Posted on 01/18/2021 9:51:50 AM PST by nickcarraway
Melissa Yambao struggled with her health and suffered from hives and depression – then she met breathwork instructor Brian Lai and learned to take ice baths using the Wim Hof Method. A more advanced breathwork practice called rebirthing produced a physical and mental breakthrough. Brian Lai
Beating cancer is no small victory, but for some survivors, depression follows in the wake of the celebration.
After Melissa Yambao had surgery to treat early stage breast cancer in 2015, and started hormone therapy, she recognised the need for some fundamental lifestyle changes. She curbed her drinking and partying, began to exercise regularly, and looked for ways to usher in more calm.
Despite not having had to undergo chemotherapy to treat her cancer, she experienced hair loss, and later, red and itchy skin rashes known as hives, which triggered bouts of depression.
Yambao had been living in Singapore since she moved there from the Philippines in 2007 to complete her MBA. Around three years ago, a job opportunity gave the finance executive the nudge to move to Hong Kong to start a new life chapter.
“When I moved to Hong Kong, I got a bit more exposed to the world of yoga and meditation ,” said Yambao. She had been exploring the physical fitness options when she began to see a wealth of mindfulness classes, which she hoped would help calm her self-professed too busy mind.
Her health struggles continued, though, as she had regular intense bouts of hives and unexplained allergic reactions, often leading to depressive episodes. Then she met certified breathwork instructor Brian Lai, founder of Primal Breathwork in Hong Kong.
After he heard Yambao’s story, Lai suggested that her busy mind and health troubles might be signalling a more deep-rooted imbalance, which led him to suggest breathwork.
“Breathwork is the art and science of conscious breathing, and could be as simple as becoming aware of your breathing patterns, [right up] to a shamanic breathwork session lasting several hours,” said Lai. “Anytime we switch our breathing from automatic mode to conscious mode we can begin to influence the nervous system in a way that supports and balances our state.”
At his Primal Breathwork studio in Hong Kong, Lai teaches a multifaceted approach to breathwork which encompasses many variations on the practice, some meant for simple focus and stress reduction, others for healing and to address trauma. They include the Wim Hof Method, which he learned from the master himself, Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof.
Nicknamed the Iceman for his near superhuman abilities, Hof holds 26 world records for such abilities as submerging himself in ice baths, using breathwork to dampen the natural response to escape .
When Lai began working with Yambao he introduced her to breathing mechanics and chemistry, and optimal breath cadence – the timing of inhaling and exhaling. She also learned the Wim Hof Method and learned to submerge herself in ice baths.
Eventually, Lai taught her an intense therapeutic breathing technique known as rebirthing – in which the inhale and exhale are connected without pause. This circular breathing is used in many breathwork methods, often to achieve a transcendent state in which you can access hidden emotions, feelings and profound spiritual experiences.
It’s one reason Lai regularly refers to breathwork as “meditation on jet fuel”.
“In breathwork, it is possible to achieve states that may take an experienced meditator a much longer time to attain,” said Lai. \ Through Lai’s sessions, Yambao began to unlock unprocessed emotions. She started to recount buried feelings relating to her experiences with cancer, familial traumas from her past, and even discovered an innate desire to reconnect with her Christian faith, which she later did.
After these “breakthrough” sessions, Yambao experienced noticeable health improvements: her hives outbreaks lessened, as did her dependency on antihistamines.
“I went from taking four to five antihistamines a day to two to three a week,” said Yambao. “From my lessons, I learned to separate myself from what I am feeling – being able to have that ability to observe myself and my emotions as opposed to being carried away by my emotions.”
Yambao’s story is unique, as are those of everyone who takes up breathwork practices, something Lai likes to remind his clients. “With Melissa, the real healing and breakthroughs came from those rebirthing sessions,” he said.
“But more generally, breathwork is practised globally for its various physical benefits, including training higher tolerance towards carbon dioxide, improved stress resilience, better sleep and recovery, optimising the autoimmune system, optimising the body’s pH levels and much more.”
As the practice’s benefits become better known and it becomes more mainstream, New Age approaches to breathing are emerging and health experts are adapting the centuries-old teachings of breathwork to suit the work-from-home lifestyle dictated by the global Covid-19 pandemic .
For Yambao, finding an inner practice to re-centre the mind and instil calm spawned her love for the work.
“Breathwork has impacted my mental health, which has been the primary [driver] for me,” she said. “Just having these tools and the ability to stay present and being mindful of my body, for me that has been the number one benefit.”
Since Hong Kong stepped up social-distancing measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, including shutting fitness and wellness centres, Yambao and Lai have moved their sessions online. Yambao believes those virtual lessons, usually an hour a week, are just as impactful.
Her breathwork routine is deeper and more advanced now, and focused more on delivering mental health benefits than on everyday stress management. She incorporates what she has learned in her daily life, taking a moment to breathe when stress bubbles up, to focus on her breath in a meditative way, to calm herself.
“It has been helping me so much – I plan to continue on it as long as I can.”
im exploring all things wm hof right now, and I’m inclined to agree with this article
thanks for posting
She “This is my happy face before I scream out in icy pain”.
Interesting
She’s hot enough to melt all that ice.
Review
When you get up in the morning lay down flat on your bed and follow the link I posted above. It may be a good idea not to check social media, email, etc. before starting. Have as little noise around you as possible and don’t let anyone interrupt you. Even the first time a few minutes in you will feel some things that you normally would not. The tingling sensation, for example.
The cold water is another thing entirely:)
Never heard of it, but so long as it’s on jet fuel and not on steroids I’m in favor of it.
I’m afraid I can’t do this — I don’t have that much ice.
Crazy nonsense. Sucker born every minute.
The Art of Living is an Indian based form of meditation that employs explosive breathing meditation. For those that do not know what that is, its like hyperventilating (it is LIKE but it is NOT hyperventilating)in a controlled fashion. Not so good if your lungs are scarred up. People are more familiar in the states with The Art of Mindfulness. A stereotypical way of meditation. Whatever meditation one uses it can calm the mind and produce physical effects like lowering blood pressure and slow the heart rate. Extreme methods like this to sit in an ice bath are truly not the norm but can show you what meditation can do. For those Christians, prayer is a form of meditation.
To each their own. As far as being a “sucker” this costs zero.
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