Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof. A review.

Last night I had the pleasure of watching Freeze the Fear, a programme on BBC 1 hosted by Holly Willoughby and Lee Mack with a host of celebrities. Contestants were put through their paces jumping into freezing cold ice water and abseiling down a rockface facing the front.

Wim Hof has certainly been through the mill himself. He sadly lost his beloved wife to suicide, so you can see why for him the power of the mind is something he feels so passionately about.

Particularly during the pandemic and as a matter of course we are told to trust the science. I feel we have become obsessed with science and look on scientists as gods. We have so removed ourselves from nature in the west that many people are not in touch with their bodies or the planet and how they both operate.

I used to be like this. I didn’t really pay any attention to what I ate and because I cooked from scratch every evening and exercised regularly, I believed I was living a healthy life. I wasn’t and years of neglect of my body and working long hours without getting the work/life balance took its toll on me.

I am pleased to say after studying naturopathic medicine and completely changing the way I eat and live I am a lot better in both my mental health and general wellbeing.

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:

“Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

This is a very powerful quote and is something we should all take seriously.

After reading up on the power of the cold I decided to carry out my own test. I have been having a cold shower before a hot one for up to one minute. I found if you slow your breathing down while having the cold section and focus, you have completed a minute very quickly. We have been given cold and we have been given heat. Most of us like to tap into the healing properties of nature and the sun. However we think the cold is something we are not equipt for.

As you know I am a migraine sufferer and I cannot tell you how many different treatments I have tried in order to cure this brain disorder.

A migraine is a headache that can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. It’s often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can last for hours to days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities.

I am convinced the cold helps my head and heals it. When I have had a cold shower or been out in icy conditions my brain feels sharp, the foggy feeling is gone and any migraine I may have had brewing seems to disappear.

We have been given a beautiful planet with various elements, plants and a rich bio-diversity. We are all keen to clean up the planet and become better stewards. In doing so let’s not neglect our own bodies as they are a gift and one we should cherish.

My review of Wim Hof is he speaks a lot of sense in the power of the mind over the body. I don’t care it isn’t scientifically proven as healing isn’t about science. He is showing us a different way to live and one that gets us back in touch with our forefathers and with nature.

I would like to finish with one of my favourite poems for you to ponder

on.

What is life if full of care, We have not time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep and cows.

No time to see when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see in, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars. like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.

By W. H. Davies