Breathwork before the dip, the way we do it

Ice Dippers has no official affiliation with Wim Hof Method Inc., and none of our current dip leaders holds an instructor certificate. What we practise is closer to the older “Inner Fire” rounds than to whatever the official course teaches today, so if you want to learn the trademarked method, a certified workshop is the right place for you.

Every dip leader does it a little differently, but a common pattern goes like this. Sitting or lying down, you take 30 deep breaths in and let each one out in a relaxed way, making the last few extra full, and then you breathe out completely and hold your breath with empty lungs for as long as it feels comfortable. When you need air again, you take one deep breath in and hold it for 10 to 20 seconds while gently tensing your muscles. The second round is the same, and in the third round you can do push-ups while holding your breath on empty lungs if you want to, after which we go into the water.

Please never hold your breath for long in the water. The exercise also does not belong in a car or anywhere you could fall, such as the edge of a train platform, and if you feel dizzy, simply stop and breathe normally.