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Wim Hof: The Iceman

My friend Eddie has been going on about Wim Hof for the past month or two and although I have been listening, I have to admit I took a little of what he said with a grain of salt. It is not that I didn't believe him—he is usually a pretty reliable source but this story sounded totally crazy to me: a Dutch guy climbing Mt. Everest in shorts, running a 1/2 marathon in bare feet on ice and snow, immersing himself in an ice bath for shockingly long periods of time, at the same time practicing a special breathing method whose goal is to increase the amount of oxygen in your body by controlling your breath in specific ways. Hof's Method claims that we can control from within our own autonomous systems and this possibility has enormous repercussions for health and wellness, while skirting big pharma, whose drugs, according to NIH: National Library of Medicine are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in our country!

Well, I just watched this Mulligan Brothers documentary on Hof and I have to admit I think there might be more to do this than what I thought.

The crux of Hof's beliefs are based on the idea that exposure to cold and cold water immersion drives a significant percent increase of norepinephrine and adrenaline, triggering the sympathetic nervous system while not raising the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Combining that with meditation and the Wim Hof Method of breath-work, Hof claims he can affect our nervous, immune, endocrine and the cardiovascular systems in ways thought impossible before. Hof has been studied by science, described in an interesting article I came across in the Smithsonian Magazine of all places, worth the read.

Wim Hof is a controversial figure and not everyone is on board with his methods. It would be remiss of me if I didn't cite this article from Scott Carney, a journalist who formerly touted Wim Hof and his message, only to doubt and question his previous admiration for the man and his methods after further investigating deaths associated with practicing the Wim Hof Method. One very important cautionary note, which needs to be heard loud and clear, according to Carney, is not to mix the hyperventilating breathing with water, even in the shower.

The Traveling Wilburys

The music of The Traveling Wilburys, the winning combination of George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne, never gets old. They came together rather haphazardly beginning in 1988 and not a lot of planning was involved ahead of time. They just decided to gather in a house and proceeded to go to work.

Here is a selection of their music which I keep enjoying over the years…I am sure our daughter Morgan has these songs imprinted on her brain--we listened to these songs over and over again in our studio when she was growing up. Sad to know that only two of them are still alive today but what a great legacy to leave with us.

Handle With Care

Heading for the Light

Last Night

Tweeter and the Monkey Man

Congratulations

Dirty World

And for those who want to delve deeper, here is an interesting documentary on the group.

Animal Stories

And now, here are a few animal stories that made me smile and brought me joy, just in case you still hold the false belief that humans are the only ones in the animal kingdom with intelligence and deep feelings:

Animals who never forgot their human friends.

A raven named Walt…

Darling the Crow

Paintings of the Week

B&W Trees I, II, III mixed media on paper 90” x 22” each

Charity of the Week:

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.