The Risks of the Wim Hof Method: Breathwork, Anxiety & The Nervous System
Wim Hof is the world’s most famous breathwork guru & his trademark method promises transformative health benefits. But the Wim Hof Method comes with little-known risks and it’s not suitable, nor safe, for everyone.
“In. Out. Into the belly. Into the chest. And let go… Just go with the flow of the breath.”
I was laying on my back in my living my room listening to a guided Wim Hof Method (WHM) breathwork practice on YouTube. I was breathing fast and steady, sucking air in and forcing it out. It was mildly uncomfortable, but I believed this practice would be good for me.
I was at the beginning of my breathwork journey, experimenting with different modalities to better understand the power and potential of the breath.
I was seeking more energy and focus, greater resilience, deeper connection between mind and body, and that trademark Wim Hof vitality.
I’d seen Wim Hof and his many proponents all over YouTube and social media and on all of the popular podcasts so I was sure that committing to the practice would be life-changing.
However, I would quickly discover that there’s a dark side to the Wim Hof Method that’s rarely talked about.
There are serious risks that everyone should be aware of before experimenting with this breathwork practice.
Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe the WHM can do a lot of good for a lot of people, but it should be practiced with caution, especially if you’re prone to anxiety and stress.
What is the Wim Hof Method?
If you’re not familiar with the WHM, it’s essentially a rapid breathing modality that incorporates breath holds.
You breathe in deeply through the mouth, into the belly and the chest, and then exhale fully out the mouth in a fast rhythm (imagine how you’d breathe if you were running at a moderate pace).
After 30 breaths, you fully exhale and hold for as long as is comfortable, then breathe in and hold for 15 seconds. That’s considered one round and the practice typically comprises three rounds. It’s essentially hyperventilation with breath holds.
WHM is usually used in preparation for cold water immersion, which is said to have many health benefits of its own. Wim Hof became famous for being seemingly impervious to cold, swimming beneath ice sheets and walking long distances through the snow wearing only shorts. It’s impressive stuff.
The WHM undoubtedly stems from Wim Hof’s experiences with yoga, pranayama and other ancient practices and shares commonalities with Tibetan Tummo meditation.
The WHM website claims: “Consistent Wim Hof Method practice rewards you with maximum energy, restful sleep, an uncluttered headspace, and a host of other benefits. It is a gym membership, mindfulness coach, and health insurance all rolled into one.”
There’s no mention of potential risks.
My experience with the Wim Hof Method
The first few times I did the WHM, I found it quite challenging and intense.
I lay on my back on a yoga mat and followed one of Wim’s guided breathwork videos on YouTube.
Afterwards, I felt mildly euphoric, energised and alert. I enjoyed this feeling. This is exactly what I was seeking.
I had been struggling with low energy and motivation for a while and I suddenly felt very dialled in, like a fog had been lifted.
But things quickly changed.
After practicing WHM for a few days straight, the energy and alertness gave way to a kind of jittery anxiety, almost like I’d had a few too many coffees.
I started feeling breathless and like I needed to yawn or gasp to get enough oxygen (for me, this is one of the first signals that I’m feeling stressed). I also felt tight in my chest (another warning sign).
My sleep was also affected. I started having nightmares several times a night and I’d wake up thinking someone was outside trying to get in the house. This has been a recurring problem for me and another clear sign of stress and feeling unsafe.
While I had experienced these symptoms at other times, it was clear to me that the WHM had triggered a relapse.
I was confused as to how a breathwork practice as widely promoted as the WHM could result in feelings of increased anxiety, stress and fear.
So I reached out to breathwork coach and nervous system specialist, Jonny Miller, on Twitter to ask for some advice.
The risks of the Wim Hof Method
Jonny wasn’t surprised that the WHM had contributed to my feelings of increased anxiety and stress.
He said the practice and others like it, such as holotropic breathwork, are “definitely not right for everyone’s nervous system”.
I’ll try explain the science as simply as possible.
When you do the WHM, the rapid breathing simulates the body’s natural stress response and arouses your sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) nervous system.
Think of how you would breathe if you were running from a predator or you’d just got a massive fright. It would be similar to the WHM breathing, right?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with manufacturing a stress response through breathwork. One of the strengths of the WHM when done correctly is it builds resilience to stress so when you’re in a “real” stressful situation (like freezing cold water, for example) you’re better equipped to deal with it. Studies are finding it may also have other valuable health benefits.
However, issues can arise if:
a. You’re already in a highly stressed state
b. You’re prone to stress and/or anxiety
c. You don’t down-regulate afterwards
If you tick any or all of those three boxes, it’s possible the WHM will do more harm than good.
If your nervous system is equipped to down-regulate after practicing WHM breathwork, you should gradually return to a balanced state.
However… if your nervous system is not able to down-regulate, you can become “stuck” in sympathetic arousal – a state of increased anxiety, stress and fear.
You can imagine if you’re already highly stressed or anxious, like so many of us are today, your nervous system is not going to respond well to a sudden rush of voluntary sympathetic arousal (WHM).
I suspect this is what happened to me. I don’t consider myself a highly stressed or anxious person and I like to think I’m reasonably resilient.
This is why I think it’s so important to talk about these risks. If it can happen to me, I believe it can (and probably has) happened to many others.
These risks are heightened if you’re starting from a baseline of extreme stress, anxiety, depression, or you’ve experienced trauma.
Thankfully, there are other breathwork modalities than you can use to become “unstuck” and down-regulate from sympathetic overload. These practices may also help condition your nervous system so that you can do the WHM, and other similar breathing modalities, safely.
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How to down-regulate from sympathetic arousal
If breathing modalities can trigger a sympathetic response, they can also help bring you back to a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state.
Almost any breathing practice that’s slow, deep, and in which the exhale is longer than or equal to the inhale will support down-regulation.
Jonny prescribed several simple breathing practices to help me recalibrate my nervous system, all of which I found to be helpful.
1. 1:2 Breathing
This might have to be the simplest, but most effective breathing practice for down-regulating my nervous system.
After practicing this for 1-2 days, my symptoms subsided and nightmares stopped. Here’s how to do it:
- Lay on the ground and make yourself comfortable
- Take some time to ensure you feel safe and relaxed
- Soften your belly, relax your body and close your eyes if you like
- Breathe in through your nose for three seconds and exhale out your nose for six seconds (you can do 4:8 or 5:10, depending on your capacity). This requires you to consciously focus on slowing down the exhale.
- Practice for 10 minutes.
The idea with 1:2 breathing is simply to extend your exhale to double that of your inhale. I won’t go into the science of this here, but longer exhales are a simple hack for down-regulating your nervous system.
2. Voo Humm
I’m not gonna lie, this practice may feel a bit “woo woo”, but I find it to be calming and grounding. I would often do this after 10 minutes of 1:2 breathing.
It’s similar to the “om” chanting that you may be familiar with from Buddhist and Hindu traditions. However, you’ll be making “voo” and “hum” sounds instead. Alternatively, you can just do the “voo” sound.
Humming or chanting, in general, is good for your nervous system and vagus nerve, but “voo” and “hum” are the specific sounds that Jonny and other recommend. I think it has something to do with the way those sounds reverberate in your body.
- Lay on the ground, close your eyes and allow yourself to feel comfortable
- Breathe into your belly and with your exhale make a “voo” chanting sound
- Focus on how the sound reverberates from your vocal chords, around your head, and down to your belly*
- Halfway through your exhale, change to the “hum” sound until you need to inhale again
- Repeat this three times, or more if you’d like.
*To enhance this effect you can close your ears with your fingers, which may help you to feel the sound more clearly.
If you’re after some more guidance for how to do the “voo” sound, this short video is quite helpful.
Also, I highly recommend Jonny’s course, Nervous System Mastery, for anyone who wants to understand these practices more deeply.
3. Yoga Nidra/NSDR
Yoga Nidra is something I practiced once or twice a week to recover from my WHM-induced sympathetic arousal.
It’s sometimes called “yogic sleep” or “effortless relaxation”. It has its roots in ancient yogic traditions, but as far as I can tell the modern version is its own thing.
Yoga Nidra is a blend of meditation and breathwork that’s designed to bring about deep relaxation. It’s said to have many benefits, including reducing anxiety.
You typically need about 30 minutes for a Yoga Nidra session. I’m not going to describe the practice here. There are many great YouTube videos and apps that offer excellent guided Yoga Nidra practices.
Read more: The 3 best breathing exercises to reduce stress and anxiety
My experience
These down-regulating practices immediately helped with my feelings of anxiety and stress. My breathing returned to normal, the tightness in my chest dissipated, and my nightmares ceased within a few days.
I was incredibly surprised at how effective these practices were, particularly the 1:2 breathing. But after some reflection, it made complete sense.
The WHM had put my nervous system into a sympathetic state and because I neglected to down-regulate, or didn’t have the capacity to down-regulate, I got “stuck” in fight, flight, freeze mode.
As soon as I made space to down-regulate with the practices above and took time to feel safe in my body again, my nervous system returned to its default state. This is where the body wants to be, we just have to allow it.
I’ve participated in other intense breathwork ceremonies since doing the WHM, such as conscious connected breathing, and the facilitators have always made time to sufficiently down-regulate and process the experience afterwards.
This is often achieved by using music that builds up to a climax and comes down again, as well as meditation and sharing my experience with the group.
In my opinion, all breathwork practices that have the potential to trigger a sympathetic response should make time to bring people back to a feeling of calm and safety. I’d be wary of those that don’t.
So is the Wim Hof Method ‘unsafe’?
I think the WHM can be unsafe for some people. But I also think it can be a powerful practice for many people.
It seems to have a unique ability to develop resilience and support immune function, especially when combined with cold exposure. I think it’s amazing that we can achieve these things with our breath.
My main criticism of the WHM is that the main website – and various WHM advocates – fail to address the risks outlined in this article.
It’s definitely not suitable for everyone and I think there should be more awareness around its potential to trigger stress, anxiety and fear.
I would also like to see more open discussion around the importance of down-regulating after practices like the WHM. It doesn’t have to be immediately afterwards as there are certainly benefits to up-regulating the nervous system (focus, energy etc).
But in our hyper-stressed, over-anxious world right now, I think people should approach the WHM with a degree of reverence and caution.
I’m a huge fan of Wim Hof and everything he’s achieved and I’m in no way saying “don’t practice the WHM”. Just do it safely and with awareness of how your body and nervous system responds during and after the practice.
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