by Damon Bowen-Ashwin, Performance and Wellbeing Coach, Adapt + Flow

Seven years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. I was 38 years old, running my own business as an architecture and design focused recruiter, and I thought I was fit and healthy as I was exercising at least 4 times a week. I didn’t see it coming.

My operation in Feb 2020 was a success. It did exactly what it needed to do for a grade 2 Astrocytoma brain tumour, which was remove about 80/90 % of the tumour as safely as possible. I would then be monitored and scanned every 6 months to check on the residual tumour that was left.

For the first 18 months I felt powerless, scared and alone, even though I was surrounded by so much love. I was trying to tell myself that this diagnosis was the best thing that had ever happened to me and an opportunity to reshape my life and grow stronger, but deep down inside I didn’t quite believe this yet.

I had re-trained and gained a couple of coaching qualifications at the beginning of Covid, and so had started the transition from recruitment to health, wellbeing and resilience, although the last thing I felt was resilient. I felt in a better place than when first diagnosed, just.

The brand of coaching I studied is called Core Energy Coaching and it taught me about the physiology of stress, the energy behind thoughts, emotions and actions, and how to respond to the world and make stress and energy work for me as opposed to against me. Stress is everywhere in all different forms, and energy is everything, as per quantum physics, and…….we need energy for everything. Having a deeper understanding of stress and energy can make a massive impact on your life …. It was just what I needed, and still is.

It wasn’t until the tumour grew and my world fell apart, that I found a crazy Dutch man called Wim Hof and my world completely changed for the better, forever.

I was petrified, could see my life flashing before my eyes, I felt powerless and destined for an early grave, and yet, here was this Dutch man, known as the Ice-Man, who seemed to be telling to me that I was far stronger than I thought and that I had a powerful mind that was intricately connected to a magnificent body.

Create the right conditions and we could heal from disease, re-set, rebalance and stimulate our bodies, boost our immune systems and get stronger in the process. All we had to do was breathe , believe, and embrace the cold. I was in, and still am.

I found Wim Hof in June 2021. Treatment had been scheduled for September 2021 and so I had 3 months to sort myself out mentally, physically and emotionally and be ready for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. I was positive but scared.

I was inspired by Wim to believe in my mind and body. I downloaded the Wim Hof Method App, read the book and started practicing the breathwork, exploring the mindset exercises and I started turning my shower cold at the end and embracing the cold.

It didn’t happen overnight, but something started to change. Psychologically I felt good as I was taking control by practicing the WHM, but it also started to make me feel good physically and mentally.

Listening to Wim more and more that summer I started changing and appreciating something…..we live in a world of constant low level stress that is taking it’s toll on our minds and bodies. Our bodies have been designed to have a stress response to run away or deal with a physical threat, yet we live in a psychological world with constant psychological stressors, and we’re still having a physical stress response….

Practicing the WHM we can bring our bodies back to homeostasis and become stronger and more resilient in every single cell of our bodies. Master the cold, master your mind and master your breath…

The WHM had such a big impact on me, and still does that I decided to train to become a Wim Hof Method Instructor, and I am now an Advanced Instructor!

It’s now the summer of 2026 and my company Adapt+Flow focuses on helping those in the built environment become happier, healthier and stronger. I teach companies and teams how to turn stress and energy into powerful tools for better health, wellbeing, and performance, especially in our world of constant low-level stress.

My journey has taught me so much. The main thing it has taught me is that we have so much more control over our minds and bodies than we think. The power of belief is everything, that’s why placebos work.

Whatever you are going through in life please remember this:

You are stronger than you think you are.
You get to choose what you give your energy to.
Create the time and space to give yourself the chance to respond to challenging moments and events, even if it’s just 5 minutes.
Slow things down.
Your breath is a powerful tool. In moments of stress simply breath in and out slowly, deeply and softly for a few minutes to re-regulate.
You can do absolutely anything you put your mind to – take the time to create the right conditions for you.
Keep it simple