Breathing Exercises

Breathing is perhaps the most fundamental human action. It catalyzes the critical mechanism of oxygen supply, which in turn keeps all the processes in your body going, every second of every day.

Doing something as simple as modifying your breathing has a direct and profound impact on your physiology. Here we explain how to practice Wim Hof Method breathing exercises, and why this is such an effective tool to keep down stress, improve sleep, and do many other wonderful things for your health & wellbeing.

What’s great is that Wim Hof Method breathing exercises are super easy and take only a few minutes, while the effects last.

How to do Wim Hof Method Breathing

We recommend practicing Wim Hof Method breathing right after waking, and/or before a meal, when your stomach is still empty.

Please note that Wim Hof Method breathing, when done intensely for multiple rounds, can in rare cases lead to loss of consciousness. While this is physiologically harmless, passing out can potentially be very dangerous in or near water, or when driving a vehicle. It is therefore important to always practice the technique seated or lying down, in a neutral space such as a living room.

Step 1: Get Comfortable

Get into a position that you can maintain comfortably, either sitting or lying down. Ideally wear loose clothing, and make sure that your belly can expand freely.

Step 2: 30 Deep Breaths

Close your eyes and clear your mind. Inhale deeply through your nose or mouth, while pushing your belly outward. When your lungs are full, let your breath go through the mouth without force.

Take 30 such breaths, one right after the other.

Step 3: The Retention Phase

After the final exhalation, hold your breath until you feel the urge to breathe again.

Step 4: Recovery Breath

Draw one giant breath, once again letting your belly expand fully. Hold that breath for 15 seconds, then let go. This completes one round.

Feel free to repeat the full cycle 3 to 4 times. Stay focused on your breathing and try not to let your mind wander.

Note that with every round, you feel more relaxed. Doing more rounds also has a longer lasting effect throughout the day. You may also notice that you can hold your breath for longer on consecutive rounds, but keep in mind that longer retention times are not the point of the exercise.

Play around with the number of breaths, the tempo at which you breathe, and the number of cycles, until you find a routine that works best for you.

High on your own supply

You may experience light-headedness, and tingling sensations in your fingers and feet. These side effects are completely harmless, and will pass as you resume regular breathing.

You are at all times going back and forth between being stressed out and chilled out.

Whenever a situation arises — whether it’s something small like having to do the dishes, or an actual emergency — your brain releases wonderful signaling potions like adrenaline and cortisol to give you a boost in focus. Conversely, when nothing is bothering you, your brain makes you feel relaxed, so that you don’t needlessly stress and waste energy.

Each of these two modes is regulated by their own system— the sympathetic- and parasympathetic nervous system.

Each system has its purpose, but when the sympathetic system has been at the wheel for too long, you start to feel stressed.

Wim Hof Method breathing stimulates the parasympathetic system, thus counteracting the sympathetic system and bringing stress levels down.

“The parasympathetic system is directly connected to the heart via the sinus node, a conjunction of nerves”, explains Cristopher Kopplin of the University of Bayreuth. "There is a phenomenon called sinus node arrhythmia, where exhalation increases parasympathetic activity, and consequently, lowers heart rate and makes us calm down. Deep, slow, and rhythmic breaths maximize this effect.”

A 2022 study put this to the test: subjects who did Wim Hof Method breathing reported markedly lower stress levels than people who breathed the old fashioned way.

Besides calming you right down, practicing the Wim Hof Method has many other physical and mental benefits. These include:

The Wim Hof Method is also linked to reduced symptoms of medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, sarcoidosis, vasculitis, and several autoimmune diseases.

Wim Hof has spent the bigger part of his life exploring the limits of the human mind and body, resulting in many world records. Over the course of his long journey, he gradually found that a particular way of breathing combined with controlled exposure to cold both promoted his endurance and energy during high output activity, as well as spurred his recovery and kept him from getting sick. Today, his method is practiced by hundreds of thousands of people across the world, for a wide variety of purposes.

Sign up for the Fundamentals course and learn how you can optimize both your mental and physical wellbeing with this simple yet highly effective method.