Interview with ice swimming coach Walter Berger

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): Today I have a special guest with me, Walter Berger from Vienna. Walter is a certified Wim Hof Instructor, family coach and breathing and mental coach. It took a while for us to find each other, but it worked out really well. I’m really pleased that you’re here, Walter. Can you briefly introduce yourself?

Walter: My name is Walter Berger. I am a person with many interests who is always looking for new methods and ideas that are good for me and that can be good for others. Over the last 15 years, I have tried and learned many different things, from systemic family constellations to various breathing techniques. My great passion is also mental training and cold experience. I have discovered many great things that make my life more interesting and richer.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): That sounds really exciting, Walter. Can you tell us how you got into refrigeration technology and what training you did?

Walter: Yes, I started training as an integrative breathing teacher 15 years ago. It was an intensive training course in which I learned various breathing techniques and trained others in them. After that, I studied systemic family constellations and mental training. I discovered how powerful visualization can be. We all visualize constantly. You can channel this power in a positive direction and that is very powerful. I later came across the Wim Hof breathing technique and then also adopted cold training. I learned a lot about it and eventually trained to become a Wim Hof Instructor. I am now also a level 2 instructor and offer advanced workshops and expeditions.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): That sounds great, Walter. So you have a lot of experience with breathing techniques and the cold technique. Do you need a special breathing technique to go into ice water?

You don’t necessarily need a special breathing technique to go into ice water

Walter: No, you don’t necessarily need a special breathing technique to go into ice water. However, it is important to calm your breathing in order to relax your autonomic nervous system and feel safe. The most important thing is to calm your breathing, you have to do that and then you can handle the cold really well. The Wim Hof breathing technique is a good preparation for the ice bath. But you can also do it independently of the ice bath. It makes you more stress-resistant, changes your pH value and relaxes you. Certain hormones are released that make the body more resistant to pain and increase your well-being and performance. It is therefore advisable to familiarize yourself with WHM breathing, but not a must for ice bathing.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): How do you use breathing in your everyday life? Do you only use it before ice bathing or also independently of it?

Walter:

Just like you, I have different moments when I use this technique. Before an ice bath or after stressful situations to simply relax and relieve all the stress. Sometimes just because I feel like it or to prepare for a (running) training session.

So, I really decide according to my mood. There are phases where I feel like I need them every day and phases where I don’t do them often. So, I like to juggle them. There are also lots of other breathing techniques. I would like to observe them specifically, what effect they have, do I experience an effect etc. In a way, it’s a playful approach for me and I use them consciously.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): So, there are very many different breathing techniques, such as Buteyko, Wim Hof, Tummo, Bhastrika, etc. There is also holotropic breathing, which can also be practiced in combination with music or meditation. What would you recommend if someone wanted to try classic ice bathing to boost this inner heat? What do you think is the best breathing technique?

Walter: Yes, Wim Hof breathing is a tried and tested method and I would always recommend it. If someone doesn’t want to do that, I’m also happy to recommend coherent breathing. It is a very gentle breathing technique that is often underestimated. It supports the autonomic nervous system and is relaxing, calming and has positive effects on the cardiovascular system and sleep. It is a simple relaxation technique that can be used regardless of your state of health. It is a good introduction for anyone who wants to start with breathing experiences or breathing techniques. The coherent breathing technique can also be measured directly via heart rate variability, which is interesting for many athletes and health-conscious people. Many competitive athletes use heart rate variability as a benchmark to measure their performance.

Holotropic breathing is the supreme discipline among breathing techniques

The holotropic breathing technique you mentioned is also one of my absolute favorite recommendations. There are similar breathing schools called “rebirthing” or “integrative breathwork”, for example. These are techniques in which you breathe continuously, without pauses, both when inhaling and exhaling. Breathing is therefore connected without pauses in between. It is often practiced in groups, but can also be used in an individual setting with or without music. This technique is best supported by a companion, as intense states can occur in which biographical experiences can come up. It is important to be well supported in such moments. For me, it is the supreme discipline among breathing techniques, as it has an incredibly versatile effect on an emotional, physical and psychological level.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): How do people come to this knowledge of breathing. If someone wants to get into these techniques without guidance, what options are there? Can they read about it online and try it out for themselves or attend a traditional course?

Walter: I suspect that many people read about it or look it up online, try it out and often it doesn’t work so well and they perhaps think that the “breath” can’t do so much. It’s a completely different experience when you learn the techniques under the guidance and support of experienced experts. That’s why I always recommend contacting a breathing expert so that you can be shown how to do it. You can then continue on your own. This is my approach, also for other areas.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): There are many experts for different techniques. It’s important to inform yourself and find out what suits you. You can try it yourself at home, but you may not notice much or feel the benefits immediately. It is important to practise regularly and integrate the technique into your everyday life in order to feel the effect.

Regularity is key – do something new for 30 days

Walter: Exactly, that’s why I always recommend doing it regularly. In workshops, I often say that you should do it for 30 days. If you do something new for a month at a time, then you can experience the changes that occur and it will become a new habit. If you don’t do it for a while, you give up too quickly and forget about it. It’s similar with cold water. Without a plan, I would shy away from it on the third day, on the fourth day I might not feel like it and only a few weeks or months later do I remember that there was something…. That’s why I always recommend doing it consistently to experience the benefits and stick with it in the long term.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): Yes, that is very important. Regularity and perseverance are crucial in order to feel the effects and benefit from the techniques. I also wrote a post about different breathing techniques and coherent breathing is missing. I would like to include that as there are many intermediate forms. But let’s do something together, maybe a step-by-step guide so that people can get into it first and then see what’s possible. First they should feel confident, and if they like it, they can take the next step and sit down with a professional to get to the next level. I’ve heard about your trainings, but what other certifications do you have coming up? What do you have planned for the near future?

Walter: I have an incredible number of plans, and often I don’t even know where to fit them all in. I’m currently planning the next winter season and next year, as well as joint projects with Sonja Flandorfer, the “coolest woman in Austria”. There will be WHM basics workshops and also expeditions for advanced skiers, where you will be out in the mountains for several days. There will also be individual days where you can learn breathing techniques. I want to “infect” others with it so that they realize that there is more to it! There is so much more! These are the first steps and bigger goals lie further in the future. An annual training course has also been on my planning list for some time. I myself was intensively involved in breathing processes for more than a year and would like to pass on this knowledge. There are many plans, and some things are still in the works. We’ll see what comes of it.

At 80 years old, I still want to climb into an ice hole

I think they are tools that I want to use throughout my life and work with into old age. That’s how I see my life. Even at the age of 80, I still want to get into an ice hole – and out again. It’s something I never want to miss. It also changes my life. When “everything stays the same”, I often find it awful. Life should always change. Everything is in flux, they say, and I’ve learned that from the cold. Old patterns and beliefs suddenly lose their meaning, e.g. If I go out into the cold now, I won’t necessarily get ill or catch a cold. On the contrary, I go out into the cold now and it makes me stronger and healthier. That’s why it’s so exciting. It’s never boring, it’s inspiring. Yes, it’s something special. It’s like a fire.

Constantin (Eisbaden.de): Many people live in their own little world. We probably do too. It’s important to constantly broaden our horizons. It’s a lifelong task. If, like you, you can turn your hobby into work and enjoy doing what you teach other people and would do for yourself anyway, then that’s perfect. You have the incentive to develop yourself and move forward. If you then have this knowledge of what works for you and what doesn’t, you can pass it on from your own experience. I think that’s very, very powerful. Cool. Walter, we’ve already reached the end. I was really pleased that you were there. It was super exciting. Thumbs up. If you want to see more, we can go deeper into one topic or another.