The 2nd person that is starting to have a big influence on myself is Wim Hof.
The guy is not just some "caveman looking yogi". He is a practical master, who has proved that his method works, time and time again and he is convinced that you can do it too.
Wim holds 26 world records. Maybe you wont go on to break world records, but you can certainly try.
Some of his accomplishments feature (Source: Wikipedia):
2008: He broke his previous world record by staying immersed in ice for 1 hour, 13 minutes and 48 seconds at Guinness World Records 2008. The night before, he performed the feat on the Today Show.
2009: In February Hof reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in his shorts within two days. Hof completed a full marathon (42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi)), above the arctic circle in Finland, in temperatures close to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dressed in nothing but shorts, Hof finished in 5 hours and 25 minutes. The challenge was filmed by Firecrackerfilms, who make productions for BBC, Channel 4 and National Geographic.
2010: Hof again broke the ice endurance record by standing fully immersed in ice for 1 hour and 44 minutes in Tokyo, Japan.
2011: Hof broke the ice endurance record twice, in Inzell in February and in New York City in November. The Guinness World Record is now set for 1 hour and 52 minutes and 42 seconds by Hof. In September, Hof also ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without water. The run was performed under the supervision of Dr. Thijs Eijsvogels.
As you can see, he is a though mofo :D
His unofficial (or maybe official - I can't say for sure) slogan is "Breathe Motherf*cker!"
He offers you the chance to go through a 10 week course and see the results, which by many accounts are nothing short of miraculous.
10 weeks is a long time and you need some really strong will power, dedication and also time to complete the course. The 10 week course is not free.
There is an alternative to start however... and it is free and easy.
You can pratice this method any where you want, any time you want. There are some variations of it, I will give you mine. The official mini course can be found here
The easyest way to start and monitor you progress IMO is this:
1. Breathing exercises.
I’ve started following Wim Hof a few months back. I haven’t seen any long-term benefits yet, as I have not been diligent with this mater, but instantly you’ll feel more relaxed. However, once this comes into your dayly routine, it will be easy to start and take a few minutes a day to go through this techinc.
Here’s the breathing routine:
Find a place to get comfortable. It is best when done lying down, but you can sit or kneel - whatever you prefer.
Once ready, start breathing heavily, but not too heavily. It should be a balance of shallow and deep breaths, almost like you're blowing up a balloon. You may start to get lightheaded, and your body may tingle, which is perfectly normal.
After 30 to 40 breaths, empty your lungs and hold that breath. Hold that breath as long as possible without choking. This is where you can start recording your times.
After you let go of that breath, take a deep breath and hold it for 10 to 15 seconds before exhaling.
Repeat the above steps for another three rounds. If you want, record your times so you can track your progression and see immediate results.
After the four rounds, Hof says to enter into a meditative state for five minutes. Note: if you’re a complete beginner start meditating by closing your eyes and bringing your awareness to your breath while focusing on the space between your eyes.
2. Take cold showers.
Take cold showers instead of your usual warm shower. OK, sounds easyer said than done. So start light. For the first couple of times, take a normal shower , but with 30 seconds of cold shower on you legs at the end. You will get used to this soon.
When you are ready, start making this a habbit and move further up the body, until you can take a full cold shower.
Here you will find a practice sheet for the 20 day Cold Shower Challenge: http://explore.wimhofmethod.com/coldshowerchallenge/
Stick to it! Hey, its only 20 days :)
3. Ice baths.
Ice baths are the next level. Everything cold showers do, the ice baths do on a much greater scale.
These baths not only help to accelerate muscle recovery, the freezing temperatures have been proven to increase the size of your veins and improve circulation. Additionally, it psychs you up mentally. Making yourself uncomfortable is the best way to improve your mental strength.
4. Meditation
I’ve never meditated. Not sure if I know how. But dont let that stand in your way - try it. Close your eyes, get comfy, and think about nothing - monkey brain.
Do this at your own risk, I am not a professional. Only try this, if you want. If you do try it, do it on your own pace; if 30 breaths is too much for you, then do 12 or 20 etc.
Cheers
ALJO