Today with us on the Incite Change Podcast is Dan, a good friend of Mauro and a great musician . He’s not here to put together notes and chords but to share with us his knowledge on conscious breathing and the Wim Hof Method.
Dan didn’t play sports growing up like most of our guests on this Podcast. His journey to conscious breathing, started when he chanced on a Vice Video of Wim Hof and his breathing methods.. This sent him down a rabbit hole of discovery. He was doing some yoga at the time and eventually became a teacher of pranayama which is the practice of conscious breathing in yoga. He opines this practice helps a devotee to make better decisions, get more clarity, and generally gives him a better quality of life.
Dan who was cold averse all his life got inspired by Wim’s story and saw it as a way to help him improve his cold tolerance for winter in Canada. He started to practice it and this opened the door to a different type of space than he was used to with Yoga. In his own words “This felt different and I felt the sense of presence was very strong and felt very grounded and open”. This led him to dive deeper into the Wim Hof method, even taking the Ice bath.
Dan tells interesting stories of his experience with police while taking a walk with very little clothing in cold weather and the cold walk he took with friends to raise money for music therapy. With lockdowns happening Dan thinks doing things like these are a great way to improve cold tolerance and enjoy the winter weather with friends and family.
Wim Hof method, cold showers, diaphragmatic breathing, and the likes; like everything else are tools in your toolbox for fitness and wellness activities. One needs to practice them consistently for some time to see results. You need to realize that when you face any challenge that plagues you with angst sometimes that activity might become fun along the way. So, push yourself harder when you need to and try new things
The Wim Hof method has three pillars which include components of breathing, mindset, and cold exposure. The Mindset aspect is becoming an observer and curious as to what’s happening around you. Breathing puts you in a meditative place, the exhale retention process quietens the mind, and being in the Cold Ice bath gets you grounded into the presence of the moment. When you sit into an ice bath you will be 100% in the moment guaranteed.
Dan encourages people to practice conscious breathing and cold exposure activities. You can engage in activities such as Patrick McKeown’s oxygen advantage techniques. diaphragmatic breathing, Wim Hof method, holotropic breathwork, nose breathing and not necessarily going running outdoors without a shirt. People should also start to create a space to promote healing and remember there is nothing as spiritual as space so find your quiet place.
Finally, Dan encourages us to limit the theories, podcasts, YouTube videos (of course they have their place) and plunge into the experience of conscious breathing and go on a deep dive, find out more for ourselves and refine it to our taste. There is so much more depth to explore once you get into the art of conscious breathing
EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:
[01:00] Dan and Mauro talk about how they met at a pub
[02:00] Dan’s Introduction to Conscious Breathing
[09:00] Yoga and Wim Hof Method
[13:00] Growing tolerance to cold
[22:00 Empathy and being an observer of Yourself
[26:00] Eye Lesson on Perspective
[25:00] Understanding Macronutrients
[28:30] Evolution of Meditative Life
[31:00] Creating Space to promote Healing
[46:00] Diaphragmatic Breathing
[35:00] Being A Fit Chef
[39:00] If you want It You Will Make the time
LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- VICE Iceman Documentary
- The Joe Rogan Experience #712
- Headspace Mindfulness/Meditation App
- Breathing Bubble: Guided Wim Hof Method Breathing
- Pranayama
- The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
- The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential
- What Doesn’t Kill Us – Scott Carney
- Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Dan’s Work
QUOTES:
“Sometimes you just need to hear something very strongly and clearly from someone to believe it”
“There is a lot of conflict in the world, and if we want less conflict, we need more understanding, and that doesn’t mean we don’t put up boundaries, boundaries are necessary for life”
“Just creating space is a really powerful thing…sometimes the best thing we can do is, create space. And when you create space, something beautiful can come in. They say there’s nothing spiritual as space. Just by creating that space, a lot of healing can happen”