Despite having dated most of my books, I still remember the day I was recommended this one special book back in January 2017. Someone very close to me, who truly meant a lot in my life, impressed me by sharing not only the information he learned from this book, but also how he incorporated many of its practises into his life. Inspired by its revolutionary ideas, I eagerly dove into the pages of the book.
Scott Carneys "What Doesn't Kill Us" is a thought-provoking and inspiring book that will change the way you think about your breath and its impact on your life. Although I have a strong background in traditional pranayama philosophy and practices, this book offered a fresh and compelling examination of the impact of breath on our lives and how we can use it to improve our physical and mental well being.
When there is too much energy in a system, then that system starts to malfunction. It's a matter of physics. And there are really only three ways to fix it: you can reduce the amount of energy coming into the body, decrease the body's efficiency of absorbing energy, or increase the rate that the body makes use of it." p.99
In 2011, scientists at Harvard discovered that brown fat wasn't just a vestigial tissue locked away in our evolutionary past, but was something that just about every human has potential to build and use" p. 94
Aside from the revolutionary ideas about our breath, I was captivated by the author's exploration of brown fat and its role in our health and well-being. Brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue, is a unique type of fat that regulates our body temperature and metabolism. In contrast to white fat, which primarily serves as a storage mechanism for excess calories, brown fat actively burns calories to generate heat. As you read through, the author will explain how exposure to cold temperatures and other environmental triggers can activate brown fat, resulting in an increase in metabolism and overall energy expenditure.
Isn't it fascinating to know that we have the power to influence our brown fat levels and metabolism through simple lifestyle changes, such as exposure to cold temperatures and exercise. Are you ready for a cold shower?
It was a personal journey for me to experiment with cold showers. I was initially intimidated by the prospect of stepping into a freezing stream of water, but I was determined to see if it would make a difference in my life. Surprisingly, I found myself feeling more energised and alert than ever before. The cold water was just what my body needed to get my day started. However, as much as I enjoyed the sensation, sticking to the discipline of taking cold showers proved difficult. I quickly realised that incorporating cold showers into my daily routine requires discipline and motivation.
Despite my struggles to maintain the practise, I am confident in its ability to improve my health and well-being. Taking cold showers isn't easy, but it's a journey worth taking or exploring.
To this day, I enjoy cold plunges and have come to accept colder winter days as a natural part of the weather cycle. While this is not my favourite time of year, I am comforted by the thought that enduring the chill may be helping me develop brown fat, which will help me become stronger and healthier.
Perhaps I haven't become a true ice man like Wilm Hof and haven't maintained the practises offered, but I truly appreciate cold weather and new science about the human body, as well as people like Wilm Hof who have dedicated so much of their personal lives to demonstrating the power of the human body.
If you're interested in the compelling scientific view behind brown fat and how it can be activated to improve our health and wellbeing, as well as the power of our breath as a tool for improving our lives, I highly recommend this book.
Please click HERE to see the book.
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