How I found Witalij Martynow
I have been learning meditation over the last few months and finally starting to see some results. I am very much a beginner but I have used a variety of techniques to slow my mind down and increase my overall awareness which has noticeably started to spill into work and personal life positively. In fact, it’s become a regular habit before a big meeting or a particularly contentious call for me to sit and meditate for 5 to 10 minutes to get my head straight and my nerves calm. It beats taking Xanax any day and arguably way more effective. So why not give breathwork a try.
A good friend of mine who I have not seen in a few years contacted me last week and we reconnected. Now, this is one of my old drinking buddies and to my surprise we’re both along similar spiritual paths these days. He mentioned a Breathwork workshop he was thinking of going to at the Dance House in Ocean Beach, San Diego and asked if I’d like to go.
I had heard about Breathwork and in fact, an old coworker had started her own practice but I really didn’t know much about it and the ads I saw flooding my instagram feed seemed a little on the Hocus Pocus side. It’s ironic, I know, I’ve already gone all in on meditation practices and have seen the life changing impacts plant medicines have had in my own recovery/outlook on life but still I sit, judging the beneficial claims of Breathwork. Regardless, it was something new and a way for my friend and me to reconnect.
Meeting Witalij Martynow – The Breathwork Guy
As the two of us walked to the studio, yoga mats tucked under our arms, a man stepped out of a Prius and just kept rising. A giant of a man stood before us and with gentle eyes and a kind smile asked if we were attending the event tonight, to which we replied, of course! He introduced himself as Witalij and welcomed us. This was the Breathwork guy.
There were about 35 of us packed into this small dance hall laying out our yoga mats, pillows, blind folds and blankets and awaited further instruction. At this point, I was actually getting excited. Maybe it was just that I was at a public event meeting new people in the feigning wake of the pandemic. Maybe it was because the description of the event boasted of 10 years of psychotherapy in a single hour. Whatever it was, I was getting pumped.
The Breathwork Session Begins
Witalij started by sharing his story from his childhood, career in basketball, and an overwhelming need he had for love. He talked through some painful memories growing up that led into adulthood and ultimately to plant medicine and breathwork. I was captivated by his story and as he spoke, he talked about breathwork and it’s breakthroughs much like that of the guided psychedelic ceremony I have had in the past.
The importance of intention setting, the sensations you may feel, and how to react to some of the sensations. Again, my excitement grew but so did my skepticism. That must be natural for humans, especially us in the west. Always looking for the catch, find the loophole, or explain away things that don’t align with what our healthcare system has taught us most of our lives. Not to mention everyone and their brother now sells some “feel better” snake oil on Instagram.
It’s Game Time
As Witalij turned off the lights I laid back and placed my blanket over my legs and a blindfold over my eyes and awaited further direction. The music started, a strong rhythmic drumbeat echoed around the room and that’s when Witalij went into action. I likened his approach and instruction like that of a basketball coach with a strong spiritual tilt driving us through the various breathing patterns. He pushed you like a coach, kept us on track and encouraged you to lean in. He was clear from the start, this is on you. He can’t make you do the work, that’s entirely up to you. He can only show you the way. I dug that.
As I breathed heavily….inhale, inhale, exhale, exhale, Witalij called out over the crowd. I have never breathed this way and within the first minute I really thought I would pass out or hyperventilate but just as I felt I was reaching my breaking point Witalij would relax and transition. He let you know the whole time how long and how intense each breathing exercise would be (which for a control freak like me I really appreciated).
About 5 minutes in my fingers started to tingle, almost as if they had fallen asleep. A minute later they started to curl and I put them under my butt more for comfort than anything else. As the time ticked on and the patterns changed we would have brief breaks where you could settle and let it all wash over you. After about 15 minutes my body had adjusted to the breathing and I wasn’t concerned about passing out anymore.
I started to feel areas of my body light up, I’m still not 100% sure why but my right calf and foot were especially bright. Oddly, I’ve had a nagging injury there for some time which was an interesting observation.
Witalij was amazing. His rhythmic coaching coupled with reassuring sentiments and a consistent reminder to focus on your intention. Let me back up, much like my guided psilocybin trips, this experience too was predicated on the intention you were looking to achieve. Admittedly, I was not ready to set an intention and so my future sessions will involve proper intention setting.
The Payoff
As the hour drew to a close, Witalij played soft emotionally charged music that just put me in a somewhat dreamlike state of calm, compassion and love. I felt it all through my body from my head to my toes. With one final step he had us exhale everything we had in our body. Brought our belly buttons down to the floor and then….BAM…he yelled to tense every muscle in our bodies and hold until he told us otherwise. Once we were released I slipped into something. It wasn’t sleeping but it definitely wasn’t awake. It was a dream like state and I couldn’t believe the calm I felt. After what felt like seconds I felt a tickle on the bottom of my foot. My friend, already packed up and seeing if I was still alive. I looked around and a few others were still down but the majority had gotten up and started to pack up. Did I fall asleep? Honestly, I have no idea. All I can tell you is that I felt like I had just finished a crossfit class. That feeling of euphoria mixed with calm and exhaustion. My clothes drenched in sweat and the cold air coming from outside had me shivering (good call on the blanket).
My Retrospective
I have never fallen asleep so fast and stayed asleep like that in my life. As I reflected today on the overall experience I have nothing more to say then I’ve found another invaluable practice I will be incorporating into my spiritual toolbox…another tool in my repertoire. The more I open my mind the more I see the world open up to me. The more I look, the more I see and the more I see the more I know. I love this community and I’m thankful for this experience.
For more information on Witalij Martynow I encourage you to check out his website. Breathwork is just the tip of this guy’s iceberg. He has an incredible story and his transformation is truly inspiring.
Be sure to follow him on Instagram as well.
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