How THIS Retreat in Iceland Can Change Your Life
A Personal Look at Inner Work, Breakthroughs, and What It’s Like to Work with Joren de Bruin.
You don’t go on a retreat with Joren de Bruin to relax—you go to remember who you are, and what’s possible beyond the stories you’ve been telling yourself. Beyond the invisible fences of your own mind. Beyond the version of you that’s just been surviving. To strip away the performance, the pressure, the roles you play out there, and land in what’s real. Iceland just happens to be the backdrop—but the real landscape you move through is internal. Joren isn’t your typical retreat leader. He doesn’t stand at the front, mic’d up, handing out advice. He walks beside you—literally, through rivers and up glaciers—meeting you as a human first. He holds space with the kind of quiet strength that makes you want to get honest. And he doesn’t try to fix you. He reflects you back to yourself—sometimes through silence, sometimes through a single sentence that hits like a mirror.
Working with Joren is less about learning something new and more about unlearning everything that’s keeping you stuck. His gift isn’t in telling you where to go. It's helping you hear your own direction again.
It’s not about being first—it’s about being grounded. Joren leads through presence, not performance.
From Pro Sports to Pro Coaching
Before guiding people through cold rivers and emotional breakthroughs, Joren was chasing a very different kind of dream. At 17, he signed with AZ Alkmaar, one of the top pro football clubs in the Netherlands. It was everything he’d worked for—until it wasn’t. Despite early praise and promising first pre-season performances, he spent over a year benched without clear explanation to his own frustration. He eventually left the club and returned to indoor soccer, where he felt seen again—until a debilitating injury in his lower back (herniated disk), forced him to walk away from the sport altogether.
The physical pain was one thing, but the emotional fallout hit harder. He blamed himself—and his body. Spinning into negative mental cycles. He felt like a failure. Thought he’d let everyone down. His one dream to make it in life shattered like broken glass. That pain shaped how he moved through life for years.
Because that’s what trauma can do. It convinces you that failure is final. That it’s safer not to try. Joren started seeing himself as someone who couldn’t follow through. He failed two university degrees. He pulled away from relationships. He shelved business ideas that once excited him. He stopped caring for his body and mind. Numbing himself with nights out, smoking and alcohol abuse. He chose the path of least resistance—believing that by avoiding responsibility, he could avoid losing anything at all.
He hit rock bottom, mentally and physically after 1,5 years of being in chronic pain. One night he was literally laying on the floor from the pain in his lower back. Not able to lift his leg anymore. He was 21 of age, feeling trapped and imprisoned in his own body. Mentally drained. Energy low. Bouts of depression. Scared for a lifelong future in pain. It was that same night something happened that would change the trajectory of his life.
Where the pain and stories stopped getting a hold on him. Instead of (mentally) running away from the physical and emotional pain, for the first time in his life he started a conversation with his own body, and asking his own body what it needed. This question and the inner dialogue that followed shifted everything. He started shifting his focus inwards and towards the pain, instead of running away. His own body and what it communicates, turned from enemy to a new and wise friend.
The same pain and old stories that once crushed him, now became the fuel for everything he leads today. He clearly saw how his own mind was playing games to keep him stuck, numb, directionless and unfulfilled. How you can overcome anything when you understand why fear is there, or how pain often simply tries to help and protect you. Understanding his own brain and the protection mechanisms it creates, became clearly visible. That’s when health, relationship and life - all became a choice again instead of a burden.
He didn’t just recover—he rebuilt. Breathwork, cold exposure, deep introspection, and time in nature became the tools that helped him climb out of the spiral and take back control. When modern medicine failed him—leaving him with debilitating pain after his injury—it was those same tools that not only healed his mind, but also helped him reclaim his body.
But that was just the surface.
After getting his body back, Joren started looking deeper. He wanted to understand why the pain was there in the first place—not just physically, but emotionally too. How past trauma and these mental stories could get such a grip on him, throw him off in his health- and life in general. That meant facing old memories, unpacking early life patterns, and connecting the dots between unhealed trauma and how it showed up in his body.
For example, when he traced the pain in his lower back, Joren realized it wasn’t just about a bulged disk. It was tied to years of carrying unspoken anger and pressure from childhood and complex trauma. His body had been holding what his mind had pushed down—resentment, silence, the weight of trying to please others. Seeing that link gave him permission to release it, to free his voice instead of hide or putting up a mask of perfection, and to begin repairing his relationship with himself and those closest to him.
It was far from easy. But it changed everything. Joren realized the pain wasn’t just a problem to fix—it was a message. And when he finally listened, everything started to shift. Facing suppressed emotions and buried stories didn’t just release pain—it set him free.
That’s what shaped the process he now shares with others.
Because he doesn’t just see healing as feeling better. It’s about knowing yourself on every level—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s about learning to tune in instead of checking out. And using what you find to write a new story, one that isn’t ruled by your past.
Because your past doesn’t define you. It can refine you.
Now, Joren teaches others how to do the same—how to transform pain into power.
How your past doesn’t define you, but can become the starting point for a much greater story. Not just someday—right now.
His story isn’t a footnote. It’s the foundation of his work.
He’s not speaking from theory. He’s lived it.
From rock bottom to rebuilding with purpose.
Today, he lives in Portugal with his wife and baby, running a thriving retreat and coaching business rooted in service, optimal health, and personal freedom.
His past didn’t break him.
It built him.
And shaped the exact path he now leads others through.
Joren offers the kind of guidance he once searched for—real, grounded, and rooted in lived experience.
Beyond the Method: Joren’s Way
Before it was trending, the Wim Hof Method was Joren’s way back to himself—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
He started practicing in 2012 when Wim Hof came to visit him in Amsterdam, to specifically help him with his back problem.
This was when breathwork and cold plunges were still considered fringe. He also worked closely with Wim Hof himself, personally assisting him behind the scenes in local workshops, the academy, and international retreats, helping bring the method to life for countless others.
The method was a powerful stepping stone.
It cracked something open in him.
Breathwork, cold exposure, and intentional mindset became the first tools that helped him climb out of chronic pain and take back agency over his health. Walking without pain. Free in his body hiking mountains again. Even playing soccer—all things he feared were lost for good—came back into reach.
For that, he’ll always be grateful. He’s thankful for Wim, for his family, and for the opportunity to support the Wim Hof Method during its early growth. He held a certification for 11 years.
Over the next decade, he coached thousands through his own version of these techniques—at workshops, on expeditions, and in private sessions.
But in early 2025, Joren made the decision not to renew that certification. Not out of rejection—but evolution.
Because while the method is highly effective at making a physiological difference in health and wellbeing, it also often stops at the slogan “just breathe.”
And for Joren, that wasn’t enough.
He noticed two clear patterns in people who returned to his retreats:
Pattern 1: People weren’t facing the real issue. They used breathwork or cold plunges to feel better, but burnout, stress, or health problems often came back—like a balloon forced under water. Push it down, it still rises.
Pattern 2: People got trapped by the very practices meant to free them. Breathwork, cold exposure, even plant medicine can feel amazing—but sometimes they become the goal instead of the tool.
Joren recalls a woman experienced with ice baths. She asked how to stop shaking after plunges and improve focus. At first it seemed technical—but the real reason surfaced: anxiety about retirement and financial security. Instead of solving the root problem, she kept ice baths to “handle” her anxiety. The practice made her feel lighter, but also kept her stuck in the same cycle.
Real growth starts with brave questions:
Why does this pattern show up in the first place?
If I’m honest, what am I afraid of?
What role do I play in my own suffering?
You can breathe away symptoms, take a pill, or follow the next protocol—but without honest reflection, self inquiry and pattern recognition, lessons aren’t learned.
Heartbreaks, health struggles, and repeated stressors will resurface.
It’s kinda like chasing your own tail on a high.
More icebaths, plantmedicine or breathwork won’t magically break a pattern that keeps you stuck.
You need to confront what you’re running away from.
Breath. Cold. Breakthroughs. Joren’s method goes beyond the ordinary.
Seeing the Patterns Beneath the Surface
Joren started noticing something in his students.
People were stacking tools—ice baths, meditations, protocols—but still feeling stuck.
They’d say things like:
“I do the breathwork every day, but the anxiety keeps coming back.”
“I’m burning out again—even though I’m doing everything ‘right.’”
“How much more do I need to do to finally feel okay?”
Joren started to see a pattern.
Many of these people weren’t new to personal growth—they were deep in it.
Some were doing ice baths five days a week. Others had tried every protocol: Huberman stacks, Dispenza meditations, morning dopamine hacks, plant medicine ceremonies.
They were biohacking everything... except the root.
They were still chasing relief. Still searching for that one final fix.
This retreat works differently. It doesn’t just help you breathe the symptoms away. It goes straight to the root of what’s really holding you back—what’s blocking your growth or keeping you stuck. And here’s the key: you don’t just heal faster, you heal more sustainably.
But it wasn’t a tool they were missing. It was integration.
It was honest self reflection. Pattern recognition. Emotional safety. Nervous system rewiring.
That’s when it clicked.
People weren’t missing commitment.
They were missing connection—to what was actually driving their patterns.
Joren saw that self-development, like modern medicine, often chases symptom relief.
But the pain? The loop? The stress? It’s not just a glitch to fix.
It’s a message. A teacher.
So his work shifted—from quick relief to deep integration and embodiment.
From bypassing discomfort to getting courageously honest and learning from it.
Letting it shift you. Taking Responsibility. Alchemizing it.
Confronting courageously, and overcoming.
Joren guides you from quick fixes to deep understanding.
Pattern Hunting: Integration Over Relief
His first shift in focus led to something deeper—what he now calls pattern hunting.
Throughout the week, you’re supported—and challenged in the best way—to become more curious about how you think, feel, move, and show up in the world. You start noticing:
The thoughts you keep looping on
The reactions that always hijack you
The emotional triggers that keep showing up in your body
The areas where self-sabotage, fear, or avoidance still sneak in
And more importantly—how all of that ties back to your health, relationships and the life you’re creating.
Because how you do one thing is how you do everything.
You start to see the burnout, disease, the breakups, the stuckness, the self-doubt… they’re not random. They’re repetitions. And those patterns hold wisdom.
Maybe burnout keeps returning—not because you need another protocol, but because you don’t believe in yourself enough to take a courageous step into the unknown.
Maybe you keep attracting emotionally unavailable partners— because deep down, real intimacy still feels unsafe.
Maybe you’ve tried every tool, ceremony, or meditation to break free from workaholism—even while staying successful—but you haven’t dealt with the core belief that you’re only safe when you’re in survival mode.
These are the patterns Joren helps people see.
The ones underneath the coping strategies.
The ones that quietly shape everything—until you learn to meet them head-on.
When you begin to trace them—not with shame, but with courage and curiosity—you build awareness.
And awareness is what creates real relief.
The kind that actually lasts.
Because once you realize that your fear of showing up isn’t who you are—but something you learned (through trauma, culturally or a specific environment — now you can choose differently.
You can begin to rewire the root story.
You can rebuild who you are beyond that fear.
This retreat becomes the place where that work begins.
Where the breath, the cold, the silence, and the challenge all become mirrors—helping you see the patterns clearly, and giving you space to break them.
Joren’s path started with breath and cold—but now it’s about healing what’s beneath.
What You’ll Practice During the Retreat
From recognizing the patterns - in this week you will go through a deep process of letting go of what isn’t working, and rebuilding the version of you who you aim to become and all that you want to realize in your life.
Our focus is to help you practice:
Courageous honesty: Face yourself fully—without numbing, hiding, or performing.
Presence mastery: Become a better listener between your mind and body—and even deeper: cultivating mind, body, and soul awareness.
Radical responsibility: Take full ownership of your role in creating your life, shifting from a victim mindset to empowered action.
Nervous system rewiring: practice a more healthy, free, and empowered story that you rewire, through journaling, hot seat coaching, breathwork and cold exposure ceremonies in group settings.
Embodied empowerment: you’ll actually get clear and practice being the more free, self empowered, embodied and authentic version of you.
Envision clarity: See your ideal future self—beyond old stories, trauma, and limits.
What does your life look like? Who’s around you? How do you feel, move, and show up?
Dare to dream it, speak it, and own it. Journaling prompts help turn vision into action.
By day 5, you’re more confident, grounded, and ready to live bigger than you thought possible.
This retreat isn’t about pushing harder or stacking more hacks.
It’s about slowing down long enough to really listen—and being brave enough to respond differently.
Because the goal isn’t just to feel better.
It’s to understand what’s been in the way, start shifting it from the inside out, and live differently—anchored in real clarity, awareness, and self-empowerment.
Release what no longer serves you and step into clear, empowered change.
The Reach of His Work
Since 2016, Joren has led over 65 international group retreats—from the volcanic landscapes of Iceland to the Catskills mountains in the USA and the forests of Sweden.
He’s guided thousands of people through deep, embodied work: from breathwork ceremonies and cold immersions to honest group circles that unlock what's been hidden for years.
He’s been a lead speaker at international events, coached entrepreneurs, creatives, and millionaires, and been called “the Mozart of breathwork facilitation” for the way he moves energy in a room—not by force, but through presence.
But ask him, and he’ll tell you: it’s never been about numbers. It’s about the depth of transformation someone walks away with. That’s what makes his work speak for itself.
And what does that transformation look like?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Testimonial Eitan Geft!
“I still cannot believe…”
Take Eitan, President of Cadence, a globally recognized, award-winning travel management company. Nearing 50, he had built a successful career, led teams across the globe, and traveled the world—but what he really longed for was presence, something he hadn’t felt in nearly 30 years. At Into the Wild Within in Iceland, he found it.
“There have only been two events in my life that I consider truly life-changing. The first was a backpacking trip at 21. The second was the 6-day Into the Wild Within retreat in Iceland with Joren de Bruin.”
The experience gave him not only renewed vitality, but also a profound shift in how he saw himself, his relationships, and what’s possible.
“I still cannot believe that in a matter of six days my understanding of self, of what is possible, and of the potential for true brotherhood, sisterhood, and community could be so profoundly transformed.”
Transformation shows up in many ways, and for some, it’s immediate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Testimonial Rolando Mathias!
“In just two days chronic fatigue left…”
Take Rolando, a successful entrepreneur from the USA. For years, chronic fatigue left him drained no matter what he tried—doctors had no answers. After just two days at the Iceland retreat, his energy returned in a way he hadn’t felt in years. The fog lifted, his body felt strong, and the best part? It lasted—not just for the rest of the week, but long after he returned home.
Stories like Eitan’s and Rolando’s show exactly why Joren’s approach is different. What sets Joren apart isn’t his résumé—it’s how he leads.
He brings something rare among facilitators: lived experience, emotional depth, and a whole-body understanding of what real transformation takes.
And that’s exactly what this retreat gives you—a chance to meet yourself with that same honesty, depth, and clarity.
