DEATH, DIVORCE AND DIABETES | Michelle divulges her tricks for overcoming the toughest of years

Wim Hof breathing technique for the body, mind and soul.

**getting high on your own supply**

Last year was emotionally, spiritually and physically draining. It left me feeling very low and it was at a particularly low point when someone pointed me in the direction of Wim Hof Breathing techniques.

Within days my life had started to pick up. Slowly and gently at at first my energy returned leaving me more awake, connected and no-where near as down in the dumps. Life’s challenges, though still there, lost much of the the anxiety and fear I’d previously attached to them.

I always take my Tonic 8% daily and have for over 2 years now and it’s really seen me through the darkest of times, death, divorce and diabetes and still does It’s what gets me out of bed in a morning and helps me sleep at night, without the anxiety I used to experience. It is through CBD that I found Wim’s practice and what gives me the energy and drive to have started this daily practice. It’s like the breathing practice combined with the CBD super charge each other. Or I feel like a new super charged me.

Wim’s breathing technique brings you into the present moment, takes you from the monkey chatter mind into the quiet crocodile mind, and it only takes moments. As my practice has progressed I began to notice that whilst my mind was busy, my breathing would be shallow and skippy, but as soon as I got into the deep regular breathing my mind would quiet down and I felt a lot calmer. Using the technique helped me to move into the sensations of my body and the emotions trapped there. Very uplifting and enlightening.

Retaining my breath for 2-3 minutes felt totally renewing and though the mind thinks it’s going to be impossible it’s actually far easier than I imagined and the feeling it leaves me close to ecstatic and so excited that I’ve completed a challenge –  and all before getting out of bed, What a great way to start your day, knowing you are doing something good for yourself, mentally and physically, this is very uplifting in itself.

The Wim Hof method is very similar to Tummo meditation and pranayama, yet it is totally unique in its own way. The first part of the exercise, can be likened to controlled hyperventilation. Of course this is an oxymoron as hyperventilation happens involuntarily. However imagine the breathing part, without any stress triggers that normally cause this way of breathing. Rapid breathing that makes one relaxed, invigorated and high on oxygen. Brilliant! What’s not to love.

Here’s how to do it

All it takes is 20 minutes in the morning, before you get out of bed.Whilst lying down in bed or sitting, whichever is most comfortable for you. Make sure you can expand your lungs freely without feeling any constriction. It is highly recommended to do this practice first thing, as your stomach is empty.

Take 30 quick deep breaths – imagine your body is a balloon that you are blowing up, filling the belly, chest and head. Use your nose or your mouth to inhale and release.the air. Keep a steady pace, find your flow and energetically engage your whole midriff.

After  the 30 deep breaths, draw the breath in once more and fill the lungs to maximum capacity without using any force. Then let the air out and hold your breath for as long as you can, hold the breath until you feel the gasp reflex.

For the recovery breath, once you’ve exhaled, take in another deep breath, your full capacity and hold for 10-15 seconds, imagine pushing all the air up into your head. This is one round.

Repeat as many times as you like. You may experience symptoms of lightheadedness, and tingling sensations in the body, this is your charge, your energy starting to move and fill you up resetting and alkalizing the entire body.

After you have finished your rounds, take a few minute to enjoy the feeling, this will become more and more like meditation.

How you’ll feel

Practicing this technique everyday will keep your stress levels down. When we are stressed daily, we become disconnected with our brain stem, and are constantly in fight or flight mode.. We need to stay as connected to our brain stem, or reptilian brain,  as we can as this is the area of the brain – the amygdala – which governs our survival mechanism and psychological motor control and hormones.

What the big man has to say

“When oxygen levels rapidly decrease in the body, the brain stem answers ‘hey there is no oxygen, but you are alkaline, the body’s chemistry is right, so there is no need to breath, but the crocodile mind doesn’t understand this and he says, i have to survive, adrenaline shoots out and you get a reset to your primordial state, where in the immune system is suddenly within reach of the will and then it starts happening, all that is not necessary  in the body, half cells, diseased cells, they’re all being expelled as you need to be in high function, danger is happening and the body goes into the autonomic nervous system state of being to be the best of yourself and you are doing it all consciously, you are at ease. This is the way we get into the deepest parts of ourselves and take control”. Wim Hof

Wim’s very powerful breathing technique gets rid of the Co2 in the body, enriches the oxygenation and o2 in the body, taking us deep into the nervous system and a whole new way of experiencing our life.

Some more amazing benefits of the exercise are;

Raised energy a great mood enhancer.

Strengthening your health and inner light/power

Improved circulation

Improved physical and mental wellbeing

Improves cardiovascular health

Helps control your autoimmune system

Great for quieting the mind

Lifts depression

Enables you to take more oxygen into the body when relaxed

Increases oxygen levels-exceeding the 100% into the cells and lymphatic system which turns the body’s chemistry alkaline.

Plus you get a rush of the pleasure hormone – dopamine, the love hormone – oxytocin and some serotonin – the relaxing hormone. Yummy! Plus you tap into pure adrenaline, like I said what’s not to love about treating yourself to this first thing in a morning.

Please go direct to source if any of this piques your interest.

Top Tips

Top Tips that I’ve learnt to get the most out of this breathing technique;

With your mind follow your breath, it keeps you present and focused, aware of what’s happening in your body.

Just witness. Witness what’s happening with your physiology.

It’s all about charging up the body, go deep.

I place all my concentration on the diaphragm, visualise it filling up, then flowing into my chest then up into the head, my whole body golden and alive, i find this works wonders.for my mental state and keeping me in the moment and out of monkey mind.

I imagine all my mitochondria lighting up and working at full charge. This leaves me feeling full of energy and pretty much ready to tackle anything with ease.

I give thanks and gratitude to my body, the whole and individual parts, this way I’m learning to love myself everyday. Spread the love by starting with myself. I find i have much more tolerance for things that would usually annoy me.

I notice what happens to my breathing and if I fall into monkey chatter, or if it becomes erratic or skips or just isn’t as smooth I now know how to rectify it instantly. I don’t need to keep myself in some mental loop anymore. I just go back to the deep breathing and the chatter is gone. This has been the most life changing aspect for me by far.

My personal favourite, at the end of the rounds when i’m enjoying the feelings rushing through my body and my mind is quiet  i think of all the amazing possibilities in my life and what i can do to achieve these, visualising exactly what I want and knowing above all else that anything is possible.

When teemed with a 30 second cold shower straight after, I notice that my days are much more productive, focused, clear and flowing.

I’ve started to notice that people are telling me I’m looking well!!! BONUS it’s been a while.

I’ve been practicing this method for 3 months now everyday and I have to say physically, emotionally, mentally I am feeling a lot happier than I was before I discovered. Wim Hof

And guess what tribe…it’s free

CBD and Wim Hof it’s a magic combination.