A hidden connection to our health issues?

Hello Falcon Inspired People!

Most of you on this mailing list have attended a Falcon Inspire workshop. If you haven’t, I hope to see you soon!

Can you name the top diseases plaguing humanity today? Here’s a partial list:
– cardiovascular disease
– cancer
– respiratory diseases
– diabetes & other autoimmune diseases (psoriasis)
– mental health disorders
– obesity
– arthritis
– sleep disorders

I could go on. I would add another to the list: social isolation. And a recent workshop participant chimed in with: “a bad back.” He’s right. I speak from experience that a bad back can make day-to-day life a lot less rewarding.

Wim Hof believes one circumstance is at the root cause of almost all these ailments: we’ve lost our connection with nature. And in doing so, our hunter-gatherer physiologies, honed over thousands of years, are operating sub-optimally.

You know the drill. You wake up, take a hot shower, turn up the thermostat, put on your socks and shoes, eat a processed food breakfast, put on your hat and gloves, get in your car, turn up the heat, arrive at the office, sit at your room temperature desk, eat at the office canteen, get back in your car, drive home, walk on the cement sidewalk, walk in your door, turn up the heat, eat your processed food dinner, sit on your sofa and watch TV, go to bed, repeat.

What can we do to reverse course? Let’s break the cycle! Take a walk on the grass in your bare feet. Enjoy the exhilaration of a ten-minute walk in the cold wearing a t-shirt. Cut back on processed foods. Go for a hike in the hills with some friends.

And most important: reconnect with your life-force, your breath!

Back to nature through your breath

My cat Stu loves to go outside. We can learn a lot from him. He sleeps all day to prepare for his nightly rounds around dusk. All day long, he’s in his “rest and digest” state, so he can be at his peak performance when he ventures outside. I estimate he’s probably in his “resting” state about twenty-two hours a day, and his “hunting” state in the other two.

We could all take a lesson from Stu: keeping our nervous system in “rest and digest” most of the day. Wim Hof Method guided breathing can help us to be conscious of what state we are in, and shift to a resting state when increased alertness isn’t needed.

Circling back to those diseases. In reconnecting with nature, we are bringing the fight to everything I’ve listed above! Better breathing can lead to better sleep, which can strengthen your immune system, which can then more capably fend off disease and inflammation.

There’s no cure-all. Getting the benefits of the Wim Hof Method requires consistent practice. I’m not dismissing Western medicine – medical advances have improved our quality of lives. But why not get the best of both worlds? What do you have to lose? As always, consult with your doctor before starting or stopping any medications.

I can speak from experience that consistently applying the Wim Hof Method has improved my sleep and mind-body connection, not to mention by oxygen-carrying capacity of my blood. Through a deeper mind-body connection and reconnecting with nature, my chronic back-pain is now manageable. Why not take the plunge?

IMPORTANT SAFETY GUIDELINE: never practice WHM breathing in or near the water.

You can read recent reviews on the Falcon Inspire Google Business page and on my Wim Hof Method instructor page:

Next workshops: April 5th (Den Bosch), May 3rd (Berkshire, UK), June 7th (Den Bosch)

I’d love to see you at an upcoming workshop. I will offer a €20 discount if you are a repeat customer! My agenda is here. We can arrange a private workshop for a group of four or more. Click the “get tickets” button, and we will see you there! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me.

Falcon Inspire Workshop Agenda

You can read recent reviews on the Falcon Inspire Google Business page and on my Wim Hof Method instructor page:

Falcon Inspire Google Business Page

David Grover – certified WHM instructor

Until then, keep breathing!

David

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About David:

David is a certified WHM Instructor and ex-US Air Force Survival Instructor, where he first learned to push his body and mind to the limit. You can read more about what to expect at a Falcon Inspire workshop on the Falcon Inspire website.

Copyright (C) 2025 Falcon Inspire. All rights reserved.

(originally published on December 3rd, 2004)

Aging better with cold exposure

Hello Falcon Inspired People!

Most of you on this mailing list have attended a Falcon Inspire workshop. If you haven’t, I hope to see you soon!

Cold exposure is one of the three pillars of the Wim Hof Method. Talking invariably turns to the ice bath when I mention that I am a Wim Hof Method instructor. While it’s a critical component of the Wim Hof Method, it’s not something to be dreaded or feared, and in most cases, cold exposure can be built up gradually in a fun and motivational way. At one of my WHM Fundamentals workshops, we spend most of the time on the breathwork pillar. If you decide taking a dip in the ice bath is not for you, it’s optional, and you will still get a lot out of the workshop. And if you change your mind after the workshop, you can always come back when you’re ready.

In a few cases, you should consult your doctor if you are unsure if you should start a cold exposure regime and avoid cold exposure if: you have heart problems (angina pectoris, panic attacks), high blood pressure (>160 mmHg), cold urticaria (a skin reaction to cold exposure), or Raynaud’s Syndrome Type 2.

If you are unsure how you will react to an ice bath, the safest way to try it out is at a Wim Hof Method workshop run by a certified WHM instructor. Most people who take their first cold dip are pleasantly surprised by how quickly their body adapts to the cold, and it often happens that I have to force participants to get out as it’s best to build up cold exposure gradually to avoid the phenomenon of “after drop.”

Back to nature though the cold

A recurring theme of the WHM is reconnecting with nature, before modern-day living perpetuated the myth that the cold “makes us sick.” Reconnecting with the cold reminds us of our biological connection with nature and that our bodies are designed to function in a wide range of climates and temperatures.

In a 2018 study, test subjects who ended their warm shower with a second blast of cold water reported 29% fewer sick days than a control group. A stronger immune system is one of the most touted benefits of regular cold exposure. But my favorite is that it can make you happier, acting as a kind of natural antidepressant (always discuss with your doctor before stopping or starting medication). Dopamine increases of up to 250% versus baseline have been measured in test subjects who undertake cold exposure.

The ice bath has been upgraded. It’s now sporting a new wooden frame, courtesy of my good friends Christoph and Nicole, two of my first workshop participants. Thank you, Christoph and Nicole! Come and check it out. You’ll almost forget that you’re sitting in ice-cold water.

I’d love to see you at an upcoming workshop. I will offer a €20 discount if you are a repeat customer! My agenda is here. We can arrange a private workshop for a group of four or more. Click the “get tickets” button, and we will see you there! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me.

Falcon Inspire workshop agenda

You can read recent reviews on the Falcon Inspire Google Business page and on my Wim Hof Method instructor page:

Falcon Inspire Google Business Page

David Grover – certified WHM instructor

Until then, keep breathing!

David

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About David:

David is a certified WHM Instructor and ex-US Air Force Survival Instructor, where he first learned to push his body and mind to the limit. You can read more about what to expect at a Falcon Inspire workshop on the Falcon Inspire website.

Copyright (C) 2025 Falcon Inspire. All rights reserved.

(originally published on September 4th, 2024)

Meeting Wim in Poland

Hello Falcon Inspired People!

Most of you on this mailing list have attended a Falcon Inspire workshop. If you haven’t, I hope to see you soon!

In February 2024, I made the pilgrimage to Karpacz, Poland, for the annual Wim Hof Method instructor reunion. It’s considered the birthplace of the Wim Hof Method, where Wim first began holding retreats over a decade ago, and where he took participants in the Radboud-led experiments in 2013 to train. The result of the study was that, for the participants, and for Wim himself two years earlier, it was possible to influence your autonomic nervous system at will. They successfully dialed up their immune system to fight off an injected dead bacteria.

There are many highlights from my February trip. One of my favorite memories is the fire walk! The other big highlight was meeting Wim. There were over 200 instructors in attendance, but he had time for us all. I think many “gurus” in Wim’s position wouldn’t remain so down to earth, but I’m happy to report that Wim is still a normal, approachable person. He led us twice in intensive morning breathing sessions, banging a bongo drum energetically, accompanied by a guitar player. I got the tingling sensations all over again, just like when I first started practicing the method! Here’s a grainy image of my fire walk experience.

Innerfire: A family business

I also met Isabelle, Wim’s oldest daughter, in Poland. She did a wonderful job herding over 200 instructors to and from activities on a packed schedule. Laura Hof helped to train me during my instructor certification in Spain in February 2023, and I was honored when she invited me to assist her with a workshop in Amsterdam shortly after I was certified.

It’s an added bonus for me to live in the Netherlands and get to know Wim’s family. Here’s a photo from the workshop with Laura in Amsterdam. I left Poland feeling inspired to grow Falcon Inspire, and with your help, that has happened! I also learned a lot from my fellow instructors, and I’m excited to bring this knowledge to my workshops!

Here’s a link to my workshop schedule. I’ve been told by participants that I should emphasize what makes a Falcon Inspire workshop stand out, so here goes:

• They are five hours long, an hour longer than a normal Fundamentals workshop

Actually, I have yet to finish a workshop on time, but I am trying! There are a lot of things I want you experience about the WHM. The workshops are longer because we do two breathing sessions, as well as WHM-specific breath-guided stretching and strength exercises.

• A Wim Hof Method themed lunch. My friend Janneke designed a menu to enhance the effects of the guided breathing and cold exposure, using her herbal expertise.

I’d love to see you at an upcoming workshop. If you are a repeat customer, I’m happy to offer a €20 discount! My agenda is here. For a group of four or more, we can arrange a private workshop.

Falcon Inspire Workshop Agenda

You can read recent reviews on the Falcon Inspire Google Business page and on my Wim Hof Method instructor page:

Falcon Inspire Google Business Page

David Grover – certified WHM instructor

Until then, keep breathing!

David

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About David:

David is a certified WHM Instructor and ex-US Air Force Survival Instructor, where he first learned to push his body and mind to the limit. You can read more about what to expect at a Falcon Inspire workshop on the Falcon Inspire website.

Copyright (C) 2025 Falcon Inspire. All rights reserved.

(originally published on November 13, 2023)

Trans-Atlantic Falcon Flight: Falcon Inspire travels to the USA!

Hello Falcon Hoffers!

On October 25th, I held my first Wim Hof Method Fundamentals workshop outside of the Netherlands, in Georgia, USA. The Wim Hof Method is less well known in the Southeastern USA than in the Netherlands, so it was fun to start with the basics of how Wim developed the method and why all of these crazy Dutch people are intentionally spending time in ice baths!

Surprisingly, I discovered rural Georgia has roadside ice vending machines scattered about! Tailor-made for a Wim Hof Method experience. I was a skeptic, but I loaded up on the ice at one of the machines with a few five dollar bills and some quarters, and we were off! We need a few of these machines strategically located in the Netherlands!

I’m now back in the Netherlands, and my next workshop will be an endurance-themed WHM Fundamentals workshop on the 2nd of December in Vught (more details below).

Your mind is in your breath!

But before I get into that, I want to talk about how breath can influence your state of mind. While the ice bath garners all the Wim Hof Method social media moments, focusing on our breath greatly impacts our health and well-being throughout the day.

I tell workshop participants that they should focus on the breathing component if they have limited time to practice the Wim Hof Method. This hit home while I was listening to an Andrew Huberman podcast about all things breath.

How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance | Huberman Lab Podcast

Andrew goes over all of the major forms of breathwork in a podcast lasting over two hours. I highly encourage you to give it a listen. For me, one technique rose above all the others. And that’s this:

There is a direct connection between breathing and heart rate; using your breath can deliberately reduce or increase your heart rate. It’s a hard-wired and normal feature of our body.

To increase your heart rate: deliberately inhale longer and more deeply/vigorously than you exhale. To decrease your heart rate: exhale longer and more vigorously than you inhale.

That’s it. No fancy dedicated “breathwork” required. Just understanding the “inhale-to-increase-heart-rate” and “exhale-to-decrease-heart-rate” phenomenon can allow you to adjust your state of mind and body at any time, deliberately, as needed.

Do you want to boost your adrenaline before a race? Or do you want to increase your energy and focus to take on a tough task?

Breathe in for 1,2,3, Breathe out for 1, 2… repeat x20.

Do you want to prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep?

Breathe in for 1, 2, 3, 4, Breathe out for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… repeat x30.

And when you control your heart rate with your breath, you control your mind instead of your mind controlling you.

This is me setting a personal record in the 15k last year (Eric transferred his start number to me). During the race, I was focused on breathing deeply, but not faster than I could breathe correctly. My left knee’s given me some trouble ever since I had arthroscopic knee surgery 23 years ago, but I’m happy to say I’ve transitioned from wearing a full knee brace to the band you see in the picture to no brace at all (that’s another story).

But what enabled me to set the PR was my training six months prior. I wasn’t putting in massively more kilometers but changing how I breathe massively. I focused on nose breathing and high altitude simulation through periodic breath holding during my training runs. Doing this improved my breathing volume by using my diaphragm, dilated my blood vessels (improving my circulation), and made my oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange more efficient. It also increased my red blood cell count; the more red blood cells in your system, the more oxygen your blood can transport to your muscles.

Here’s my red blood cell count from a blood test on June 22:

RED BLOOD CELLS (RBC): 4.80 M/uL

HEMOGLOBIN (HBC): 14.9 g/dL

And the numbers from Oct 23:

RED BLOOD CELLS (RBC): 5.27 M/uL

HEMOGLOBIN (HBC): 16.1 g/dL

Over 16 months, my RBC increased by 9.8% and HBC by 8.1%. Simply stated, a higher volume of red blood cells equals higher athletic performance.

Next workshop: December 2, Vught!

When I race, I start breathing in and out through the nose, and when I can’t do that anymore, I breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, and when I can’t do that anymore, I breathe in and out through the mouth. But when I race, I don’t think too much about it, but my mind is strong because of all the breathing I’ve done in the months before.

If you’d like to improve your running times, improve your endurance, and get more out of your limited training time, Join Sharon McLaughlin, Arash Eghbali, and me on December 2nd at Landgoed Bleijendijk, The Netherlands, for a Wim Hof Method Fundamentals Workshop focused on improving your endurance. We go over all the techniques I’ve used to boost my body’s oxygen-carrying capacity.

Unique to other WHM Fundamentals workshops, we will put theory into practice with a 5k trail run guided by David and Arash to practice breathing training techniques and work on running form.

I’ve used these techniques to set personal records in the 10k, 15k, and half-marathon in my 50s. Many runners neglect this critical aspect of running, but breathing is our running motor, and a tune-up can help you achieve your running goals more effectively and efficiently.

Arash Nasiri Eghbali will provide training tips and running form guidance. Arash is an accomplished long-distance runner and swept a series of Brabant summer races in 2023 (1st place, Jeroen Boschloop 10k, 1st place, Omloop van Empel 10k, 1st place, Engelenrun 12k).

For non-runners who want to reap the endurance-enhancing benefits of the Wim Hof Method, Sharon will lead a nature hike, implementing the same training techniques. She will take us to the next level of the WHM with guided power breathing.

By the way, you’ll sleep and feel better, too.

Here’s Sharon and me enjoying a cold dip together.

Update (March 27, 2025): While this workshop is in the past, here’s a link to my workshop signup page. Click the “get tickets” button, and we will see you there! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop me a line via email. I will offer a €20 discount if you are a repeat customer! We can arrange a private workshop for a group of four or more.

Falcon Inspire Workshop Agenda

You can read recent reviews on the Falcon Inspire Google Business page and my Wim Hof Method instructor page:

Falcon Inspire Google Business Page

David Grover – certified WHM instructor

Until then, keep breathing! Your mind will thank you (or should I say you will make your mind thank you!).

David

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About David:

David is a Level 1 WHM Instructor and ex-US Air Force Survival Instructor, where he first learned to push his body and mind to the limit.

Copyright (C) 2025 Falcon Inspire. All rights reserved.

(originally published on September 19, 2003)

Falcon Inspire is in flight!

The Wim Hof Method: Falcon style!

When I started practicing the Wim Hof Method in 2021 about 2 1/2 years ago, I never thought it would come to this! I’ve now been a certified Wim Hof Method instructor for seven months and am about to lead my fourth workshop. Before I started leading workshops, I had the good fortune to assist several experienced instructors, including Laura Hof, Sharon McLaughlin, and Rutger Thielen.

Just a couple of days after I was certified, I co-led my first Wm Hof Method workshop in Delft with my good friend Marc Lemay. We had a blast teaching teenagers from Project Turnover, which uses rugby to help young people get their lives back on track. The most fearless in the ice bath was a 13-year-old! Here’s me with the folks from Project Turnover.

Every instructor I assisted brought a unique style to their workshops, and it gave me the confidence to shape my workshops to fit my style of guiding and teaching. For me, it’s a blend of science and learning by doing, with hopefully some humor thrown in. My friend Janneke van Dijk, an herbal dietician, developed a Wim Hof Method lunch designed to enhance the breathing and cold-exposure experience, further opening the airways and improving circulation. That’s something unique I haven’t seen at any other workshop.

One of my recent workshop participants, Marcel Linders, wrote, “I think this could be the start of something life-changing.” Getting that kind of feedback made the last year of work totally worth it. Marcel has always been a super runner, with a ton of dedication. I’m convinced that practicing the Wim Hof Method can make him even better, but more importantly, he’s convinced!

Here’s Marcel venturing into the Falcon Inspire Ice Bath!

During my last workshop, I talked about my decision to give up alcohol for good seven months ago, and I wrote a series of articles about my experience. Without giving away too many spoilers, I wrote about the tendency of alcohol to throw our nervous system into the “fight-or-flight” state, even when we’d rather be resting. If you’re interested, here’s a link to the articles: https://medium.com/illumination/dry-january.

Marcel gave me another surprise when he wrote me a couple of days ago that he’s decided to give up alcohol for the rest of the year! Wow. Don’t get the wrong idea; I’m not on my high horse during a Wim Hof Method workshop lecturing people about the evils of drinking. But I do encourage drinkers to give it up for a month and see how they feel. No wonder Budweiser blocked me on Twitter/X! Now I know I’m onto something!

Workshop Schedule

I’d love to see you at an upcoming workshop. I will offer a €20 discount if you are a repeat customer! My agenda is here. We can arrange a private workshop for a group of four or more. Click the “get tickets” button, and we will see you there! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me.

Falcon Inspire Workshop Agenda

You can read recent reviews on the Falcon Inspire Google Business page and on my Wim Hof Method instructor page:

Falcon Inspire Google Business Page

David Grover – certified WHM instructor

I hope to see you at a workshop soon. It could be the start of something life-changing…

Until then, keep breathing!

David

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About David:

David is a certified WHM Instructor and ex-US Air Force Survival Instructor, where he first learned to push his body and mind to the limit. You can read more about what to expect at a Falcon Inspire workshop on the Falcon Inspire website.

Copyright (C) 2025 Falcon Inspire. All rights reserved.