The “Iceman” Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete, earned his nickname after breaking a plethora of world records related to cold exposure. These include running a half-marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, and standing in a container covered in ice cubes for an incredible 112 minutes. Wim Hof is now a modern icon and inspiration to millions of people who want to unleash their potential; through books such as The Wim Hof Method, he reveals simple but effective practices that anyone can incorporate into their daily lives, which ultimately help people alter their biochemistry and transcend their limits.

 

One of these methods is the simple act of showering in cold water, every day. It may not seem like much on the surface – all that one needs to do is turn the temperature dial a little. However, this practice has been scientifically proven to lower stress levels, improve willpower and resilience, awaken our vascular systems, and increase our energy levels substantially. There is no doubt that regular exposure to cold water has a profound effect, both on the mind and the body, and that the practice goes a long way towards living a healthy and prosperous life.

 

Whenever we feel stress, our heart rate increases, which in turn produces more adrenaline and cortisol in the body. This then sets off a series of biochemical processes that exhaust our energy levels, all due to the fact that our heart is having to work harder. In modern life, there is no limit to the amount of things that can stress people out. Perhaps school work has become overwhelming, or your boss is a pain to work with, or you have a big speech tomorrow that has to go well. All of these situations lead to stress and a poorer vascular condition, which can increase the chances of people getting cardiovascular-related diseases, such as a heart attack.

 

Many thousands of years ago, humans had to be far tougher than humans today; they did not, after all, have puffy coats or air conditioned houses to help maintain their core body temperature, which is necessary for survival. Instead, they had to rely on their vascular systems to close up automatically in response to a cold environment, so that their vital organs (the heart, lungs, brain, and liver) would continue to function properly. Upon venturing into the cold, they would not get sick as we do, since their bodies would have adapted to the extreme temperature and would be able to respond to it effectively.

 

Sadly, the human vascular system has weakened over time. Caring mothers that dress their children up in hats, scarves and heavy, fluffy coats during cold months have unwittingly made their children more susceptible to illness, since their vascular systems have not been given an opportunity to develop. But all is not lost. A cold shower a day does indeed keep the doctor away because the cold brings the body back to optimal physical condition. The cold water tones and exercises the millions of muscles in our vascular systems, making us stronger; blood flows to the deepest parts of our brains, such as the brain stem, awakening primordial survival instincts embedded into our nature; and finally, cold showers awaken the deepest parts of our consciousness, leading to long-lasting peace and fulfilment.

 

Perhaps it seems a little far-fetched. Perhaps it seems too good to be true, but I, for one, can verify that cold showers have amazing effects on the mind and the body, since I have been doing them every day for several months now. Wim Hof highlights the importance of starting slowly. In the first week, have thirty seconds of cold water at the end of a warm shower. In the second week, increase it to one minute, and so on and so on. After a mere ten days, the initial shock will be reduced significantly, and you will begin to see the benefits. After four weeks of cold showers, your vascular system will be so optimised that it will be a case of mind over matter. Upon turning the knob handle, you will be able to suppress the cold water shock, and will begin to crave the cold water for its refreshing nature.

 

Wim Hof said, “We can see the cold not as an adversarial, malignant, or negative power, but as a mirror that reflects whether or not our body is responding the right way, the way nature intended”.

 

The cold water will hit you with the full force of nature. When starting out, you will feel shocked since your body has not yet acclimated to the extreme temperature. After a few weeks, you will be able to consciously command your vascular system so that you don’t feel the coldness of the water anymore. You will only feel an electrifying energy that sharpens your senses and clears your mind. And you will come out of each shower, feeling utterly invincible.