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Jaunuary 2018 The power of the human mind is incredible. It can dominate you with a firm iron clasp if you let it, and can be the most servile servant if you tame it. Yogis of yore were known to perform austerities to master their mind and set themselves further on the path of sadhana. Today, science, still at a nascent stage as compared to ancient wisdom, has started acknowledging the power of mind over matter. The Wim Hof Method YouTube channel - Wim Hof YouTube link - www.youtube.com/user/wimhof1/ One such scientifically endorsed meditation technique is the Wim Hof Method developed by Dutch miracle man, Wim Hof, who is taking the western world by storm. At 58, Hof has around 26 world records to his credit due to his immense capability to withstand extreme cold. He is known to have broken his own record of having the longest ice bath several times. He has climbed Mt. Everest and Mt. Kilimanjaro wearing nothing but shorts and shoes. Known by the moniker, the ‘Iceman’, Hof has found a way to ‘up his body’s thermostat’ by an inventive breathing technique. “I found out a scientifically endorsed way which shows that we are capable of going deep within our bodies, touch our autonomic nervous system (a control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions) which is related to the immune system, and find ways to free ourselves of diseases [sic],” he says, in one of his videos. The Wim Hof Method is a mix of physical exercises, breathing exercises, visualisation exercises, meditation, and cold exercises, which progressively get more difficult each week. Hof, over the years, has taught his methods to a good many people. His website is replete with testimonies by people who successfully achieved healthier bodies and minds by applying his techniques. His YouTube channel has a number of e-learning videos in which he shares the fundamentals of his breathing techniques and fascinating insights on the power of mind and breath. The channel also features a string of his podcasts and interviews. In one such interview, Hof explains how he developed this method, from the breathing exercises he used to do, while doing his daily round of push-ups. Hof has been a subject of many scientific researches to establish the significance of mind-power and breathing techniques in activating the endocrine-immune system. In 2011, the University Medical Center, Radboud, Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, ran several tests on Hof and concluded that he could voluntarily influence his autonomic nervous system. Though Hof’s technique might come as a surprise to the patrons of science, practitioners of many Oriental spiritual traditions have been known to perform similar feats. Tummo, a similar technique in the Tibetan Vajrayana school of Buddhism, uses tantric meditation to generate body heat in extremely cold conditions. In Sanskrit, this technique was referred to as Chandali Yoga. Hof, on his part, has validated these ancient esoteric practices by scientifically proving the efficacy of his methods. I am sure that it is going to be the coveted link that bridges the gap between science and spirituality. -Punya Srivastava