The Buzz: Referred to as “The Iceman” for his ability to withstand cold temperatures, extreme athlete Wim Hof attributes feats like running an Arctic half-marathon barefoot to simple breathing, meditation and prolonged exposure to cold. We checked out a Wim Hof Method workshop and ice bath with Brian Lai, Hong Kong’s first and only Wim Hof certified instructor.
The Class: The workshop is broken down into two parts: breathing and ice. Beginning with partner work to understand the anatomy of breathing, Brian takes us through various techniques that engage our parasympathetic nervous system, the all-important control system which lowers heart rate and activates our body’s resting mode. After two hours of breathwork, it’s time to strip down and jump in (literally) to an ice-filled bath. We spend a full 90 seconds immersed in the ice, with an optional extra minute for the hardcore amongst us.
The Verdict: Eyeing up the mountain of ice that awaited us, the temptation to make a sneaky exit was pretty strong! Within seconds of being shoulder-deep in the ice bath, however, our newly learned breathing techniques came into full force. With Brian guiding us through, 90 seconds actually flew past! The sense of achievement afterwards was incomparable, so much so that we jumped in again for round two! We left knowing that our bodies are capable of so much more than our minds may allow us to believe.
Cost: $800 (or $700 for early bird.)
See more info about upcoming workshops at primalbw.com.
