Make it a Morning Habit! The Benefits of the "Wim Hof Breathing Technique" to Optimize Your Body - WimHof Breathing Technique

Hello, I'm Amy. Since entering my 30s, I've felt my body declining, and I've finally become positive about exercise and health-conscious living.

Today, I'd like to introduce the "Wim Hof Breathing Technique" that I tried and felt the effects of immediately.
It can be done in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Perfect for those of you who, like me, aren't great at exercise, as well as those who
love exercise and want to know more about your body,
the "Wim Hof Breathing Technique" can be done right after you wake up, without even getting out of bed!

In a nutshell, what kind of breathing technique is it?
You breathe quickly and deeply to increase the amount of oxygen in your blood, inducing a forced hyperventilation state, which improves your body's control, adaptability, and autonomic nervous system..

So, how is that good for your body?
It reduces carbon dioxide in the body, pushing out the acid in the blood and shifting it toward an alkaline state.

Your body becomes alkaline? What exactly are the benefits of that? Well,
when the body becomes acidic, immunity can decrease, potentially leading to various illnesses. Research has proven that cancer cells can only exist in an acidic body. It is also said that you may experience symptoms such as fatigue and lethargy. In other words, it can be said to be effective in boosting the immune system.

Furthermore, after you finish, you can feel your body down to the tips of your extremities, and your head and body will feel very refreshed.
If you do your usual yoga or abdominal training in this state, your body will feel less fatigued than usual.

These are very natural things that our bodies do all the time. By pushing up and controlling those functions yourself, you can promote the "optimization of your body."

You hold your breath during the session, and you can realize that our bodies are tougher and more adaptable than we imagine.
When we surrender to our usual comfortable lives, our mental weakness tends to automatically place limiters on new things, saying, "I can't do it" or "It doesn't have to be now." This is the perfect opportunity for your body to correct those feelings.

It has received tremendous support from many athletes, and many people have shared their own experiences, including 11-time world champion and King of Surfing Kelly Slater, Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Olympic gold medalist speed skater Sven Kramer, and professional mountain skiers.

Alright everyone, let's relax while lying in bed.

1. Points to note before starting

　　・It is best to do this in the morning when you wake up and haven't eaten anything!
　　・Please do this while lying down or sitting on a sofa.
　　　*In rare cases, some people may faint from hyperventilation, so doing this while standing
　　　or in the bath is dangerous; please absolutely do not do it.
　　・During the session, you may feel numbness or spasms in your body,
　　　or see flashes of light; these are symptoms that occur when the body
　　　shifts toward an alkaline state.
　　・Please relax your mind.
　　・Create a mindset and environment where you can concentrate on breathing.
　　・Women may occasionally feel cold, so it is good to do it while
　　　covering yourself with a blanket.
　　・If you feel unwell while doing it, don't push yourself and stop.
　　　Please consult with your own body while doing it.

I do it on a yoga mat after waking up in the morning, while using a cushion pillow and a blanket.

2. Wim Hof Breathing Technique *Video included

1. Play the attached YouTube video and follow along with the instructions.

[Recommended for Beginners] 30 breaths x 3 sessions, 10 minutes

[Recommended for Second Time Onwards] 40 breaths x 4 sessions, 20 minutes

2. Inhale deeply,please inhale to fill your lungs 100%.
Exhale.When exhaling, let out about 80% to relax your body.
Perform a set of 30-40 inhalations and exhalations.
Focus on your breathing and keep a rhythmic pace slightly faster than usual.
Try to breathe in a circular motion.

Breath in. / Fully in.
Breath out. / Letting go.

* You don't need to use abdominal breathing; your normal breathing method is fine.
* You may feel flickering lights, dizziness, or tingling in your fingertips and the back of your neck, but keep going.

3. Finally, hold your breath after fully exhaling.
At first, it will be about 1 minute, but as you get used to it, you will be able to hold it for about 3 minutes.
Breath hold.
* This is not a competition to see how long you can hold your breath, so do not push yourself.

4. When you feel you can't take it anymore, inhale deeply and hold for 10 seconds.
Your stomach should be tense; try tapping it.

After 10 seconds, exhale slowly.

5. Reset: Usually perform 1-4 for 3-5 sessions.

That's it. The method is very simple, but breathing with such intensity is surprisingly hard, so please give it a try.

3. I will explain the effects in more detail.

As you repeat exhaling, inhaling, and exhaling, your fingertips will start to tingle. You can feel oxygen being delivered to all the cells in your body.
Also, as you repeat it 2 or 3 times, you will be able to hold your breath longer than you imagined.
I could only hold my breath for about 50 seconds normally, but when I was able to hold it for 3 minutes, I felt like I had woken up.
Even I, who lacked confidence in my patience, can realize that my body is tougher and more adaptable than I imagined.
It is also an eye-opening experience that removes the mental limiter of "I can't do this."

By performing the Wim Hof breathing method, a natural change in the body's mechanism occurs: as the oxygen level in the cells reaches 100%, the activity of the mitochondria within the cells becomes more active. Since mitochondria take in oxygen and convert it into energy, recent research has revealed that it increases physical energy and also plays an essential role in the immune system.
By following Wim Hof's recommendation to "get oxygen levels in the blood and cells to 100%!", "improvement of the immune system" and "stabilization of the autonomic nervous system"are proven to be effective.

4. Who is Wim Hof?

You may have heard of Wim Hof as "The Iceman."
He is a person who has achieved superhuman feats such as "completing a full marathon in the Arctic Circle wearing only swimming trunks and flip-flops" and "swimming in a frozen lake in Iceland" using his unique health method based on three pillars: the "Power of Cold Therapy" (ice baths/ice showers combined with breathing techniques) and the improvement of willpower.

How was it?
The Wim Hof health method allows you to experience improved health, mental energy, and happiness.Please try it yourself.

After the exercise, I also introduce a summer salad recipe using couscous, which has high antioxidant properties, on this blog. Please take a look at that as well.