Wim Hof and Chi Kung

[Jesper]

Hello,

Does anyone know if Wim Hof's breathing exercises and cold exposure are compatible with Shaolin Wahnam Chi Kung?

I'm recovering from mold exposure and have been practice Shaolin Wahnam Chi Kung for a couple of months and was wondering if Wim Hof's breathing exercise and cold exposure could help me. I've heard some taoist say the cold is bad for you and I don't know if the breathing exercises move the chi in a way that goes against my chi kung practice.

Thank you!
Jesper

[George]

Hi Jesper,

If you already practice our Chi Kung then you definitely don’t need anything extra - it is quite self sufficient.

I don’t really know much about the Wim Hof method - I have the audiobook in my library for a while but haven’t got round to listening to it. (I am interested in something to build up some resistance to our miserable UK climate.) I vaguely remember it involved some conditioning with cold water and some sort of Tibetan Pranayama breathing? Do they say it is suitable for people with an existing medical condition? My gut feeling is that it is not as it would involve an energy cost, but that is just a guess from someone unfamiliar with the practice.


Best wishes,

George

[Jesper]

Hi George

Thank you for your reply.

Basically the breathing method is taking 30-40 full inhales and exhales as fast as you can and on the last exhale you hold the breath for as long as you can, then inhale and hold your breath for 15-20 seconds and exhale slowly. The method is inspired by the Tibetan Tummo practices, but I'm sure that real Tummo is quite different. Nonethless, it seems to be great for both emotional trauma and physical issues.

In addition tio the breathing exercises, you also take ice breath (or cold showers).

I have read that Sifu Wong says that the Chi Kung practice is so effective, that you only need to do very little (15 minutes or so?) and that more will likely create overtraining. So maybe it is best not to do more as you also seem to indicate. I just like to practice all these arts and love the feeling I get plus I want to recover as fast as I can - but maybe moderation is the best way to do that

[Andrew]

I had a look at this method some years ago when a client of mine showed interest. The method, as far as I found, is controversial and its benefits often questioned. Wim Hof (and his twin brother) have undergone some scientific investigations and been shown to have certain genetic traits that were deemed relevant to the results Wim Hof achieved. Interestingly, his twin brother doesn't (didn't?) practice the Wim Hof method and achieved similar results with respect to withstanding extreme cold.

The breathing method is also controversial and there were reports of severe side-effects on certain individuals.

[Jesper]

Hi Andrew

Thank you for your reply.

I've heard many people who have benefited a lot from it, but the practice doesn't have a long tradition and probably has many pitfalls when not taught by very experienced people, which can create side-effects as you write. I think I will avoid it to be safe.