"The cold is harsh but righteous": Wim Hof method catches fire in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS -- The saying is that it's not bad weather but rather bad clothing, but Nick Fox would rather ditch the parka and boots anyway.
"The cold is harsh, but it is righteous," Fox explained to WCCO-TV. "You meet it on its own terms and your body adjusts. You dig deeper into yourself, and you feel like you have power."
Fox, a former high school teacher and Army veteran, is Minnesota's only full-time instructor in the Wim Hof Method, a practice that prioritizes breathing and deliberate exposure to the cold. The method is named after its European founder, Wim Hof, who's also become known as "The Iceman."
"Deliberate cold exposure is you're going out to do something specific to get the health benefits from it. It's not like you're a squirrel just existing in the cold without any clothes," Fox quipped. "The breath and the cold are the teacher, and I get to guide people through it."
Practicing the method could include an ice bath, a swim in an icy lake, making snow angels or hiking.
"I wasn't always that way," Fox added. "I was a pretty typical Minnesotan, bought a nice jacket, good boots. I've just found that [Wim Hof] opens you up, that the human body is capable of a lot more that you give it credit for."
Fox currently offers monthly training sessions in Wim Hof fundamentals at Yoga Sanctuary in Minneapolis; January's class is already sold out. Fox is also hosting the first of its kind Wim Hof weekend retreat at the Hokyoji Buddist Center in Eitzen.
Among the lessons in class is safety, which Fox said is paramount.
"In general, you don't want to be outside when there's a windchill advisory with bare skin," he added. "The two things that are the hardest to deal with are the wind and being wet. So when you're wet and in the wind, that's when you start getting into dangerous areas quicker."
For beginners, Fox recommended starting with small goals like a 15 second cold shower or walking barefoot to take out the trash.
"It's given me more energy, more creative energy, and I'd like to think my mood at home has improved," Fox said.