World record holder and author Wim Hof will take to the stage at the Global Wellness Summit to present scientific evidence of the mind’s power to control disease and inflammation.

Hof is the name behind the Netherlands-based Innerfire’s Wim Hof Method, a programme that combines cold therapy and conscious breathing as a means to improve overall physical and mental health.

He will be a keynote speaker on day two of the Global Wellness Summit, being held 9-11 October at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. Hof’s keynote, entitled “The Ice Man Cometh: The Cause of Disease and Natural Solutions”, will be followed on day three with a workshop entitled, “Experience with Wim Hof: Going Deep”.

“Wim’s commitment to physical and mental well-being is undeniable – and infectious. And the notion that anyone can train his/herself to achieve his seemingly superhuman heights of mind-body control is a fascinating concept,” said Susie Ellis, chair and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit. “And the fact that he can point to scientific studies to support claims that his ‘mind over matter’ techniques control the body’s inflammatory responses will make his keynote and subsequent workshop a highlight of the Summit.”

Exposing the body to extreme temperatures is a centuries-old wellness practice. During the time of the Roman empire, invigorating cold-water plunges were credited with benefiting overall health and, today, whole body cryotherapy – using extreme cold to treat ailments – is gaining popularity for everything from improving sleep to naturally reducing pain and inflammation.

The Spa Business Handbook 2017-2018 edition identified ‘extreme bathing,’ including the kind practised by Hof, as a trend to watch in its Spa Foresight section.

Several studies have been conducted to better understand the effects of Hof’s methods – including a small clinical trial in 2014 by Radboud University in the Netherlands where participants undertaking the Wim Hof Method were injected with inflammatory agent bacterial endotoxin and, when compared to a control group, experienced significantly lower levels of inflammation, and were less affected by fever and nausea.

“I’m truly honored to have the opportunity to share my method with Summit delegates – many of whom will already be practising meditation – to show them how natural methods and, yes, ‘mind over matter’ has been proven to enable whole body health,” said Hof.

“Though I may hold world records, what I do is not superhuman: anyone can achieve what I’m capable of and I’m committed to working with the scientific community to create evidence-based studies proving that the power of cold immersion, breath work, and old-fashioned patience and dedication can lead to long-lasting wellness.”