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He loves an adrenaline rush, but he also knows the power of slowing down. Meet Chun, who’s known for being Singapore’s go-to Wim Hof instructor.
If you've never heard of it, the Wim Hof Method was created by the ‘Iceman’ Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete. Wim calls it a way to master your mind and body, and feel happy, strong, and healthy. The method is a combination of breathwork, cold exposure, and mindset training. Students are put through challenging expeditions such as summiting a mountain in t-shirts and shorts, during winter.
Before discovering Wim Hof, Chun had spent over a decade pushing his body’s limits through various activities, ranging from snowboarding and triathlons, to military training. As time went by, it grew difficult to recover at the same rate. His limbs would swell painfully, making it hard to move for days. After taking his first Wim Hof course in 2016, Chun practiced diligently and was able to reduce his pain significantly.
He shares more about what he’s gained from this journey.
My own battle with inflammation and ignoring my own body's cries for help led me towards learning how to heal from the inside, and subsequently, how to help others using the same method.
I've witnessed many individuals utilize a variety of methods to enter the ice, from imagining it is a hot onsen, to laughing maniacally throughout to cope. One of the most inspiring moments is watching kids in the ice tub instructing their parents to keep quiet instead of constantly hovering and giving directions. The cold always seems to find a way for you to access your genuine self.
I find inspiration on how I can further develop as an individual when I interact with groups that are outside of my existing circles. For example, the Mancave Project (a men's support group), a small but growing handpan music community, and recently from volunteering at RDA, a place that offers horse grooming and riding for special needs children.
A book I’d recommend is… "The Type-Z Guide to Success: A Lazy Person's Manifesto to Wealth and Fulfillment, by Marc Allen"
I am keen to empower my own participants to be able to step up and serve others as facilitators themselves. As I can only reach out to a small number as an individual, the best way to help the masses is to help others level up.
Way back in 2018, after a power breathing session with Wim Hof in Poland, I was left with an overwhelming sense of peace and joy, knowing that every single up and down I've experienced was always accompanied by this energetic/spiritual/powerful version of myself quietly observing from the side.
Nothing really got in my way after that, knowing that all of life's calamities are somehow a way to make me grow and be better.
My current group of friends (in their 30s-40s) are reliving a lost childhood of being skateboarding delinquents, and I'm also trying to improve my handpan playing skills by jamming with a few other experienced musicians.
"Every skill set, wisdom and special power you have now came from a place of discomfort, and if you don't use it, you will eventually lose it."
Adrenaline and danger are my keys to flow. Overhanging rock climbing cliffs, downhill mountain biking, high speed electric skateboarding can very easily put me in a flow state. In the comfort of home, a simple ice dip with slow breathing can trigger those moments.
And if travel eventually allows, jumping out a plane for a few skydives would be the ultimate activator. Anything I do after these activities can ride on that flow state as it dissipates for high level output, until a repeat activity is needed to kickstart the flow again.
Every skill set, wisdom and special power you have now came from a place of discomfort, and if you don't use it, you will eventually lose it.
The Wim Hof Method is very uncomfortable, and within it, everyone will be able to access their god-given hidden superpowers. Anyway, if you think it is not for you and you don't want to try it, you will also be successful in that decision, so congratulations either way!
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Find out more about Chun at @wearehyperactiv. Besides running workshops at Altered States, he runs a home studio that offers ice baths, an infrared sauna, and more.