Becoming the Alchemist with Wim Hof

I sit cross-legged on the rocky shore of a frozen lake. Across the lake is a palisade of stone that rises abruptly from the water and is framed by towering, snow-covered peaks. At 10,000’, the water is still solid during late May in Utah’s western Uinta Mountains. From the shore, I can see Mt. Watson, which proudly watches over us: the cliffs, animals, lakes, rivers, and thankfully, me.

The electric blue springtime sky is dappled with pockets of clouds, causing the sunlight to slowly dance across the giant slab of ice. I hear the swell of winds rolling off the mountaintops across the lake and against my bare chest. I feel its sting and wonder why I’m doing this.

We drove out to the mountains, hiked in deep, slushy snow, got lost repeatedly, and stripped our clothes at the edge of a frozen lake just so we could… go for a swim?

I shook the doubts away and poured my thoughts into the lake instead. Something I learned recently is that mindful breathing is an important tool. Focusing your conscience on the breath allows you to feel the rhythm of your body. It brings so much clarity and energy when you realize you are alive.

So that’s what I did as I set a timer and took my first steps into the water.

I took a deep breath.

Before jumping into my icy plunge, I’ll provide some context.

The reason my friend and I decided to expose our bodies to extreme discomfort was curiosity. We were curious about a burly Dutchman named Wim Hof.

Wim Hof is well known for his science-defying exploits in the cold. Over the past four decades, the Dutch extreme athlete has been testing the limits of his body and mind to unlock the secrets to our hidden human potential. Scientists have studied him and argued over the validity of his techniques, but ultimately, Wim has accomplished some incredible feats using his method. These include but are not limited to climbing past the ‘danger zone’ of Mt. Everest wearing only shorts, running a half-marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, and remaining in a tank of ice water for more than 112 minutes.

Needless to say, this man is a marvelous nutcase.

But does his method translate to average athletes? Can Matt and I unlock the potential of our minds through breathwork and cold exposure? Will we start to walk around half-naked shouting motivational nonsense at strangers?

We decided to take Wim Hof’s Crash Course digital class to answer these questions and more. The class contains over three hours of video learning where you are treated to Wim’s signature teaching style: an enchanting ramble of philosophy, biology, demonstration, and motivation that is utterly absorbing and often hilarious.

The Crash Course aims to give the student a basic understanding of Wim Hof’s method in 10 days. Over that time, you are given lessons that become incrementally more challenging as your body and mind adapt to breathwork and cold exposure.

For $25, Matt and I decided to embark on this 10-day journey of learning and self-discovery. At the end of the class, we decided we wanted to take our findings into nature for a coldwater plunge, which is how we ended up at Wall Lake in the Uinta mountains one beautiful May afternoon.

Over the course of Wim’s video series, I was most impressed by his humor and brazen positivity. The concepts he has studied for decades are rather complex biological and neurological phenomena concerning our ability to consciously control our physical reactions with the power of our minds.

Sounds kinda like we humans have superpowers. And Wim did a great job convincing us we were indeed superhumans.

While we didn’t learn to levitate or shoot electricity from our hands, Wim’s course did force us to disrupt our comfort and confront our reactions. Over the course of the ten days, we practiced Wim’s breathing technique, which consists of flooding the brain with oxygen through conscious hyperventilation and breath retention. For both Matt and me, the technique would bring about a sense of calm energy, mental clarity, and sharpness. On groggy mornings, the breathing would cut through the mental fog and restore some ambition to our days.

Initially, the training required us to complete only a round of breathing and a minute of retention, in other words, we’d hold our breath for a minute. The end goal of the crash course was to be able to do four rounds of breathing and two-and-a-half minutes of retention.

We were both intimidated by those numbers. Neither of us had ever held our breath that long.

However, through concentration and deep breathing, we were able to work our way up to the final two-and-a-half minutes of retention. It really is equal parts mental and physical development, and it felt great to reach this goal.

A week of icy cold showers normalized this practice for us, and I reckon we will continue the hot-cold shower combo in the future. The post-cold shower feeling is revitalizing and powerful, making it a perfect eye-opener and primer for a productive day.

Wim mentions “becoming the alchemist” in his videos, which sounds pretty cool, but initially had no deeper meaning.

At the end of our training, I started to identify more closely with this phrase. There are times in life when we feel like slaves to our bodies, unable to break free from the limits of the flesh and bone that harbors our minds.

While I haven’t mastered Wim’s technique or unlocked the secrets of my mind, I do feel this class helped to bridge the gap between my mind and body. “Becoming the alchemist” is the transformative process of self-realization that allows us to control our physical being through mental awareness and concentration.

That day at Wall Lake, I felt like the alchemist. I felt scared and excited about my human potential. And although I only spent two minutes submerged to my neck in the bone-chilling waters, I had the opportunity to test myself against the elements and against my own mind.

It was undoubtedly the coldest water I’d ever experienced, but driving home from the mountains that day left me with a sense of accomplishment and inner strength that I still carry with me.

So thanks, Wim. I only scratched the surface of your method, but I feel stronger for doing so.

~~~

I am in no way an expert on this subject, only a curious participant. If you want to try Wim’s method and learn more, check out his website.