Secrets of the Icewomen: The Power of Cold and Breathwork to Balance Hormones, Bolster Health, and Unlock Inner Potential

In this idiosyncratic debut program, Isabelle and Laura Hof—who run workshops teaching the breathing and meditation exercises that their father, Wim Hof, uses to endure extreme cold—explore how women can benefit from Wim’s techniques. The authors outline Wim’s breathing exercises, which involve alternating between holding one’s breath and inhaling or exhaling for varying lengths of time. To get in the proper mindset, the Hof sisters suggest envisioning a challenge to overcome while paying attention to the sensations in one’s body during a meditation session. Touting the effects of pairing such exercises with cold exposure, the authors assert that taking a cold shower or ice bath can, for instance, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease because frigid temperatures contract veins and arteries that later expand upon warming up again, effectively giving them a workout. Among other reasons why the “Wim Hof Method” helps women in particular, the authors posit that its breathing exercises reduce the severity of menopausal hot flashes by alleviating stress. The breathing and meditation activities are fairly standard, but the detailed guidance on incorporating them into cold exposure therapy is more novel, even if the evidence for the therapy’s effectiveness is hampered by small sample sizes. Still, health nuts will be intrigued. Agent: Jaidree Braddix, Park & Fine. (Apr.)