Wim Hof Retreat: Grand Haven, MI (Part Two)
This is all about the second and final day of the breathwork and cold exposure retreat I went to. If you haven't already, make sure to read part 1 where I talk about my experience with QiGong, my first cold exposure, and a cacao ceremony!
First, I want to talk a little more about the Wim Hof method and what it is, exactly. I'll link his direct website but wanted to give a brief overview too! Wim Hof has done experiments showing the power of the mind, breathing, and cold exposure - demonstrating that we have much more potential than we think we do. He recognizes that illness, emotional stressors, etc. all bottle down to physiological stress and inflammation in the body.
Instead of trying to learn how to deal with a single issue, by handling the root of stress at a physiological level, we can help with all things at once. Through cold exposure, we are able to purposely place a stressor on our body. When we pair this exposure with breathwork that allows us to tame our emotional response. Through this process, we teach our bodies to adapt to stress without the intense reactions. With consistency, this lowers the stress response to not be as harmful on the body when it is in effect, also recognizing that it doesn't need to be on for so long. This is HUGE for people with chronic illness, which is accompanied by a chronic stress response.
Cold exposure is said to help increase the amount of white blood cells in our body, boosting our immune systems and lowering inflammation. The breathwork associated is meant to gain control of our minds, focusing on our actions, not the sensations. The combination of the two is a perfect example of mind over matter - we are the masters of our mind and can truly do anything!
If you want to learn more, here is a list of recent studies done on the method and it's effects on the body! Wim Hof is incredible and has done many things that were thought to be impossible, all with this technique - showing that we are all capable of such amazing healing and freedom.
Breathwork
The second day of the retreat was focused completely on breathwork and cold exposure. Yesterday, we dipped our toes in but now it was time to go all in!
After morning yoga, we ate breakfast, sat and talked before our breathwork session. The open energy from the night before was still present and it was amazing. One of my favorite things about this amazing group was how their curiosity for holistic / like-minded topics opened to deeper connection. We talked about all things: "woo woo" (energy work, spirituality, near death experiences, aliens), personal development (inner child and shadow work, attachment styles), and lighter things of course like favorite movies and tv shows (Schitt's Creek was a common theme). It all just flowed and it blew my mind how comfortable we were, considering less than 24 hours before we were all strangers.
After a while, we all went upstairs for a long breathwork session lead by Alec. He explained how important breathwork was and how we could use it to control our bodies. With the breath alone, we are able to reach our max heart rate, putting us in an optimal cardio zone. We then are able to return this heart rate to resting, all within a few breaths. He demonstrated this by attaching an oximeter to the finger of one of the retreat members, walked him through a breath pattern, and read the numbers of blood oxygen and heart rate out. Within a couple of breaths, the member was able to get his heart rate up from 60 to 150. When holding, he was able to lower his heart rate below 55 to his resting. It was INSANE.
When it came time for our group breathwork, we got comfortable, laid down, closed our eyes, and started following the patterns Alec walked us through. There were five rounds total, each ending in a big final exhale and holding until we needed to inhale again. With each round, I found the holding at the end to be much easier. At first, the breathing patterns seemed forced and I became a little lightheaded. As my body adapted and I relaxed, it became second nature. My body was tingling all over, I felt as though my body had opened up and like I had transported somewhere else - like I was floating.
When we finished up, we all looked around completely dazed and blissed out. Someone asked how long we had been going for, we had no recollection of time, and turns out the session was a little over an hour! NO JOKE it felt like 15 minutes if that! (I'm telling you, time doesn't exist...).
I've done breathwork before and have experienced this feeling only a couple of times. It was so powerful and honestly, mind blowing how connected and at peace I felt. It was Allie's first breathwork experience and she was hooked!
Cold Exposure II
Immediately following breathwork, we all got ready for our final cold exposure. It had stopped snowing and the wind died down which was perfect considering it was even colder than the day before. Instead of going to the beach, we were just going to go in groups on the front deck where the snow had accumulated overnight (it was a few inches deep).
Allie and I decided we were going all in - swimsuits and laying in the snow. BUT we did still keep our boots and gloves on to save our fingers and toes from losing too much heat... we still had to ease into it somehow! Regardless, we were all so excited and just ready to do it. Adrenaline was rushing through and I felt so confident and badass.
We ran outside, started moving and followed the breathing pattern Alec was walking us through. Even though the temperature was significantly colder than the day before and I had less clothes on, I felt warm and unbothered. We kept laughing through it, focusing on our breath and when we felt warm enough we grabbed hands, counted down, and plopped into the snow on our backs.
The initial hit was obviously a little shock, but once I settled in and started focusing on my breath (how to do the pattern and how it felt in my body) I felt relaxed. The snow didn't feel as cold, the air wasn't making my skin sting, and my body wasn't tense. It was like I had just melted into the snow (pun somewhat intended). After about a minute, I turned onto my stomach, face planting in the snow and just embracing it. I have such a hard time describing the bliss I felt from the peace with my environment, with my body, my mind, with everything.
I got up and head inside to grab my towel but oddly enough, I wasn't cold or shivering. I watched as Allie kept lying in the snow, cheering her on as she focused on her breath - she lasted a really long time! When she came in, she wrapped in her towel and I gave her a big hug. We were both giddy, on top of the world, and so proud of what we had just done! We pushed ourselves and did something we never thought we would do (I've grown up in the midwest my entire life and have always cursed the cold, so this was HUGE).
The heat gradually returned to my body and it was the weirdest sensation. I keep describing it as when someone shakes a hand warmer, it warms up at one end and gradually spreads... that's what my body felt like. The warmth was gradual and comforting - I felt like I had bundled up in a blanket, but I hadn't even put my clothes back on.
Final Thoughts
The entire weekend was one I will never forget. It was filled with challenging my comfort zone, growth, connection, liberation, and gratitude. I was proud of myself for 1) going to a retreat where I knew nobody (except Allie of course), 2) taking advantage of such a cool opportunity, 3) opening up and connecting with others quickly, really expressing myself, and being comfortable.
I feel extremely blessed and grateful to have been able to not only have this experience in general but to do it with my best friend. These are the memories we'll be remembering for the rest of our lives, and there is nobody else I'd rather share them with!
I'm also extremely grateful for the new people I met. People who had been strangers coming in, felt like family by the time we left. Being around like-minded people is truly a gift and I was reminded of that during this retreat. Lately, I've put a lot of emphasis on finding like-minded people in my life. People who make me feel seen and understood because for so long I've felt like the complete opposite.
This retreat was a gift for many reasons, but it was also a good reminder that we are never alone and there are people that "get us" out there. They may show up in the most unexpected ways and places, but they will enter our lives when meant to.