My name is Nina and I am twenty eight years old. Now I live in the South of Metro Manila, in Philippines. I am currently working in Marketing and am working my way to becoming a wellness entrepreneur so that I can share my passion about holistic healing. I also currently run a small business for Mala-inspired crystal bracelets which can be used to assist in a Japa Mala meditation practice – which has become a regular practice for me as well. As you will see later, I am passionate about breathwork, particularly shamanic breathwork.
My journey into spirituality began even before I knew it was happening. I was burnt out and miserable from my Marketing job in a small consultant firm and was desperately trying to find a way out. Back then, I considered myself borderline atheist and the mere thought of praying and meditating was completely out of the question. Adding to that stress was the uncertainty the recent pandemic brought. I found myself living under the same roof with my family which was quite unsettling for me. Eventually, I got into a deep depression. It was so terrible that I couldn’t even leave my room to go to the restroom. I seeked help from my therapist to help me do even the most basic things like eating and bathing.
The sessions provided some extent of help, but deep down, I acknowledged the need for further healing. And so, like most stories you’ll hear about holistic healing, I reached a point where I believed trying alternative healing could potentially help myself without any harm. If it didn’t work out, I could stay skeptical about them like I always had. However, things dramatically changed for me. I started out with learning basic breathing techniques which eventually led me to deep dive into meditation. Since then, I’ve become a spiritual learner, eager to try out new things like different breathing and meditation practices.
One particular fond experience I had was doing Shamanic Breathwork. I had a very powerful and cathartic session during a wellness event last year. Though I knew about breathwork, I hadn’t done a deep dive into it, and so I came in with very little expectation prior to the session. I remember noticing that out of all the classes offered during that event, it was the fullest one. I thought to myself maybe the instructor was well-known and really good and that got me even more excited.
The instructor guided us through a brief meditation while laying down with our eyes closed to help us relax and ease into the session (we even had to use eye masks to keep our visuals completely dark). She then led us into a trance-like state through a series of rapid breathing patterns. There were drums and other musical instruments to accompany us as we journeyed further into our deeper self. Starting from the root, we moved through each chakra to energetically clear out any blockages. I could feel my body resisting it at first, but I eventually softened up and surrendered to the practice. It was in this state that I started to feel weird things in my body, like tingling, coldness in my hands and feet, and eventually crying with every fiber of my heart and soul.
There were no mental images that came up for me (visions came up for my other friends though), only very strong bodily sensations. During the session, I observed my body twitching, shaking subtly, and ultimately releasing through emotional release. There was almost a pattern there. In the background, I could hear others sobbing too. After the session, I looked around and saw that everyone went through the same thing I did. Some were so visibly flushed from all the crying and it made their eyes look all swollen and puffy.
After the session, I felt so light and filled with ease. As if all the imbalances within my body have somewhat dissolved. The experience my friends had were the same and we kept gushing about how indescribable the journey was. If anything, it is yet again another life-affirming experience for me about how powerful the breath is.
Daily breathing, a precious gift often overlooked, is something we mindlessly cherish without realizing its true worth. I urge you to experience Shamanic Breathwork, a transformative practice that harnesses the power of breath for holistic healing. The best part is that it’s already a built-in system within each and everyone of us and we only need to keep tapping into its potential for healing and true alchemy of the mind, body and soul.
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