About Ben
In 2022, after a very intense and - no point in denying - a super fun summer, I decided to give my body a break. Without a clear goal, I started saying no to alcohol. Mental clarity, enhanced memory and overall feeling awesome, I decided to dedicate my newly gained time to picking up the practice of yoga. A few months later I joined a weekend retreat to further deepen my understanding of this ancient tradition, on top of giving breathwork and cold exposure a try for the first time.
The impact, which this experience had on me, is beyond anything I could ever have imagined possible. Sticking to my intention of "My presence is my power." and working on some deep rooted childhood trauma, I came out on the other side of that weekend more connected to myself than ever before.
How deep into my mind can my breath take me? Why does ice cold water have a healing effect on my body? Where does this calm energy after a yoga practice come from? Since I embarked on this journey I've been chasing answers to these questions. Answers I want to share with you. During my sessions and retreats I share practical ancestral styles, which can help you lead a life in better connection with yourself.
Milestones in my ongoing journey
August 2022
After 20 years of being the average social drinker, I decide to give my body a complete break and cut out alcohol from my life.
Spring 2023
Feeling physically fitter and mentally sharper, I’m looking for a knee-friendly sports routine to overcome a recent injury. My good friend Marco Martino patiently guides me through my first attempts on a yoga mat.
June 2023
After many years in the gym, pumping iron in a CrossFit box and enduring high-intensity interval trainings, I sign up at Yoga Centre Flow, where Ivana Kipic takes me in as one of her students.
December 2023
During a yoga, breathwork and ice bath retreat in El Cachete (Granada), guided by the expert hands of David Vázquez and my trusted yoga teacher Ivana, I find strength to call my lost father after 14 years of radio silence.
February 2024
Together with my wife Gema we embark on our honey moon to Thailand, where the Buddhist tranquility and the life-embracing attitude of the locals teach me a master class in gratitude and priorities.
November 2024
After a year of building up my own practise of yoga, breathwork and ice bathing the hard efforts of studying the human body lead me to successfully complete my Wim Hof Method instructor training.
March 2025
Having the pleasure of co-hosting retreats and guiding sessions, I discover the books of Antonio Valenzuela, who supports me in truly understanding the physical and mental benefits of ancestral habits.
June 2025
Experiencing my mentor Marco’s first retreat on Fuerteventura broadens my spiritual understanding of the human body truly appreciating its energy beyond purely scientific and chemical markers.
March 2026
I’ve started my 200 hours Yoga Teacher Training to deeper study the underlying concepts of my ancestral habits and incorporate these learning into my sessions and retreats.
Where’s Ben?
Even though I travel around a lot with my inflatable pop-up pods, I’m lucky enough to call The Living Room Coworking my permanent home.
On the sunny rooftop terrace I run a chiller-operated barrel, which keeps water constantly between 2º - 4ºC without the need of ice. As eye candy, and for the mental challenge I add ice during certain sessions, but generally speaking I really like the sustainable approach of that chiller.
On the focus floor of TLR Coworking, I’ve got access to a big training room of 45m², which comes in more than handy to explain concepts using the ceiling projector or move breathing sessions indoors, when the weather isn’t as great as it usually is most of the time in Málaga.
Where I take my inspiration from
Books
—
Hijos de la adversidad
by Antonio Valenzuela
Vida nootrópica
by Antonio Valenzuela
Activa tus mitocondrias
by Antonio Valenzuela
Estimula tu nervio vago
by Antonio Valenzuela
The Stress Prescription
by Elissa Epel
Winter Swimming
by Susanna Søberg
The Wim Hof Method
by Wim Hof
Breath
by James Nestor
Ranked from the most recently read all the way down to my initial sources.
You’ll find Amazon links under each cover for more information, but why then not get it from your local bookshop?
Podcasts
—
Huberman Lab
by Andrew Huberman
Emotion Me
by Pedro Vivar
Studies
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A semi-randomised control trial assessing psychophysiological effects of breathwork and cold immersion
2026, Fox, Biddell and King
The impact of a focused behavioral intervention on brain cannabinoid signaling and interoceptive function: Implications for mood and anxiety
2024, Muzik et al.
The positive effects of combined breathing techniques and cold exposure on perceived stress
2022, Kopplin and Rosenthal
An add-on training program involving breathing exercises, cold exposure, and meditation attenuates inflammation and disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis
2019, Buijze et al.
“Brain over body” – A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure
2018, Muzik, Reilly and Diwadkar
Controlled Hyperventilation After Training May Accelerate Altitude Acclimatization
2014, Buijze and Hopman
Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans
2014, Kox et al.
The Influence of Concentration / Meditation on Autonomic Nervous System Activity and the Innate Immune Response
2012, Kox et al.