The breathing is where every Saturday in Săftica really begins. Before anyone goes near the ice, we sit down together and learn to breathe on purpose. It's simpler than most people expect, and it's the part you can take home and do for free, every morning, for the rest of your life.

What the technique actually is

At its core, the Wim Hof Method breathing is three rounds of deep breaths followed by holding your breath on an empty lung. That's it. Each round is around 30 to 40 breaths, full and steady, in through the nose or mouth and out without forcing. You're slightly over-breathing on purpose. After the last exhale of a round, you let the air go and simply don't breathe in. You hold, relaxed, for as long as it stays comfortable. When your body asks for air, you take one deep breath and hold that for about fifteen seconds. Then you start the next round.

How to do a round

  • Sit or lie down somewhere safe. Never do this in or near water, and never while driving.
  • Take 30 to 40 deep breaths. Breathe fully in, let the breath fall out on its own. Find a rhythm.
  • After the last breath, exhale and hold. Stay relaxed. Don't fight it.
  • When you feel the urge to breathe, take one big breath in and hold it for around fifteen seconds.
  • Release, and begin the next round. Do three in total.

Most people feel tingling in the hands and face, and sometimes a little lightheaded. That's normal. It passes. The retention times usually get longer across the three rounds, which surprises everyone the first time.

Why we teach it in person first

You can read those steps in a minute. Doing them well is a different thing. In the room, Huseyin watches how you breathe and talks it through with you, and you ask whatever you need to. It isn't a lecture. It's a back and forth, and small corrections early on save you weeks of guessing at home. That's the real value of a workshop over a video. Someone can see that your shoulders are creeping up, or that you're forcing the exhale, and tell you gently to ease off.

A few honest cautions

This breathing is powerful, which means it deserves respect. Do it seated or lying down, because the breath holds can make you dizzy and a fall is the only real risk here. Skip it if you're pregnant or have epilepsy or serious heart issues, at least until you've spoken to a doctor. And never combine the breathing with the water at the same time. In Săftica the breathing and the cold are two separate parts of the day for exactly this reason.

Building the habit

Once you have the shape of it, the breathing takes about eleven minutes. Do it in the morning, before food, before your phone. Regulars tell us it's the part of the method that quietly reorganizes their day, more than the dramatic cold. If you're near Bucharest and want to learn it properly, come to a Saturday session. You'll leave able to do it on your own, which is the whole point.