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Wim Hof has explained how his wife’s suicide led him to develop his now world famous cold therapy methods.
The Dutch motivational speaker and athlete is noted for his ability to withstand low temperatures and is determined to teach as many as possible about cold therapy and how it can help reduce stress, anxiety, depression and even disease.
In a new interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the 64-year-old revealed how he first embraced the unusual method in a bid to conquer his grief following his wife’s death in 1995.
Wim’s first wife Marivelle-Maria died by suicide after suffering from schizophrenia, leaving Wim to raise their four children alone.
The Iceman: Wim Hof has explained how his wife’s suicide led him to develop his now world famous cold therapy methods
Cold therapy: The Dutch motivational speaker and athlete is noted for his ability to withstand low temperatures and is determined to teach as many as possible about cold therapy
‘Back then there was no other remedy in my life, I had little money, four kids alone and my wife was the love of my life,’ he told Piers.
‘So you are heartbroken, emotionally you are in agony. It goes around and around, I had no control over that but I remembered to go into the cold.’
Wim had first noted the benefits of being in the cold when he was a teenager and jumped into a canal while growing up in the Netherlands.
‘The cold makes you stop thinking, it breaks the loop of emotional agony and it directly gave me relief,’ Wim recalls of being out in the cold after his wife’s death.
‘Just a little time without being in that loop was able to bring about this healing from the inside,’ he continued.
‘I did it consciously because I had to bring up four kids alone with little money. The cold and the breathing techniques gave me all the bloody energy to make a warm nest for my children and made me able to process all the emotional agony.’
‘Back then the older psychiatrists did not know and now I am working with some of the best psychiatrists in the world to show that we are so much more capable to tap into our emotional agony and learn to process trauma.’
The Wim Hof Method is a form of meditative therapy and a practical way to become healthier, happier and stronger.
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Loss: Wim’s first wife Marivelle-Maria, also called Olaya Rosino Fernandez, died by suicide after suffering from schizophrenia, leaving Wim to raise their four children alone
Grief: In a new interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the 64-year-old revealed how he first embraced the unusual method in a bid to conquer his grief following his wife’s death in 1995
It consists of three components – deep breathing, exposure to cold water, and a focused mindset.
Last year he sat down with FEMAIL to chat about the ‘tremendous benefits’ from the method that starts with a reconnect with nature.
‘We’re always in this state of weakening warmth, covered up in layers of clothing, and never exercising the cardiovascular system. So a cold shower a day keeps the doctor away,’ Wim said.
Wim claims you can even treat depression with cold therapy, with complete submersion leading to a 540 per cent increase in adrenaline and a 250 per cent in dopamine – both of which are known to help moderate symptoms.
‘What you will see is that your heart rate goes down during the day, reducing your stress levels. You feel more energised. The improved blood flow delivers better nutrition to your cells. You find you don’t get sick anymore,’ Wim said.
Health: ‘Back then there was no other remedy in my life, I had little money, four kids alone and my wife was the love of my life,’ he told Piers
Family: Wim is now a father of six after is pictured with his son Enahm, grandchild Kai and his other children
The breathing ‘activates the adrenal access to the brain, reduces inflammation, alkalises the blood, and regulates the body’.
Then, the cold ‘makes you strong from the inside out’ because millions of tiny muscles, veins and capillaries become stronger.
‘The muscles contract which allows for better blood flow, a slower heart rate and more energy,’ Wim said.
Mindset and focus is also a significant component that contributes to unlocking the health benefits by letting go of personal ego and send attention to your body instead.
‘We all have this power. When you go into the cold, you’re not thinking anymore, you’re just doing,’ Wim said.
