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Episode #5
Sandra Reivik
Wim Hof Method
Sandra Reivik is the youngest female Wim Hof Method instructor in the world who has trained with Wim personally in Thailand, in the Netherlands, and Poland. Having an entrepreneurial mindset, she has co-founded two wellness studios in Thailand and Estonia. She has taught alternative healing methods in group and private settings at international festivals and communities around the world. Nothing makes her more fulfilled than being in service by sharing the methodologies that have transformed her life.
Ph. D. Creator of Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercise (TRE)
Breathing trainer and author of The Oxygen Advantage
Adaptation
Sandra Reivik
Wim Hof Method
Mireia Mujika: Hi everyone and welcome to this new episode of Ways to Grow where every two weeks I will interview experts to help us understand and discern different disciplines that will help us grow, improve our wellbeing and be better leaders. With this aim, we will travel from East to West from the pure psychological studies to the ancient shamans. We will look at every field and you will take what interests you. Join me on this journey of learning and discovery. My name is Mireia Mujika, I'm a Personal and Executive coach and for this episode, I have invited Sandra Reivik to join us, to talk about the Wim Hof method.
Sandra Reivik is the youngest female Wim Hof method instructor in the world who has trained with Wim personally in Thailand, in the Netherlands and Poland.
Her personal journey started five years ago when she decided to travel to Southeast Asia, South America, Europe, and the Middle East to explore all she could about holistic wellness, mindfulness, and human potential. Having an entrepreneurial mindset, she has co-founded two wellness studios in Poland and Thailand.
She has taught alternative healing methods in group and private settings and at international festivals and communities around the world. And nothing makes her more fulfilled than being in service by sharing the methodologies that have transformed her life
Listener if you want to improve your overall health, please listen to this episode. It's going to be of help for you. But before we start, let me remind you of our website www.waystogrowpodcast.com, where you will find the details of all our guests and also the books and resources they recommend. And if you like this podcast, please, please, please follow and rate us so that we can keep growing.
Finally welcome, welcome to this Ways to Grow podcast, Sandra, and thank you for accepting my invite.
Sandra Reivik: Yes. Thank you. That's the beauty of social media reaching out, private-messaging and in a couple of days you can have this.
Mireia Mujika: Yeah, it was, it was great. I saw this post on Insta from Nasab where they were announcing your training and I said: who is this woman? I want to check her out. Yeah, so tell us more about that. What is the Wim Hof Method.
Sandra Reivik: So the Wim Hof methods… So let’s start maybe off with who's Wim Hoff. So Wim Hoff is a crazy Dutch man in his sixties. And, uh, now over 30 years ago, he started to develop this method, which entails Breathwork Cold exposure and Mindset training. So 3 pillars.
He actually came from a really hard point in his life where he was in severe depression because he lost his wife, due to suicide and he was left alone with four children. So that's actually when he started to do different breath work practices, as well as going and diving into cold waters and, started to develop these human capabilities that were taught not to be possible.
He was actually the first person in the Western world that showed that we can actually influence our autonomic nervous system because this was never done before. You know, we have all the yogic people in the Himalayas from places all over the world who have done amazing things, but it never has been scientifically tracked. And Wim was the first person who showed that the autonomic nervous system can be influenced. So things like the heart rate, body temperature… That actually led the scientific books to be changed. Now he's on a mission to share that everyone can actually practice the breath work, the cold exposure and the mindset training, and have that understanding of the innate capabilities that we actually have. The power within us and that we can adapt to any kind of environment. Is it a stressful one? Or not? This is his mission now to share this. And there are so many people from all over the world who have benefited from the method. Um, if they have any kind of diseases, mental health issues, there is a track record. It's growing, it's coming slowly bit by bit too mainstream as well, which I'm really happy about.
Mireia Mujika: Yes, yes. Yes. It's a well known method now. Yes, yes, yes. So you were saying that he can influence the autonomic nervous system. So I guess that he proves that it can be influenced by the breath, by the cold exposure and by mindset training.
Sandra Reivik: Yeah. Yes. But there is also a study now, which, uh, which was released in 2014 where it’s shown that this could be done. So as to say with normal people. If they had the training, they could also fight off any kind of flu like symptoms when they were injected with the E coli bacteria and that they showed in the scientific research again, that this is not only, scientific anomalia like Wim being the crazy person, the only one that can do this. On the contrary, it was actually shown with a group of people that this method was helping them as well.
Mireia Mujika: Very good. Very good. Well, you were saying that Wim was in this struggle after his wife's sudden death. And that's when he started with this protocol.
Sandra Reivik: Yes, exactly. When we come to my own personal journey as well, I also come from a place where, you know, you usually end up in this type of alternative healing modalities when there is some struggle. SH– has hit the fan, you know? So at the time when two and a half years ago now… I saw Wim’s documentary five years ago already and that's when I made the decision that I'm going to meet this person in person. And then, two and a half years ago, that's when I met him on the island where I was living at the time: Thailand. And, yes, at the time I was struggling with panic attacks. Although I had tried so many different healing modalities like meditation, yoga practices, you know, Chinese medicine, all of those different things, I couldn't switch up my mind, I couldn’t come to my body fully and actually the cold therapy, the second pillar of the method, was for me, the anchor that brought me back. Of course, with the commitment, which is the third pillar, step by step, progressively, with gradual exposure to cold exposure and then building my confidence, my physiology again, up where I was feeling again, like in my own power. So, and it came from a mental health, um, you know, point as well from me. Yeah. And, now I haven't had any kind of panic attacks. Of course I still get overwhelmed, but I now know how we can with the power of the breath take control of the mind and the body.
Mireia Mujika Take the control back. Yeah. So, if I want to train this method, what are the steps?
Sandra Reivik: On a personal level or as an instructor?
Mireia Mujika: On a personal level.
Sandra Reivik: Yes. Okay. So usually we do workshops where we also integrate other aspects of different alternative healing modalities. So to bring a little bit of yoga also, as well as sound journey into the mixture, just because I do believe in the power of the sound and relaxation, deep state relaxation, um, and with the help of the sound to integrate whatever came up during the breathwork session.
So usually we do a gentle movement. Is it any kind of a form of yoga? Then we go into the breathwork. Then there's a protocol for the breath work. And then we have the sound journey just to integrate whatever came up. And then usually we go into the cold exposure, which is then going into the ice bath, having the.
Mireia Mujika. Just thinking about it, I say: Oh my God, I wouldn't be able to take a jump there!
Sandra Reivik: But that's the beauty in that, that that's when the third pillar comes because during the workshop, we actually prime you to feel confident enough to go and conquer the fear that comes up because when we take the metaphor of ice bath, we encounter these kind of experiences every day, right? We go, we meet with the boss… we need to be at work. We are facing tough situations with children, you know, everywhere, ice baths, you know, and then we can also use this, that whenever we go into a high stress environment, we can also remain calm. So through the experiences, going into the ice bath, switching your breathing from the first response of like “I'm going to die”...
Because the body is giving those cues. Right? Then you can shift into relaxation. So you train yourself. Constantly. “Oh, you can do this, it will be Okay”.
Mireia Mujika: So then I come to a session with you at some point here in Dubai…And uh, so first you will teach me how to breathe. And then on the same day, I will go to the ice bath?
Sandra Reivik: It's usually a two to four hour-session. We have different formats of workshops, but usually there's a first block, which is focused on the first pillar, which is the breath work. Of course, speaking about those are the benefits of, uh, of breath work and the functional breathing, right. And the science behind the methods.
And then the second block is the cold exposure. And then that's where we, warm up the body, do the thing with the group or you alone, individually going in and conquering the fear. And, usually then we have in the end, the sharing. Enjoying beautiful food together.
Mireia Mujika: You're saying “conquering the fear”. So it sounds more like it's a mental thing than actually a physical thing.
Sandra Reivik: Yes, yes. Yes. Because actually our bodies are so intelligent, and as well more capable of what we think. So conquering the fear… it's also something which is, you know, a little bit counter-intuitive. You think you're going into the cold exposure aspect, right? Ice bath, uh, or cold shower, however, it happens for you, right? Um, you think sometimes that you need to be fighting with the feeling. But it's actually the opposite. We have to be flowing.
There's also a saying in the tribe that, you know, you, or what Wim says, you find comfort in discomfort and, and that’s the thing that we're kind of aiming for and understanding we're not fighting. We're surrendering to the process and coming from a place of relaxation, into a place of “I can, you know, I can do this. I can do this and I can go through the experience in a calm state”. So it's all connected to stress management in essence. How we can, down-regulate how we can influence our mind-body states, from a practical point of view.
But of course, when we talk about the benefits of cold exposure and the breath work, there are so many: improved sleep quality, for example. Because it's an active meditation when we breathe as well as when we're in the ice, it's active meditation. So it also improves the possibility to focus. Right. And then the physical aspect. There's so many feel-good chemicals being released in the body after the cold, because of the cold and also during the breath work. This is all scientifically proven. There's cardiovascular improvements. You're being like, you're in a gym, you know, when you do the cold and come out, there's a whole party going through a reset. Right? So there's so many benefits to it. But what my aim is is to create that environment for the person to discover, see for themselves because there are many people coming from, mental health problems, like insomnia, and there's so many different aspects for mental clarity. Different entrepreneurs, founders, investors around me, they come with different goals. For me, it's just… I hold the space for them to explore and everyone can take whatever it is for, for them.
And that's the beauty of the method as well. There isn't, you know, and anyone can do, of course there's some kind of health conditions that, you know, you need to be aware of before you, and there are safety guidelines. Um, but overall it's, you know, it's breathing what we do everyday.
Mireia Mujika. Well, the cold shower I don’t do every day, I have to say.
Sandra Reivik: Ok, the cold shower no. But shower you do every day or almost every day, right? And then you can also start training your mind, you know, gradually… doing the cold shower, like 10 seconds, in the end. You're going to be putting the cold, tapping into the cold.
(The fire alarm rang and we had to stop the recording)
Mireia Mujika: This was quite an experience. Well, Sandra was talking when I heard a strange sound like. “Fire alarm, please go to the next exit”. Yeah. But then they told us that it was just a test, so we are good. We are good to continue. Um, I don't remember exactly where we were, but well, in summary, what is the goal of, um, of the Wim Hof method?
Sandra Reivik: Yes. So I guess one of the things is connecting to the power within us. It's a big one. What does it actually mean? We have been conditioned by the environment we have around us. We have ACs you know, not having, the cold is actually... In the past, we would be able to adapt easily. And now, going through this experience of the breath work or the cold, it actually brings back to the innate capabilities that our body has to adapt and to feel alive through it.
So that's, you know, for me, I, I feel the experience of going back to the innate capabilities of our bodies and in our mind is the gift that this method is bringing.
Mireia Mujika: So connecting with that inner wisdom. I love that.
Sandra Reivik: So how often should I do a session? I mean, what do you think normally takes a person to get to, to master this method?
Talking from my own personal experience, I have gone through a time period where I was like religious about this, doing breathwork and cold exposure every day, because at the time I was also having just freezer, uh, which is, uh, you know, I have transformed the freezer into an ice pad. So I could go whenever I wanted.
Mireia Mujika: Would you go inside your freezer?
Sandra Reivik: Yes. I would walk in the morning directly from bed, without thinking, into the ice bath and sit there for two to three to four minutes. And then continue with my day having the sensation… you know, that's the thing that you start to experience. Having the sensation of conquering the discomfort, and having that rush of so many, feel-good chemicals after that. Then that's, you know, you program yourself for the day ahead. You have already in the morning conquered something like this. You're like...
Mireia Mujika: Yeah, exactly. That's what I was going to say. That feeling of empowerment that, you know, I go into an ice pad in the morning…
Sandra Reivik: But then when it comes to actually getting the benefits, you don't have to be doing ice pads every day. Of course, if you do it once a week, Okay, good. Or of course, if you want to be, if you have any kind of a health issue or you want to see the results quicker, maybe more intensively, you can have ice baths or cold showers every day.
And as well as the breath works, because actually you can do the breath, work 10 minutes in the morning and then take your shower and then you integrate this into your morning routine and see over a month or a week or couple of months, the progress that you have done, because there's a beautiful app for that.
There's a Wim Hof method app where you can track your progress. There is also the guidance of Wim, uh, speaking about the three pillars, as well as guiding the breath work. So you can understand that in the morning and see how you progress. So we can download that app as well, from Appstore or Google Play..
Mireia Mujika: You were saying that you also integrate sound healing to the method. I also saw on the Wim Hof web that sometimes they integrate Jiu Jitsu.
Sandra Reivik: The third pillar, which is the mindset training and commitment aspect, actually there are different yoga asanas that are integrated just to open the body and also to train some tough positions like headstand, just to improve your ability to focus as well as the flexibility of the body, because when we do the breath work, we actually want to be activating the whole yes. The posture, because I get, you know, I'm right now talking about the Wim Hof method, but I'm so passionate about optimal breathing in general, and there is so many different, um, breath, work practices alter, um, But coming back to the point that you were asking about jujitsu, so there's yoga asanas that we do, there are visualization practices that's more advanced. But actually, it can be also integrated or within the beginner's levels of when you practice. But he has his own ways of bringing different things. And also the instructors that now have been certified, right, these come from all backgrounds. These are wellness coaches, right, so they bring different elements to the player.
Mireia Mujika: Sure. Every teacher brings its own book, we say in Spanish. So, who is the client that would benefit most from mastering the Wim Hof method?
Sandra Reivik: I guess, for me, as I’ve been involved in the startup scene, entrepreneurial scene landscape, then I am driven to actually support founders, executives, who are usually in high stress environments, right?
Mireia Mujika: Yeah.
Sandra Reivik: So, just to have the mental clarity to have the ability and the knowledge that I can actually down regulate when needed to manage stress and through the methods, you can actually learn then how you in practice bring yourself back to a place of calmness.
Mireia Mujika: So, yeah, like this is a very interesting thing what you're saying, because obviously, imagine that this high executive C whatever, if he's in a meeting, he's starting to get stressed out so in that moment he doesn't have ice baths but it's still manageable, I guess, right? So, you guys train them so that they can down regulate that nervous system to the state of calm, calmness without the ice baths or without the breathing.
Sandra Reivik: Yes. So, actually, during the breath work, you're experiencing two states. You're actually experiencing the, now when we talk about the nervous system, we have the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system, right? One of them being the fight or flight and other one the rest and digest. The parasympathetic being the rest and digest, sympathetic being the fight or flight. So, usually, in a high stress environment, we go into the sympathetic nervous system. During the breath work, we actually, with the long exhales, we can then bring ourselves back to the relaxation part and we go in between those two states, nervous systems states. And then through that, you actually start to develop the understanding physically as well in your body to notice when you're shifting in between those two states. So, with the awareness, which always comes first when we talk about any kind of shifts; awareness of those different states in you, in your body, you can then know how to activate, okay, I understand my chest is right now, my breath is becoming more shallow, it's moving here then you're like, okay, deep belly breaths, you know, these belly breaths and bringing yourself back into like okay, calm, I’m in charge.
Mireia Mujika: I’m in charge.
Sandra Reivik: Yes. So, I guess, that's the little bit of the answer. Of course, I understand we don't have the ice bath.
Mireia Mujika: Yeah. No, but like, so they get trained so that they can actually go to that calm moment in any high stress environment.
Sandra Reivik: Because it's actually hermetic stress, which we call you choose, it's like a small dose of stress. You're going to the ice bath, for example, or taking a cold shower, right? It's stressful. Stressor that you choose to give yourself, right? But it's done in a positive manner. In that experience, understand like, okay this is safe, and you improve your understanding of like okay this is safe actually and I can do that and I can control. Again, and just practice, it takes time.
Mireia Mujika: It comes to my mind that actually, we give stressors to our bodies any time. I mean, when we are getting a coffee, we are giving the body a stressor, right? We just get coffee. Well, for me, it's a stressor, maybe for other people, it's not. But we think that we don't even think about it, we just get it.
Sandra Reivik: And we often have actually forgotten as, you know, people who are leading things, we actually have forgotten how to deeply relax, that's also what I see a lot that a person coming for a breathwork session and they're like, oh my god, I haven't been so relaxed for such a long time and having afterwards the mental clarity because of that, right? And just the method has given the opportunity to one to experience this kind of a state again, to remind and also see like, oh, I’ve been doing some things maybe a bit wrongly for some time.
Mireia Mujika: Too much.
Sandra Reivik: Yes.
Mireia Mujika: Right in my nervous system.
Sandra Reivik: Which is totally understandable because I also have gone through the things and that's why I’m still learning constantly how it's worked, so it's a lifelong journey.
Mireia Mujika: Yeah, exactly. It's a lifelong journey. One that you're starting this journey then there is no stop. That's it, until the date that we actually go to the other side, that's it. So, I have an example here. I don't know, you told me. So, Mike is a 30 year old man, who suffers from burnout at work. So, this is an example that we always give to our guests. So, he suffers from burnout. How can the Wim Hof method help him?
Sandra Reivik: So, first of all, again, awareness is the first aspect of any kind of change. And understanding that the breath is actually mirroring our mind and body state, that's already a beautiful understanding. So, now with conscious breathing practice like the Wim Hof method is, we can give ourselves the time to start processing whatever has been the whole stressor not only for the mind but also for the body. So, you go into that deep kinesthetic body work as well through the breath work. But sometimes, for this type of people, it's their first time doing any kind of breath work and that's what I love about the method as well, it's scientific. That's why it's for the mainstream to be accessible, one thing. And second of all, it attracts actually more of these logical people who want to have the science behind the method. And actually, it also can be done 10 minutes of your day, 15 minutes, the breath work and the cold exposure and integrating that into your practice, morning practice. And with Mike coming. That's when you slowly progressively start to develop again the clarity, the understanding, that's like in from the deep relaxed states that they have and as well as, you know, when we breathe optimally, what we do in the breath work because we're breathing actually through the nose, which is more healthier than the mouth breathing and also doing abdominal diaphragmatic breathing, these are all what actually support our journey in life, in other aspects of life as well, right? Exactly. So, there's so many things that just a commitment to yourself for some time. You can change your breathing habits and understand your body better. So, and this is all connected to, you know, these are the vehicles that we are operating in every day. So, how to support yourself better?
Mireia Mujika: Yes. And as you were saying, I think, right, like connecting to that inner wisdom that can give you actual answers. In the case of mike, I guess, also like so, I mean, I’m not so familiar to the Wim Hof method but I understand that if you are breathing, if you actually conquer that fear of getting to an ice bath, for me it's terrific, like I was so horrified to do that. But anyway, like my husband would love when he listens to this because my parents have this pool in Spain and normally, it's at 22 degrees and I’m not able to get in. So, imagine. But, anyway, going to where we were. So, for this mike, I guess, it will help him connect with that inner wisdom and then from there, he can actually get the answers that he needs to continue with our work or to take, to set boundaries or whatever he needs to do with life, I guess.
Sandra Reivik: Yes, indeed.
Mireia Mujika: At the end of the day, I think every method takes us to just connect with that wisdom, connect ourselves properly and then take action after that.
Sandra Reivik: Yeah.
Mireia Mujika: Cool. And this is also a question that I always ask. What fascinates you the most about this method?
Sandra Reivik: So, okay, when we talk about breathing in general, it's free. And now, the scientific aspect of the method, Wim is working so hard in the background, doing different researches or research is being based on him, this is the fascinating aspect why I went through the academy and understanding the method more in depth, so this fascinates me because there's answers from a scientific point of view. That's definitely one thing. And fascination also comes from the simplicity most probably.
Mireia Mujika: Yeah, I agree.
Sandra Reivik: Being free at work.
Mireia Mujika: Yes, it's amazing. Right? It's free. And we breathe every day. So, you just have to breathe in another way and that's it, right? Yeah, it's fascinating that we can get to another level of being by just breathing properly and that it is free.
Sandra Reivik: Yes, exactly. And, you know, that gives me the possibility to sometimes, not sometimes but whenever I’m given the possibility to like to start speaking about the optimal breathing, there are so many small things that we can shift, which will improve our lives in general.
Mireia Mujika: Tell us one.
Sandra Reivik: Okay. So, what I already mentioned, which I always praise is the nasal breathing. There's a great book written by James Nestor, which is called the new science of the lost art and it's about optimal breathing and comparison between the mouth breathing and the nose breathing. And why we want to actually breathe through the nose is actually when we breathe, then the breath actually can go deeper into the lower lung, which means that this is actually connected with our parasympathetic nervous system, receptors. So, therefore, breathing through the nose can stimulate these parts better, which will bring our body and mind to a calm state. That's one thing. Of course, breathing through the nose, you also can integrate more oxygen better in the bloodstream. It's compared that there's always like, there's the saying 18% even more when you do the breathing through the nose that you can more easily take in oxygen for your body and then of course, this aspect of like moisturizing and clearing the air that you breathe in, right? And there's a beautiful saying that I always like to say in the tribe that nose is for breathing and mouth is for eating. So, it's easy to remember. We have so many bad habits. When I was doing professional sports, when I was younger, I was playing soccer and during that time, I had so many issues actually with my sinus and with my throat. It was all coming from the bad habits that I had related to mouth breathing and now, whenever I do sports, I constantly think about breathing through the nose.
Mireia Mujika: And when you see him breathing, that's inhaling and exhaling from the nose or inhaling from the nose and?
Sandra Reivik: Both. Both you can do.
Mireia Mujika: Okay.
Sandra Reivik: Just in through the nose gives you more control as well and you can choose if out through the mouth or –
Mireia Mujika: Okay.
Sandra Reivik: And then, of course, the abdominal diagrammatic horizontal breathing. We actually want to be breathing more with the belly because when you look at babies, they are actually breathing with the belly.
Mireia Mujika: And big like this.
Sandra Reivik: And we have learned over time not to breathe like this but actually, this is more optimal for our bodies. Stimulating the whole digestive system as well as again, when we do the shallow chest, upper chest breathing, it's actually activating the sympathetic nervous system. When we do the lower belly, that gives our body more of the feeling of being grounded, being calm, being in the body, which we need in any kind of stressful situation.
Mireia Mujika: Yeah. So, yeah, fascinating. So, now, you mentioned just that one book but what other books or resources, whether it is, I don't know, an Instagram account or a YouTube or whatever it is, what would you recommend for someone that wants to go deeper in the Wim Hof method?
Sandra Reivik: Yes. So, let's start with what I already started with. If you want to start diving in and see Wim explaining the three pillars, there's an app called the Wim Hof method. That's one thing. Then also the book from Wim Hof, which was released last year, if I’m not mistaken or one year before, I don't know. Last year most probably. About the Wim Hof method and kind of activating the full human potential. Then a full title of the book. I also mentioned this James Nestor book, the new science of the lost art. Yes, James Nestor. Then, when it comes to people in Dubai, I actually have a telegram group offered in Dubai, which also can be shared within the notes. If you search also, it's a public channel, offers in Dubai and that's where you can stay up to date with the latest events that are happening because in march, already we're going to be having at pause, which is a beautiful location similar to NASA, like a community of entrepreneurial people and that's where we're hosting a fundamentals workshop, where we have like four hours. You actually learn about the science behind the method and have the full immersion. Yes. And that's going to be in March, on the 12th.
Mireia Mujika: 12th of March. Okay. So, 12th of March. Listeners, write it down.
Sandra Reivik: And then one is also happening before that. So, I’m trying to build a community here and therefore, we're having the first Sunday of the month now, so this would be the 6th of March. There's going to be a community event at the villa Om, which is a cool living space, with many expats from crypto and a conscious community of people, beautiful people.
Mireia Mujika: Where is this?
Sandra Reivik: This is Al Parsha area but this is also all going to be in the offers in Dubai group shared there. But that's where we actually have a bigger pool. People are going inside as a group, which is beautiful, which I have experienced before in Thailand, in the Netherlands, in Poland, like with the people who I’ve trained with, I feel that I can go to war with them, like we have gone through such deep experiences personally and collectively. So, I actually want to bring more of that aspect because there are many people who go into ice baths alone, individually going in, which is also beautiful but to go in as a group is different. So, 6th of March, this happens.
Mireia Mujika: 6th of March?
Sandra Reivik: Yes.
Mireia Mujika: One question that I haven't asked. So, when you immerse yourself in this cold water, do you have to do it step by step or can you just jump in?
Sandra Reivik: We recommend we have a protocol to follow to go in a relaxed state of wholeness. Although, no, you can also be anxious before you go in. Totally normal, things coming up, right? But it's more in the controlled way of with the pacific breathing technique going in and sitting inside again, with specific ways of doing that. And then coming out as well.
Mireia Mujika: And you also have to put your head in?
Sandra Reivik: Yes, you can.
Mireia Mujika: You can but you don't have to.
Sandra Reivik: You don't have to. Exactly. Ice baths are also optional, right? You don't have to go there. Every person has their freedom.
Mireia Mujika: Yes. It's so important to have freedom for anything. Now, it's very interesting. Okay, so we have the books, we have the telegram group.
Sandra Reivik: And also, I can share some documentaries that actually, you know, whenever someone wants to see Wim's journey, there's a great vice document, which I saw five years ago and that's actually when I made a decision. So, I can share these ones, there's a couple of documentaries that I can share. And, yeah.
Mireia Mujika: That's great. So, listeners, so you know that we have this website called waystogrowpodcast.com, so that's where I will share all this information about the Wim Hof method and also you know that you can find all the information about Sandra Reivik that is here with us today. So, you can find everything there.
Sandra Reivik: Yes. And I guess, I will also drop my Instagram account because that's where I mostly – most of the things that I’m doing I share with.
Mireia Mujika: Yes. What is your Instagram account?
Sandra Reivik: Sandra Reivik.
Mireia Mujika: With a k at the end?
Sandra Reivik: Yeah, exactly.
Mireia Mujika: Cool. Anything that I haven't asked? Anything that you would like to mention?
Sandra Reivik: You know, usually it's good to do a summary of things. So, what I wanted to give forth today was my own personal journey was related to mental health and I also believe that any kind of taboo topics, when we talk about mental health or finances or things like this, should be openly discussed, authentically discussed. So, the mental health aspect from my own personal journey and Wim's journey as well, it came from a pain point to a mission now. Then I also wanted to have the three pillars to be covered, right? We talked about the breath work, we talked about the cold exposure and the third pillar, which is oftentimes not known. Well, but that actually brings all the things together, mindset and commitment.
Mireia Mujika: Mindset and commitment.
Sandra Reivik: Yeah, that's the progress you will see over time.
Mireia Mujika: And this progress, so the mindset of commitment part, you do it in this workshop as well but then I guess, like people have to be working on it?
B Yes, they can. It's more about showing them the importance of commitment and changing your mindset before going and after and noticing those differences and then, getting the glimpse of what it means to train your mindset. Okay. We discussed the three pillars and I guess, also what I always like to emphasize is the optimal breathing habits that we can develop; the nasal breathing, abdominal, diagrammatic breathing, right? Posture, there's so many things. And also, if the Wim Hof method is not going to be for you, there is no one size fits all, right?
Mireia Mujika: Exactly.
Sandra Reivik: To explore. There's so many, holotropic breathing, there is biodynamic breathing, rebirthing, and so many different ways.
Mireia Mujika: Healing, growing and everything.
Sandra Reivik: So, to explore, keep an open mind and have direct experience yourself before making any kind of assumptions. That's always something that I like to emphasize. 100% agree. That's actually, the main purpose of these podcasts is to present the listener with many ways that they can heal or to improve themselves, to grow somehow. So, yeah, explore and don't take anything as we say it, just explore it yourself, check it yourself and then make your own conclusions. Anything else?
Sandra Reivik: I think, I feel concluded.
Mireia Mujika: Do you feel concluded?
Sandra Reivik: Yes.
Mireia Mujika: That's great.
Sandra Reivik: Whenever people have questions, any kind of collaboration ideas, that's also, although the Wim Hof method thing is a side hustle for me, I still feel deeply passionate about sharing the knowledge that I have gained over the years. So, just reach out and let's see what can be done together. That's also created.
Mireia Mujika: That's awesome.
Sandra Reivik: Yes, and thank you for inviting me here.
Mireia Mujika: Oh, no. Thank you for coming. Really, thank you for coming. It was great. When we continued, I was like, ah, so nice, so great, like because sometimes, I have to write for like a couple of weeks, sometimes even months until finally someone accepts to council for you. With you, it was so easy, like I think we connected so well that it was just beautiful and it's beautiful to be here with you. Amazing. So, listeners, thank you very much for listening to us. I hope you enjoyed the episode today. And yeah, we will see you in two weeks. Be well till then, bye-bye. Thank you again.
Sandra Reivik: Bye-bye.