***This blog post was converted from an Instagram post, hence the social media references***
Moments from the 2025 Wim Hof Poland Expedition
A Stag & a doe living outside of the matrix
The Instagram post below features one of the many experiences from my Wim Hof Poland Expedition that I haven’t uploaded; I’ve been avoiding posting about the expedition along with my recovery from cancer as I’ve been conflicted about engaging in the social-media-mind-matrix.
While I recognize it can be beneficial for others to learn from these highly personal and unique life events, I don’t want to participate in a system designed to enslave human minds through screens and algorithms.
I don’t have the answer, there is no universal answer to thoughts like this, but I do have the story behind this video. How you decide to continue on with your day is up to you.
One of the many views of Mt. Sněžka
The Story of the Stag
This was captured on an early morning in March ‘25 during the tail end of a soft and steady snowfall. It took me 2.5 hours to climb up Mt. Sněžka (on the Polish side of the Poland/Czech Republic border) the previous night and was smack dab in the middle of my 2 hour hike back down. I did this trek alone twice while I was there, which is a story in and of itself. Don’t try it.
As I descended, I heard a crash in the woods and caught a flash of brown fur as I turned to see where the noise came from. I didn’t feel fear in that moment. When you’re alone in the woods, in the snow, on a remote mountain, in a foreign country, without any service, fear is a luxury you cannot afford. The only option is to keep moving forward.
I was casually recording the scenery when I heard another crash to my left. I turned and focused my camera in that direction, resulting in this moment of majesty.
Perception is Subjective
The winter stag & doe crossing my path has its own meaning to me, and now that they have crossed your path, I invite you to put the phone down and look outside. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Capture your initial thoughts of what these animals signify to you and reflect on it. If you wanna get really crazy, write it down somewhere and start recording wildlife encounters and natural occurrences in the same journal.
There is so much to look at when you have eyes to see.
The trees were tall & many with drop-offs sharp & steep
Remembering Why I Do This
It’s become challenging to connect with others and share what I’ve learned without involving a screen of some sort, which is a big motivator for me to run Wim Hof Workshops. Instead of posting online, I speak about the lessons and insights from this expedition, other adventures, living with stage four blood cancer, and enduring chemotherapy at these events.
It’s a space for anyone to unplug, connect with others, and most importantly, reconnect with themselves. People who never imagined themselves opening up to anyone, let alone strangers, gracefully blossom and share their transformational life experiences. I’ve stayed for hours past the end of many workshops because we’re all vibing so high and free; some of these moments will stay with me forever. It was a different kind of healing, especially since many of them were my first social event post chemotherapy.
There’s no denying the power of the cold, the breath, and the mind - but there is nothing like the raw power that arises from combining the three with a group of like-minded strangers.
There’s still some spots left for my upcoming Wim Hof Workshop in Durham this Saturday (5/31), starts at noon. I’d love to see you there so you can truly understand why I willingly thrust myself into freezing temperatures wearing nothing but underwear.
As Wim says, “Feeling is understanding” ✌️
Namaste
Aham Brahmasmi
Dan Jacobs
