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?
