Wim's technique is an intense one, and intense techniques are rarely, if ever, neutral in effect (and certainly not techniques involving the breath). In my view, the absence of Wim's technique from yogic texts points towards it having been determined to actually be counter to the aim of balance and peace with some frequency (if not in all cases). It’s Fundamentally An Aggravating Breath Pattern If a technique fails to appear (particularly one as simple as Wim’s), it’s because it was experimented with thoroughly and determined NOT to move the nervous system towards balance and peace. If a breathing pattern or technique does not appear in yogic texts, there is one thing we know for certain - it’s not because it wasn't tried. So what are we to make of the absence of any technique resembling Wim Hof breathing from yogic texts? The techniques we have today are the distillation of thousands of years of countless yogis sitting in caves experimenting with different breathing patterns to determine which techniques most reliably move the mind/body/nervous-system towards vitality, balance and - most importantly - peace.

Wim Hof Technique Is Nowhere To Be Found In Yogic Breathing (Pranayama) The critiques below are of the manner and context in which these techniques are being taught, by Wim, yes, but mostly by countless other “breathwork instructors” of varying (and generally dubious) credentials. My critiques are not even so directly of the breathing techniques Wim uses, as they clearly have utility in his system of practices. While I wouldn’t put Wim in the same category as an Alan Turing or Charles Darwin, his disruption of the neurobiology orthodoxy is a massive contribution. Generally when someone upends core fundamental assumptions of a hard science field, we’re talking about a bonafide genius. See this 2014 research paper if you’re curious to learn more on this. He essentially single-handedly provoked scientists to reconsider the question of whether the sympathetic nervous system and innate immune response might be accessible to voluntary influence (both were long considered by scientists to be wholly unavailable to direct conscious influence). If you’re not familiar with Wim, he’s the eccentric dutch man who’s become hugely popular in recent years for his genuinely groundbreaking practices using extreme cold exposure and breathwork to manipulate his metabolism, nervous system and immune system (and teaching thousands of others to do the same).

Psychic Sovereignty (Our Relationship To Technology)įirst, I need to start by saying this: I have a huge amount of admiration and respect for Wim Hof the human being.

Yoga: Asanas (Postures) + Pranayama (Breath).

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Wim hof breathing techniques