Breathwork Magic
Welcome to Breathwork Magic, a podcast dedicated to exploring the life-changing power of Breathwork. Discover how conscious breathing can unlock inner peace, resilience, and clarity as we dive into inspiring stories and practical insights. Whether you’re new to Breathwork or looking to deepen your practice, each episode offers wisdom to help you connect more fully with yourself and the world around you.
Breathwork Magic
Connecting to the Elements Through Breathwork with Marcelle Vooms
What if your breath could connect you to the natural elements and transform your well-being?
In this episode of Breathwork Magic, Amanda Russo welcomes Marcelle Vooms to share her transformative journey into Breathwork and its deep connection to air, water, fire, and earth. Marcelle reveals how her Breathwork practice helped her overcome fainting spells, manage anxiety, and discover clarity in her creative pursuits.
Listeners will be captivated by Marcelle’s unique barefoot sunrise hiking ritual in Los Angeles, inspired by the elements, and her deepening interest in astrology. Discover the life-changing power of Kurtis’s Breathwork training and practical techniques like box breathing and nostril breathing to activate, regulate, and soothe the body and mind. This conversation also explores how breath and voice merge to foster creative self-expression.
Whether you’re seeking balance, healing, or creative inspiration, this episode highlights the profound potential of Breathwork as a gateway to growth and transformation.
Key Points:
[1:35] – Marcelle’s early struggles with fainting spells and discovering the power of mindful breathing.
[5:22] – The role of air, water, fire, and earth in personal well-being and balance.
[10:14] – How Breathwork fosters clarity in decision-making and creative projects.
[15:47] – Kurtis’s Breathwork certification: A journey into healing and connection.
[21:30] – Barefoot sunrise hiking: Tapping into the elements for grounding and inspiration.
[27:18] – Breathwork techniques for anxiety, balance, and activating energy.
[32:55] – The fusion of breath and voice: Toning and vocal expression for healing.
[40:12] – Why Breathwork is a universal practice for managing anxiety, pain, and growth.
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Learn more about Kurtis’s Breathwork Training: Message Manders on Instagram @thebreathinggoddess
To Connect with Marcelle Vooms:
On Instagram @voomz
Techniques mentioned in the episode:
Breathwork Detox, Box breathing, Nostril breathing, and Toning exercises.
Welcome to Breathwork Magic, the podcast that explores the life-changing power of your breath. Breathwork isn't just a practice. It's a gateway to healing, transformation and shifting to a new mindset, by letting go of the past and embracing the possibilities of the present moment. And embracing the possibilities of the present moment. I'm Amanda Russo, your host, a certified breathwork facilitator, level two Reiki practitioner and creator of the Mando's Mindset podcast. On my own journey, breathwork has been a powerful tool for releasing what no longer serves me and shifting my perspective to step into my fullest and greatest potential. Each week, I'm joined by inspiring guests, breathwork facilitators, healers and wellness enthusiasts who share how this practice has helped them and their clients heal, grow and embrace lasting change. So take a deep breath in and out, settle in and let's explore the magic of your breath together. The transformation starts now.
Speaker 1:Welcome back to Breathwork Magic. I'm your host, amanda Russo, and I am so excited to be here with today's guest, and her and I first got connected when we both went to T2 training to get certified in Breathwork Detox, and I am here today with Marcel Wumms. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you, we appreciate it, of course. So can you tell us how you discovered breathwork and maybe even how you discovered teacher training and like what led you to Utah that day in June.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I have always had a connection with the breath because when I was young I had a lot of fainting spells and throughout my whole life I actually have had a lot of fainting spells and throughout my whole life I actually have had a lot of fainting spells. They were, you know, I just was prone to it. But someone taught me once to breathe really slowly and it started saving me from going down or to come out of it faster. So just like, having that connection with my breath was always just like. I didn't realize how influential that was until I started becoming a little infatuated with the four elements and you know like air, water, fire, earth and breath could be considered part of the air element and I started to become very curious about it.
Speaker 2:Breath work was gaining some traction and I used to do some singing, so learning how to breathe properly, and I was following Curtis man from the stars and love his galactic updates. They're like they're my favorite. So I was following him for that. But saw the breathwork stuff and became very curious, went to some of his events and I just fell in love with what happened during the process, which I'm sure you can attest to as well. I have a lot of plates in the air all the time. I struggle with decisions sometimes. So in the breathwork it felt like pieces were just like falling together and clarity would come in. I've had some like left body issue, like sensations that go away when I practice breathwork. So I just realized how powerful it was and realizing a couple years back, like 2015, I was going through some like energetic changes, I guess you could say, and I was having panic attacks and things like that that I didn't really have the tools for back then and just realizing, wow, like this is such a such an important practice Definitely the detox that's just like it's right to the point. I looked at a lot of different trainings of where I wanted to study breathwork and I loved Curtis's process because it does. It just gets right to the point and does so much and so in such a like precious amount of time. So I was really drawn to it for that.
Speaker 2:And, yeah, just exploring breath work, even as a daily practice to I realized like sometimes when I'm working I hold my breath because I'm just like want to get to the end of it, like I'm in flow, say, having fun, but I'm also like, just like want to get to the end of it like I'm in flow, say having fun, but I'm also like breathe. But if I wasn't like practicing or focusing attention on my breath, you know I wouldn't be as aware to catch myself in those moments. So, yeah, that led me. I. I was gonna do his training the one before and I was just like didn't make it happen. And then I was like I'm still thinking about it. You know, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna jump in this time. So, so glad I did got to meet you.
Speaker 1:I'm so glad you did too. So you started delving into the elements. That's fascinating. What made you delve into them?
Speaker 2:well, I have always struggled with my sleep. I don't know if it's just like. My grandma stayed up till 2 am when she was in her 90s, so it's kind of in my blood. My sister also, but I want to get up early. So it's hard to sleep and I, in desperation, was like I'm going to do 30 days sunrise hiking and my first day this girl was barefoot and I was like that's a great idea.
Speaker 2:So I did 30 days of barefoot sunrise hiking on the mountain in LA and it unlocked something because it was working with the elements.
Speaker 2:I didn't even realize what I was doing, but just being in that moment, I'm grounding, you know, I'm getting the fresh air, I have the sunlight, and I just started putting all of these connections with the four elements and how they're woven into everything and even that pattern of air, water, fire, earth. I was just kind of tweaking out on all the different ways that it works into our reality like literally, spiritually, actually physically. Like the air activates our fire and so does like moving our body to activate our fire. There's just so many layers to it and it's so simple. We don't actually grow up learning how to balance the elements that we're made of that's so fundamental for our health and well-being, and I just was falling in love with what I was experiencing and started thinking about astrology, and astrology started to make more sense. So now it's taken me down that path as well, of just connecting all of the dots on how we're woven together in this beautiful, perfect, energetic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is so fascinating Sunrise Belfort hiking for 30 days.
Speaker 2:I wish I could have the stamina to do that regularly. I try to do it again and it's like it's so hard to get up early when I can't fall asleep.
Speaker 1:But I would love to do that like every quarter at least wow, I bet that unlocked a lot, even like you were saying, the grounding, the sunlight, the fresh air.
Speaker 2:I still did not fall asleep at night. I would go to bed and I'm like, I'm so wired where did you get this idea from?
Speaker 1:was this? It just came to you.
Speaker 2:I think, well, it was everyone you know probably listens to Huberman and talking about the sunlight in your eyes in the morning when you wake up. So that's kind of what had that. And I was like you know, if I get up at sunrise and I'm hiking, I have to get tired by the time I go to bed.
Speaker 2:Did it help you get tired I mean, not really I still there's something like my life force just gets activated. If, after 10 pm, I don't know what, I've tried everything because I'm still working on it and knowing what I know of astrology, I think there's some placements with my moon and the 12th house and all this stuff. So, and mercury, that's the mind I think there's some things happening where it's just something I have to deal with. Well, because it's bringing me to all of these other, you know, explorations.
Speaker 1:And understandings. Even like with the hiking. Yeah, Now you mentioned you fell in love with what happened during the process of breathwork. What? What part of the process?
Speaker 2:I love. I mean it is. It's called breathwork for a reason. So it is work and sometimes you have to take the time to work the practice in. But once you do, once you're in it and you start kind of releasing the chemicals in your mind, it's just like really going. I feel like you get blissed out and things make sense. You tap into the center point of what really is and what really matters and you know it kind of can wear off a little bit and you get back in the fog of your day and distractions and pings. It kind of can wear off a little bit and you get back in the fog of your day and distractions and pings. But like when you're in the breath work, you're like you tap into that remembrance of like what's really going on and what's true of, like what we are, what we're made of, what's possible yeah, you mentioned it helped you with decisions.
Speaker 1:How so?
Speaker 2:breathwork would kind of be like oh, I see it, it all makes sense, but I would have to remember, like what I saw and make sure that I like take, take notes after or document it, Cause sometimes I'll get this clarity and you know I have to keep going. I just I have to follow through with it. I guess you could say too, but there were some times in the process where I'll use it for manifestation and while you're in there visualizing certain things and I feel like things have reflected back in reality later from that, can you give us any examples? Yeah, there was something where I was trying to manifest. There was an art show basically, basically, and I was imagining the specific gallery and art on the walls, just because I knew that gallery.
Speaker 2:And like six months later, my friend wanted to have like a birthday party. We're both Aquarius and little did I know the. The people that I knew had sold the gallery to his friends. So like the party was at this gallery and I'm like they're setting up the music and stuff and I'm like, can we put different art on these walls? And so we it basically like manifest. It wasn't the full vision of what I was imagining, but it was just weird how like the exact location and everything just kind of happened. So it wasn't an art show, but it was like the art was on the walls at this gallery, so that was cool.
Speaker 1:And now, when you were visualizing this out show, was it like you presenting out there?
Speaker 2:or it was. The show is kind of like an experiential thing and the way it happened was more of just like the art was on the walls for a party versus being an actual exhibition or experience to come in for. But still I was like, well, that's pretty close, that was a pretty close manifestation being on the walls of where I was imagining it, so I'll take it.
Speaker 1:That is really cool, would you say. It's created any challenges for you, like you mentioned, breathwork being work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think just taking the time to make sure we do it. You know I loved how Curtis was like make sure you're doing breathwork more than your clients and so weaving in the time for it. You know I can tell when I haven't done it. Like I get these. I don't know if it's fibromyalgia or something like that, but I just get like this left arm nerve issue and I'm like I'm going to do some breathwork and it'll go away for like a month and it comes back. I'm like oh, like, oh, gonna do some breath work. So there's definitely like something that is being cleared there with the breath work. And now it's not necessarily pain, it's more like a dull pulling sensation. Okay, it's here. I've been tested. Nothing's really going on with it, so I don't know what's causing it. It comes and goes.
Speaker 1:Breast cancer, and how long have you had that?
Speaker 2:It kind of like earlier in this year, like in the spring, it was kind of it was getting bad. I was having like episodes with it and you know the doctor, they don't really do anything for that kind of stuff. I think it's like something energetic connection, I don't know. Breathwork could do something here.
Speaker 1:Wow, okay, and you noticed, does anything else help it other than breathwork?
Speaker 2:If I'm like if I go hiking, I have to be pretty conscientious of my experiences with the elements. It's just like making sure that I get movement and sunlight and I'm not just a computer gremlin all day. You know, working in front of the computer, the balance is really important and I can definitely feel it. And I can definitely feel it, but sometimes you just want to keep working to finish something, but it's like no, it's really important to step back and weave that into your work. Our caring for our vessel is just as important work as whatever we're creating. I actually think that is crucial. You know like we take care of our vessel to then create in flow state.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we got to be in flow state to get anywhere. You know, like whether it's creating, whether it's anything, that starting point, what would you say? You've noticed breathwork help any of your clients with the most.
Speaker 2:I think definitely with anxiety. I think it's a really powerful practice for that. And I had a friend because one of his intentions for the breathwork session was to connect with his heart and I thought that was so sweet, you know, because men are starting to like really want to tap into that. That's so amazing. But that and the anxiety layer, like connecting with your heart in the breath work and just understanding that our breath is that power dial I think Curtis said that once it's like the power dial and we can use it for activation, regulation or sedation.
Speaker 2:So someone who's struggling with anxiety, I feel like that session kind of resets and then if you kind of work in some kind of little daily practice to remember the reset, so you come back to it and then you catch yourself when you're out of it Because anxiety I've struggled with anxiety in the past and I think if you aren't practicing to be in that center point, then you're not as aware when you're out of it and you're just kind of like in the pattern. So when you practice it and when you're in the pattern you're like oh wait, I remember this point I want to come back to here that's so true.
Speaker 1:I I like how you said it can. The breath can be used for three things to activate, to regulate and to sedate.
Speaker 2:So say, you wake up and you're really just like lethargic and you feel like there are blankets on you, brain fog. There are specific breathwork things you can do to awaken your life, force, flow, breathwork, fashion, movements too. I mean now all these things are coming together. But yeah, so you can do. I think it's like the right nostril breathing and then if you're like at night, for instance, to sedate, so that would be like activation to awaken yourself. Regulation if you have anxiety things that can just bring you back to the center point. Regulation if you have anxiety things that can just bring you back to the center point. And then sedation for when you are trying to go to sleep. Then there's stuff I think that's the left nostril to wind yourself down and I've tried them and they do help.
Speaker 1:They do help. And do you have an?
Speaker 2:example for regulate Some of just the most simple ones, like the box breathing, which I think most people are familiar with, where you breathe in for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four, and you just do that. Or you can do the breathe in for four, hold for eight, release for seven, like really so simple. Or even putting your hand on your heart and breathing, imagining you're breathing through your heart, and just like that brings the brain heart coherence together. That can be regulating and stabilizing thank you.
Speaker 1:That makes a lot of sense now. You mentioned a few times that you knew you were going to that certification. What was it about Curtis's certification that you knew?
Speaker 2:Well, I think part of me wanted to get even more galactic live updates. I think I was hoping that would be a big part of it and there maybe there were like some elements of that. But definitely out of the breathwork that I've tried, I felt like his process was the most that I resonated with, the most and had the most success with to get results for what I wanted and just the knowing of like man. I really wish I had this back in the day. You know, something that I'm like you think of people that you love that might be struggling with something where you're like. Something that I'm like you think of people that you love that might be struggling with something where you're like I know breathwork could help with this. So, in a way, wanting to learn things that could be useful, wanting to get these skills for myself and to share them with people I love and people that I work with. Yeah, and the Utah setting looked really beautiful. Where we were at was so beautiful, wasn't it?
Speaker 1:It really was. I stayed in a wagon when we were over there.
Speaker 2:Oh cool, really cool. I was in one of the little bungalows, but you know how Curtis talked about being grounded after sessions. Really important, yep. So I'm like flying high, high. I drove home that night and I got a speeding ticket. You did not yeah, and I'm like, oh, I think I was just like not being as consciously grounded as I should have been, because I was just like so blasted wide open after that experience oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:After the whole experience in general, yeah, I think just learning about breathwork, and we did breathwork like three or four times while we were there, so we were really activating ourselves and cleansing everything out.
Speaker 1:It's so true. Is there anything else that you want to share about breathwork? Is there anything else that you want to share about breathwork?
Speaker 2:I think of breath as like the gateway to everything else. You know, the four elements are definitely important for everything, but life gets crazy and we don't have time to do all the things we want to do or even go for the walk that we were going to do. But just take a minute and just center and be like a slow, thoughtful, intentional breath, like in the morning, you know, and I even I don't do it all the time, but I've been thinking like anchor points during the day, you know, like at sunset and before bed and at the peak flow of the day, just like different times.
Speaker 1:Just be like, yes, right, just like different times, just be like yes, right there. Yeah, that makes so much sense. I like how you mentioned, there's always so much to do, you know. But that quick, it doesn't have to be long, like I mentioned, even taking a deep breath in and out, even if it's not even a full minute, that one breath in and out, you're gonna feel more regulated than you were before.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and I've been exploring the breath with the voice lately too, now and just like, because I sometimes my voice gets really tight or I've struggled with my voice in the past and took a vocal health class in college because I would lose my voice all the time and working with like toning. Have you done any of the toning stuff? I haven't. You should explore that too, because it's very. You like breathe and you like, ah, sign out, and then you tone and you can just like vibrate, the, the semantics of like the water in your body, and it's cool, I love it.
Speaker 1:That sounds so fascinating. Now, has breathwork helped you with singing Like being able to, I feel like it would like your lung capacity? Yeah, for sure, yeah, okay, and you can tell that it's helped you with singing?
Speaker 2:Well, I think that it is your lung capacity, like expanding the length of time that you can hold air and I'm still learning about all of that part of it, like your lung capacity and the health benefits of that but definitely for voice and sustaining regular, proper breath of into the belly and like holding the tones and just like practicing the placement of where the sound is in your head and your throat and your chest and moving it around and doing that and holding your breath to sustain the note and then you're just like in this, it's almost like your body is the temple right and you're, you become this like radiating field of somatic frequencies that sounds so fascinating yeah, I actually want to do a workshop coming up soon called throat chakra geometry, if you want to come you should let me know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll have to do a little planning because I think you're a little far from me, but I'm the person that would show up there, even though I'd need to take a flight. So let me know. Oh, it's going to be online, oh yeah. Yeah, I was thinking you were going to do this in person. Okay, I was thinking of Tom.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that. I'll come to you, I'll come to you, I'll come to you and we'll do like a double breathwork.
Speaker 1:Vocal activation oh my gosh, I love that. Now one more question for you who would you suggest breathwork for? If somebody's not sure if they should try breathwork, who would you typically recommend it for?
Speaker 2:Everybody. I mean, why not? It has all the benefits for things you struggle with. It helps with chronic pain, it helps with anxiety, it helps with sleep disorders and I say that even though I still struggle, but, like, it has definitely helped me and then, on the other token, it helps to manifest and get clarity and create things and pull in the visions that we want to create on the planet. There's no downside to it, except 30 minutes of your time. So I mean, but especially people who are struggling with any of those things that I mentioned, definitely, if someone has like, like anxiety or chronic pain, they should try breathwork.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now, you mentioned no downside. What would you say? No, I agree with that, but what would you say in terms of, like people who feel resistance, or like whether they've done it before or they haven't done it before, but something in them just has that resistance, like like they don't need to do breath work, they wouldn't benefit from breath work you know when I would just say when they get the call, they'll know there is something where it's just kind of like you feel something with it and you know that you're tapping into something that is greater than us really.
Speaker 2:I mean, the breath is everything. It's the first and last thing that taglines our life and there's it's becoming so popular now, not that it's just trendy, but like we're just realizing how valuable it is and how it's like we have biological technology that can be activated through the breath and like whatever crazy cycle we're on, like cosmically. We're at this time where I'm here for it, like how else can we tap into these gifts that are coming online when we're properly balanced and connected with our bodies and our breath and our truth?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, and I love how you mentioned, when you hear the call, like you'll know when it's meant for you to try it. I was similar in that you know like I had heard about it for a few months before I actually ever tried breathwork, so I get that completely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. Well, thank you so much. Thank you, thank you so much for having me. This was really fun to talk about these things. I love this conversation, so I'm so glad to talk with you about it Me too.
Speaker 1:I really appreciate it. Thank you so much for taking the time and thank you, guys, for tuning in to another episode of Breathwork Magic. Thank you for tuning in to breathwork magic. I hope today's episode inspired you to connect more deeply with your breath and embrace the transformation that it can bring. Remember, as long as you have your breath, you have options. You You're not stuck. You can make a change, you can make a shift. Each inhale is a new beginning and every exhale is a chance to let go of what no longer serves you.
Speaker 1:If you enjoyed the episode, it would mean the world to me. If you shared this with a friend, left a rating or review. Your support helps more people discover the magic of breathwork and the incredible transformations it offers to take the next step. I encourage you and I invite you to join me every Monday evening, virtually, for a Mindful Mindset Monday, a virtual pay what you can breathwork session where you can reset, recharge and refocus. All of the information is in the show notes. Until next time, keep breathing, keep shifting and keep embracing the magic with inside of you. I'm proud of you, I'm rooting for you and you got this.