When Emily Smith purchased her son a information to the Wim Hof Manner closing summer time, he temporarily changed into hooked. She by no means imagined that only a few weeks later her simplest kid Nova Xavier, 23, could be lifeless after reportedly checking out the e book’s wellness theories.Referred to as ‘The Iceman’, 65-year-old Hof has been met with common acclaim from well being mavens in addition to celebrities together with Gwyneth Paltrow, Liam Hemsworth, Jack Dorsey and Oprah Winfrey. His bestselling e book, The Wim Hof Manner: Turn on Your Complete Human Possible, is gifted as ‘a approach to stay your frame and thoughts in its optimum herbal state’ via publicity to sub-zero temperatures and breathwork. However Smith feels that for her son Nova, ‘it was once just about a assured loss of life sentence’. His case is only one of no less than 11 fatalities reportedly related to the process, in keeping with a Sunday Instances investigation. A spokesperson for Wim Hof stated the information warns customers to not hang their breath underwater for prolonged classes.Chatting with DailyMail.com, approved masseuse Smith, 51, bravely recalled her son’s ultimate moments at her mom’s gated group pool in Kingwood, Houston, on July 17, 2023. 
Avid sportsman Nova Xavier was once 23 years previous when he died in his circle of relatives pool whilst working towards the Wim Hof manner, in keeping with his mom 
Hof’s Sunday Instances bestseller is gifted as ‘a approach to stay your frame and thoughts in its optimum herbal state’ via publicity to icy temperatures and underwater breathworkThough she can’t deliver herself to observe it, she additionally shared tense poolside pictures of that fateful night time within the hopes of elevating consciousness in regards to the dangers connected to the methodology. ‘It was once a highly regarded July afternoon,’ Smith instructed DailyMail.com, talking from the house the place she has since moved in Salem, Oregon. ‘I used to be the person who steered that we move for a fast swim. ‘We were given there and it was once simply commonplace. The entirety was once simply advantageous, there was once not anything abnormal about any of it.’Nova steered they each take a look at Wim Hof’s respiring and water submersion manner, which comes to hyperventilating earlier than dipping under the skin and keeping your breath, she claimed. ‘I used to be mimicking him. We did it about 3 times, arising for air between every time,’ Smith stated. ‘I did ask him at one level: “Is that this protected?” and he stated one thing to the impact of: “In fact it is protected mother – it is Wim Hof”‘. At this level, Smith stated she determined to begin swimming laps whilst Nova persisted working towards the workouts. 
Pictured: Nova, turned around, within the pool, together with his mom Emily swimming against him at the proper 
Emily Smith (proper) stated Wim Hof’s information was once ‘just about a assured loss of life sentence’ for her 23-year-old son Nova Xavier (left). Smith’s title has been modified at her request for anonymity 
‘Nova was once an avid rock climber, he simplest ate natural meals. He simplest drank the most efficient water. He purchased a filtering device that was once a pair thousand greenbacks,’ his mom instructed DailyMail.com 
Nova Xavier died on the age of 23 whilst working towards the Wim Hof underwater breath hang manner in his circle of relatives pool closing summer time, his mom says (Pictured: Nova together with his aunt Ursula)’I ended to mention a prayer on the deep finish of the pool whilst having a look up on the sky. It was once an exquisite, serene evening,’ Smith recalled. ‘However the period of time it took for me to mention that prayer was once when my son had handed out with out my wisdom and sank to the ground of the shallow finish.’I appeared again and I did not see him. I believed to myself, “he cannot perhaps be keeping his breath for that lengthy”.’This terrible feeling came visiting me. I swam as speedy as I may and I noticed the silhouette of him below the water.’Without a-one else round and dusk final in, Smith had no selection however to haul her 6-foot-2-inch tall athlete son from the water by means of herself. ‘I took a deep breath of air and dove in. I grabbed him and dragged him to the tip of the shallow finish the place there have been some steps,’ she stated. ‘It was once extraordinarily difficult. I scraped myself up beautiful excellent. ‘I breathed air into his lungs and was once telling myself, “he’ll be advantageous, he’ll be advantageous”.’Then I simply began screaming. I used to be like, “Nova, Nova, Nova!”‘ 
Wim Hof’s spokesman Erik Hof defended the information, pronouncing it comes with transparent warnings to not hang your breath underwater for prolonged classes 
He instructed DailyMail.com that week 8 of the information comes to ‘a restricted breath hang of as much as 20 seconds in chilly water’ and ‘now not the prolonged breath holds Nova did’A neighbor heard Smith’s screams and got here working to her support together with his younger daughter in tow, as proven at the safety pictures. They known as 911 and paramedics sooner or later arrived to take over the CPR, whilst making an attempt to restore Nova with epinephrine – an adrenaline drugs. ‘My son died temporarily,’ Smith stated. ‘In reality, once I retrieved him from the water I believe he was once already lifeless. It took below two mins. ‘I didn’t know that on account of hyperventilating you’ll transform hypoxic.’It is not a normal drowning. With a normal drowning you might have extra time, however with this your mind is in an (oxygen) deficit already. ‘It is fast and it is silent and he simply handed out with out his wisdom. It is a just about assured loss of life sentence’. Smith stated a coroner dominated Nova’s explanation for loss of life as drowning. ‘He was once any such sturdy swimmer, that is the chiller,’ Smith instructed DailyMail.com. ‘Nova was once an avid rock climber, he simplest ate natural meals. He simplest drank the most efficient water. He purchased a filtering device that was once a pair thousand greenbacks. ‘My son was once very well being mindful. He did the whole lot he may to enhance his power and stamina.’ Smith stated her ‘sort and altruistic’ son Nova had gotten ‘very into Wim Hof and ‘watched all his YouTube movies’ within the months earlier than he died. ‘On the time I believed, oh this can be a excellent factor, it sort of feels very wholesome whilst you concentrate to what he has to mention,’ she stated. ‘However it is tremendous deceptive and tremendous unhealthy, personally.’ 
Avid sportsman Nova Xavier was once 23 years previous when he died in his circle of relatives pool whilst working towards the Wim Hof manner, in keeping with his mom Wim Hof’s spokesman Erik Hof defended the information, pronouncing it comes with transparent warnings to not hang your breath underwater for prolonged classes. He instructed DailyMail.com that week 8 of the information comes to ‘a restricted breath hang of as much as 20 seconds in chilly water’ and ‘now not the prolonged breath holds Nova did’. ‘We’re deeply saddened by means of the tragic incident involving Nova Xavier, and our sympathies move to his circle of relatives,’ Hof stated. Smith stated she is thinking about launching prison motion towards Hof within the hopes of making sure no-one else endures the ache she has long past via. ‘Underneath Texas legislation, I’ve till subsequent July to release a lawsuit,’ she instructed DailyMail.com.’However it is so onerous for me as a result of I am getting in poor health so much now, I’ve panic assaults, terrible nightmares. I am plagued with trauma. I am getting counselling and assist.’I will be able to’t paintings. If I had extra money or assets to mobilize myself to deliver him to prison justice I’d. ‘Arising towards the sharks, so that you could discuss, it might spoil me. I do know the Icemen have the entire cash and the entire other people.’ 
In August 2022, 17-year-old Madelyn Metzger drowned within the circle of relatives swimming pool in California making an attempt, her father believes, to duplicate Hof’s methodAnother bereaved guardian, Raphael Metzger, did release prison motion towards Hof after his 17-year-old daughter Madelyn died working towards his methodology in August 2022. Madelyn drowned in only a few inches of water of their circle of relatives swimming pool in Lengthy Seaside, California, and a coroner dominated her explanation for loss of life as drowning. In his $67 million lawsuit, Metzger argued that Hof was once negligent in selling his methodology and led to his daughter’s loss of life by means of failing to sufficiently warn in regards to the possibility of drowning. Hof was once in the end cleared of legal responsibility within the case, after a pass judgement on discovered that it will now not be confirmed that Madelyn was once doing Hof’s workouts within the pool on the time and if that led to her to drown.However her father’s attorney stated he deliberate to enchantment the decision, to forestall what he known as a ‘danger to public well being’. Smith’s title has been altered at her request on this tale to offer protection to her privateness. Hof has additionally come below intense scrutiny after his former spouse, Caroline Hak, accused him of abusing her all over their decade-long dating, which resulted in 2011. In an interview with a Dutch newspaper closing week, she branded him a ‘imply under the influence of alcohol’ and ‘explosive persona’. Maximum destructive had been her claims that the wellness guru assaulted her whilst she was once pregnant with their kid and that, once they break up, he was once banned from seeing the boy for the reason that Dutch Kid Welfare Council discovered he’d led to him ‘mental’ injury.Hak, 65, additionally accused him of attacking her son from a prior marriage.Whilst Hof has admitted that this was once now not a wholesome or satisfied duration in his existence, he denied her claims and categorically insisted he’s ‘now not a violent guy’.’That is all very incorrect,’ he instructed The Mail on Sunday this week in an unique interview along his 4 grownup kids from his first marriage, who’re all status by means of him. Talking by means of video name from Queensland, Australia, the place he lives together with his spouse Erin, Hof added: ‘I am like a rock at the seaside. I keep sturdy as a result of I have were given my religion however that is an excessive amount of.’I’ve a large number of combined feelings about those false accusations. It is a persona assassination.’ What’s the the Wim Hof Manner? The Wim Hof Manner claims to be a type of meditative remedy and a realistic approach to transform more fit, happier and more potent. It is composed of 3 elements – deep respiring, publicity to chilly water, and a centered mindset.He prior to now sat down with Femail to talk in regards to the ‘super advantages’ from the process that begins with a reconnect with nature.’We are at all times on this state of weakening heat, lined up in layers of clothes, and not exercising the cardiovascular gadget. So a chilly bathe an afternoon helps to keep the physician away,’ Wim stated.Wim claims you’ll even deal with melancholy with chilly remedy, with entire submersion resulting in a 540 consistent with cent building up in adrenaline and a 250 consistent with cent in dopamine – either one of that are recognized to assist average signs.’What you’re going to see is that your middle fee is going down all over the day, decreasing your pressure ranges. You’re feeling extra energized. The enhanced blood drift delivers higher vitamin on your cells. You to find you aren’t getting in poor health anymore,’ Wim stated.The respiring ‘turns on the adrenal get admission to to the mind, reduces irritation, alkalizes the blood, and regulates the frame’.Then, the chilly ‘makes you sturdy from the interior out’ as a result of hundreds of thousands of tiny muscle groups, veins and capillaries transform more potent.’The muscle groups contract which permits for higher blood drift, a slower middle fee and extra power,’ Wim stated.Mindset and center of attention could also be a major factor that contributes to unlocking the well being advantages by means of letting move of private ego and ship consideration on your frame as a substitute.’All of us have this energy. While you move into the chilly, you are now not considering anymore, you are simply doing,’ Wim stated.
