The Iceman Effect: Wim Hof, Hockey, and the Power of the Breath
Wim Hof is an extraordinary man who experienced emotional pain to the extreme. His wife, the love of his life, committed suicide, leaving him behind with four children. He fell into a deep depression that went on for years, trying everything, but nothing seemed to work. He said meditation helped a bit, but not enough. One day, as he happened to be standing in front of a body of ice-cold water—with the burden of emotional pain weighing heavily on him—he just walked in. The extreme cold would have sent anyone running right back out, but something told him to push through and breathe deeply. As he kept breathing deeply, he didn’t feel the cold and stayed in there for an hour. It was the first time he felt the peace he had been searching for. This single act changed his life, and later, the lives of so many others. The depression lifted, and he became known as “The Iceman,” holding over 18 Guinness World Records.
Experts said he was a genetic anomaly and that his methods weren’t for everyone, but he set out to prove them wrong. Twenty-four people were injected with a bacteria designed to cause severe, flu-like symptoms. Twelve were trained by Wim Hof in his breathing techniques, and would you believe those twelve men didn’t get sick, while the other twelve did? It’s all documented, so there is no dispute.
One has to stop and think about that. It happened to me, though I didn’t realize what was happening at the time. It wasn’t icy-cold water, but a simple walk up a hill that seemed much tougher than I expected. It was my first time walking up the incline to my home, and I was only about a block away, but I could barely make it. I looked around for a place to sit, and when I found nothing, I just leaned over with my hands on my knees to support myself and started catching my breath. I was breathing pretty heavily for several minutes, then I started walking again. As I walked, I realized I had my strength back. I felt I could do that same walk all over again.
And check this out! When I was a teenager, I loved playing hockey, but one day I caught the flu. It was bad—a runny nose, sneezing, wheezing, and a lot of body aches. We only had games on Saturdays, and I wasn’t about to miss it. So I went. Just putting on my gear was a workout, but I forged forward and jumped on the ice. Forcing my way through the game, partway through I started feeling better, and by the end of it, I was completely cured. If you want to sweat out the flu, rigorous physical exertion combined with heavy breathing is an unstoppable formula.
And look at what happened with Morris Goodman, “The Miracle Man.” He earned that name after surviving a devastating airplane crash that left him paralyzed and unable to breathe on his own. The doctors told him he would spend the rest of his life in a vegetative state. But he had different plans. Because he could only blink, he communicated in Morse code that he would walk out of the hospital by Christmas. As he lay there helpless, a voice arose from within, telling him: Breathe deep, breathe deep. Eventually, he was able to breathe on his own, and would you believe it? He walked out by Christmas. Morris believes that as long as you have your mind, you can accomplish anything. Let’s go a bit deeper with that breath. When all else fails, deep breathing is all you have left.
