BREATHING · 30–40 DEEP BREATHS → LONG BREATH HOLD → 15S HOLD IN
Wim Hof Method (Breathing)
Wim Hof Method breathing is three rounds of roughly 30 fast deep breaths followed by a long exhale breath hold, then a 15-second inhale hold. It is a powerful, high-arousal practice; research supports short-term effects on mood and inflammatory markers, but claims about immune rescue are overstated, and it is genuinely unsafe near water or while driving.
Updated April 2026·5 min read
How to do it
- Lie or sit in a safe place. Sit or lie down somewhere you cannot fall. Never practice near water or while driving.
- 30–40 deep breaths. Breathe in deeply through the nose or mouth; exhale passively without forcing the end. Repeat 30 to 40 times. You may feel tingling — that is expected.
- Full exhale, then hold. After the last breath, exhale fully and hold the empty lungs for as long as is comfortable. This is the key phase.
- Inhale hold. When you feel the urge to breathe, take a full inhale and hold for 15 seconds. Release.
- Repeat. Complete 3 to 4 rounds. Rest when finished — do not stand up quickly.
What the research actually supports
The best evidence for the Wim Hof Method comes from a small 2014 study in which trained practitioners showed blunted inflammatory response after endotoxin injection. It is a real finding, and it is a single study — the downstream claims about chronic disease reversal extrapolate far beyond what the evidence supports.
Short-term, the practice reliably produces mood elevation, altered state experiences, and sympathetic activation. This is both the draw and the risk. It is a powerful nervous-system intervention; treat it accordingly.
The safety side
People have died doing WHM breathing in pools and bathtubs. The breath holds can trigger shallow-water blackouts with no warning. Loam gates the method behind a safety screen. Never practice in water, while driving, or in any other setting where losing consciousness could cause harm. Skip it if you have a seizure disorder, uncontrolled hypertension, or if you are pregnant.
What the research says
The evidence base for Wim Hof Method (Breathing) rests on:
When not to use it
- Near or in any body of water, including showers
- While driving, cycling, or operating machinery
- Pregnancy
- Epilepsy / seizure disorder
- Uncontrolled hypertension
Safety note
The Wim Hof Method is gated behind an explicit safety screen in the Loam app. It is powerful; it is not recreational. Read the contraindications.
Try it in the Loam app
Wim Hof Method (Breathing) is included in Loam's breathing library with an animated breath visualizer, optional haptic cues at every phase transition, and configurable durations. Download Loam to practice it.
Related techniques
Back to the full breathing library, or try: Kapalbhati (Skull Shining Breath), box-breathing, Three-Part Breath (Dirga).