rough on my body.
I think it's wise, as Laotzu1980 says, to check with your doctor first if you want to give it a try.
-
Btw, does anyone know of any scientific study specifically into the safety of Wim Hof breathing? I think I'd be tempted to give it another try if it'd been shown to be safe. I think if I tried it again, I would try to ease into it rather than starting with the full breathing exercise right off the bat.
-
I tried Wim Hof lots of times and it always gave me brain fog and speech difficulties afterwards, I suspect because of spinal fluid or blood flow distribution issues. Which is annoying for me because it seems very beneficial for most people who try it.
-
I'm giving Wim Hof breathing another try. This time I'm enjoying it a lot more. Last time I tried it, I think I tried too hard to max out my oxygen intake, and max out my breath hold, as if it were a sport or something. ::)
This time around, I'm trying to remain quite relaxed during the breathing part, and I don't overdo the breath hold. As soon as I feel the need, I breathe. The breath hold is plenty long enough anyway. Also, this time around I don't time my breath holds.
-
Another update on my Wim Hof breathing experimentation.
With the calmer approach described above, the exercise does feel really good; Subjectively it feels like it increases my blood flow, or maybe it's the blood oxygen level?
However, sadly, I do think I get mild-to-moderate POIS symptoms from them, so I've had to stop for now. :(
I'm going to continue working on my gut health, which is my main line of investigation at the moment, and maybe try the breathing again at some point later.
-
I gave Wim Hof yet another try, and this time it seems like I've been able to work it into my routine without adverse effects.
My current Wim Hof regimen:
* Breathing exercise (three rounds) between 3-5 times per week
* Warm shower followed by 2-3 mins cold shower every day. (Deep breathing all the way; don't force it!)
* A selection of stretches from the program when I feel like it, 3-7 times per week (while breathing deeply)
* The horse stance exercise (https://www.facebook.com/icemanwimhof/videos/fact-or-myth-the-horse-stance-makes-you-sht-faster-comment-below-what-you-think/1859288104089130/) every other day, for 20-30 minutes
* Plank exercise daily, plus various other low-intensity strength exercises spread through the day
This actually works for me now! Without triggering serious symptoms. Please note that I've gradually phased in each of these exercises.
Some important things to note:
* I try to be conscious of my breathing as often as I can. To make sure I'm not tensing up and breathing shallowly/rapidly. Learning the Wim Hof breathing has taught me that I've been shit at breathing since forever, breathing shallowly and somewhat rapidly all the time.
* When I do any of the above exercises I try to find a calm state of mind, and play some chill ambient music on my sound system.
* The horse stance exercise still makes me a little bit symptomatic. But it does seem to be improving long-held tensions in my arms, legs, psoas and glutes, so it feels worth it.
* Personally I have to be very careful with stretches. Basically my arms, legs, psoas and glutes are perpetually tense and inflexible, and if I try to stretch them too vigorously, I just feel worse. Mild stretches feel OK once I'm in a calm, meditative headspace, but it's unclear whether I'm actually becoming more flexible.
Preliminary results:
* At the start of the summer I would shoot some basketball solo for 15 minutes and become symptomatic. Now in late August, I'm able to play basketball (solo) multiple times per day and do low-intensity strength exercises spread through the day, and feel fine. Horse stance still makes me symptomatic, but not terribly so.
* Cold sensitivity seems substantially diminished. However winter will be the real test here.
* Muscles and ligaments seem softer, less tender and tense, including psoas.