The Arctic Rower | Wim Hof breathing techniques help control stress and fear as rowers prepare for Arctic world first attempt
- Plunging into ice baths does more than just habitualise Arctic adventurer to cold temperatures as breathing techniques give control
- Post reporter prepares to row the Northwest Passage, the route over North America that links the Atlantic to the Pacific
Gripped by panic, I immediately started hyperventilating. I had just plunged into an ice bath on a cool day and could barely stay submerged for a few seconds before my fight or flight response got the better of me. For an Arctic adventurer, it was hardly an auspicious reaction.
The ice bath was the conclusion of a Wim Hof Method (WHM) class, where about 40 participants spent three hours learning about breathing techniques to manage their stress and boost their immune system. The new-found control was supposed to allow us to push aside our body’s defence mechanism and remain calm in the icy water. I felt like I had failed.
“It’s a threat. Your mind and body see that exposure to the cold as a threat. You’re not used to that and it shocked your body into a stress response,” said Brian Lai, Hong Kong’s first WHM teacher.
Dutchman Wim Hof, known as The Iceman, has been teaching his breathing techniques to a growing following around the world. After his wife committed suicide, Hof developed his technique to train and gain control over mental health, with breathing, mindset and cold therapy as the three pillars.