Breathwork Beyond the Hype with Dirk Hamelijnck

0:00 Hey there, before we get started on this week's episode, I would love to ask for your support by reviewing this podcast. We want to share yoga with as many people as possible and this free resource, this podcast is one of the ways that we can do that. And the best way that you can help support us is by giving us a review.

0:16 So if you go to Apple podcast or Spotify or whatever podcast platform you use, Scroll down until you find that star review and then give us some love. Thank you so much, and let's get started with this week's episode. Welcome back to the IN Movement podcast.

0:33 I'm your host, Michael Henry, And we have a new guest in the house. Fresh new guest, fresh meat. Dirk. Yeah. I have no idea how to pronounce your last name. Oh. Hamelink. Hamelink OK, Dirk. Dirk I could get away with, yeah. Hamelink Yeah, that's very good.

0:50 Oh. OK, great. So Dirk and I actually just met about a month ago on a teacher training and Dirk is going to be one of the facilitators at the In Movement studio space in New Kooning that's opening in spring. So like we've had with a few other people, we're having Dirk to come on to share a little bit about himself, get to know a bit more and just kind of who he is, which is pretty cool. So I already know a little bit about him from the last month, but I'm also excited to get to

1:19 know him a little bit more. So, Dirk, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much, happy to be here. So tell me a little bit or tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Born and raised in the Netherlands, coming from a family of teachers. Outdoor guy, always playing outdoors. Youngest of the family of four, four kids. I'm here in Bali for three years right now, coming from the Netherlands and having a daughter of 15 years old right now, 1515.

1:53 She was 12 at that time. Oh, shit, I didn't know that. Yeah, OK. Yeah. Not not being able to cope with the Dutch school system. And therefore when she had to go to secondary school, we thought, are we going to do this to her or are we going to look for other opportunities? Knowing as my background as a high school teacher, so many kids are struggling like crazy and education and they all, they don't all fit in the same box.

2:27 And yeah, actually coming back to my youth, I was one of those kind of struggling with all the structure and all the rules, and eventually, at my own speed, I did well becoming a high school teacher. What did you teach in high school? Physical Education.

2:45 Oh, that's right. Yeah, for 24 years in the same school. I love doing it. I loved and loved doing it. But seeing all these kids struggle and losing the intrinsic joy to learn because I think every kid has that. And we kind of take it away from them. They they have to meet all these rules and all these. Yeah.

3:13 Boundaries and things. Like that, boundaries, things like that. So it's so nice to take people into a joyful place where they can reconnect to the joy of, of, of learning again. Because doesn't matter how old you are. I turned 50 last year, almost a month of of yoga teacher training and I felt great to be a student. So it never stops.

3:39 Teacher for so long, right? 24 years. Wow. Yeah, my journey started I think I, when I was 16, host as an outdoor instructor, coming to climbing weekends, white water canoeing, walking in the mountains via ferrata. I'm not sure if you know that climb, climbing horizontally at a super high altitude, those kind of things probably. Wouldn't be my jam.

4:05 I'm not a big heights person, not at all, but. Yeah. So it started at a young age and that kind of deviated here and there, but always coming back to being physical, beating yourself at a certain level and see where the, yeah, where the boundaries are, respect those and see where the growth is. So yeah, still in the same same area. Same space, same space, different. Yeah.

4:32 So then when you came to, cuz, I mean, we didn't really say this, but you are a breath work facilitator and so much more of course, but what was your exposure or your your starting point with whether it be yoga or breath work?

4:46 Like how did that kind of come into your world? Was it early on in your teaching career or was it after coming to Bali? Like what? Yes, about a decade ago, I found myself on a on a crossroad. Like many people of that age, I was doing the same thing for such a long time and I wasn't sure if I really enjoyed it.

5:06 And there was a very specific moment for me, like I thought, well, I'm going to continue in this way or I'm going to grow up in a way. So it was the latter. And I was always already experimenting with yoga meditation, but I was looking for someone or something to had to show me what other path there was.

5:30 Then I found Wim Hof and I subscribed for the teacher training with him, and that was actually very clear for me. OK, this is what where I want to learn more from. So there was actually one breathing protocol, but it's so much more to understand about the breath.

5:50 So I kept learning more and more on the breath. And yeah, that was a very important start for me, learning from him and. That was about 10 years ago. Yeah, 2016 I subscribed. Early 2017 it started. So was that like, because like when I imagine Wim Hof trainings or experiences, it's like going into the middle of like the Arctic somewhere and just like jumping in the Goldwater with the polar bears. I know that's not fully true, but like, what was, what was your experience exactly?

6:19 Like how did you do the training or what was the training like rather? Yeah, it's for about a year stretched out over a few weekends and and the full weekend in Poland. And yeah, after my first experience with connecting to the breath and therefore connecting with those parts of me that I was pushing away for such a long time, I thought, this is super interesting actually. I came there just for my own growth and experience and I thought, well, I do want to

6:47 share this with the world. So over the stretch of that year, I dove into different kind of things immediately because you meet like minded people. So you're working with fasting and those kind of things different other exposures to to challenging environments. And even though that was not new for me, but the place where my journey came from was different.

7:10 So there was way more around as to what I was doing. So therefore the growth opportunities were more visible. Yeah, but it's pretty masculine. And yeah, walking up snowy mountains in only your shorts, that is something that as you see around the Arctic. Yeah, right.

7:31 Testing the physical resilience to some degree. Yeah. Cool. So I mean, I've, I've had an experience actually at a Bali Spirit festival here years ago where his name was Alex. Oh yeah. Cold with Alex or something like this. It was a long time ago something. Like that?

7:50 Yeah, French guy. Anyhow, he had a big, big basically like kiddie pool of water and ice and I had never really done anything like that. Like I've done like polar bear dips, as we call it in Canada, like in the middle of the winter you to jump in and. Actually, that's the most beautiful thing to do in nature. And that's, and that was fun, but it was like, you could jump in and you're a kid or whatever and you're an adult and you're just like, how you laughing, you

8:14 get out and you're kind of whatever. Whereas this was like, no, go in the cold and be still and like experience it. So that was just like a, for me, it was like a, it was a shock. Actually, a shock is best the way to describe it because I had, I was in there and it was just like, stay. And, you know, he put his hand on me and, and he's just like, breathe, just breathe.

8:35 Get down, boy. Right. And I was just like, I felt like I was just gasping, gasping. And it was a very powerful moment for me. And then I kind of came out of it and like it was moving my body, which is kind of like the Wim Hof thing.

8:47 I see kind of moving, standing, just like allowing the energy or the circulation to kind of flow. And I just felt like, I don't know, like it was just such a cool experience. So that's my only real like Wim Hof experience.

8:59 Obviously there's other elements that I've seen and kind of like experience with breath work practices, but your story kind of reminds me of that little glimpse that I had of that with WAS. Yeah, it was a powerful moment.

9:11 Yeah, those powerful ways of breathing are quite often a doorway for people to remind them how powerful the breath is. And but quite often it's shown as the only one. And so for me, it's very, very important to bring the nuance to do the field of breath work. So different variety.

9:30 So many different varieties, yeah. So one of the questions was when did it shift from a personal practice to something that you wanted to teach? And you kind of said it briefly, but initially you did it for yourself. Having a, you know, background of being a teacher. It almost seems like it just naturally flew into that, but maybe you got something more to say about it. Yeah, that was already after the first training weekend. Yeah, I thought I have to show

9:56 this to the world. And as many people who kind of feel overwhelmed through a beautiful sensation or whatever an experience, I had to learn to share it from a very grounded place. So you're so enthusiastic. Oh, wow, this sensation, everybody should, should, should be able to tap into that. But over the years, I learned that it is not for everyone. And it's not important that what I felt it's important that you host a safe space for people to step in when it when it's the right time for them.

10:36 And that is missing quite often. But after my first weekend, I, I knew I want to do this. So I start doing it actually right after my training when I was certified in the weekends. So during the weeks I was a Mr. High school teacher and in the weekends I changed into my Iceman mask.

10:59 So it sounds like there was a bit of a crossover with this and still teaching at the yeah, high school level. So did you ever kind of play with seeing how the kids might respond to it for. Sure, yeah. And how did that go? Pretty good, actually.

11:15 Yeah, depending on on how you approach it. If you say, oh, we're going to do a breathing exercise, I say, say what? But I brought my I made this shamanic drum and I brought it in and I started with a running exercise and then speed it up and go run, run, run.

11:32 And I want the pace slow down, slow down and then squats and connect to the rhythm. So first I get used to the rhythm. OK, now breathe in for four and go up and exhale for four, go down and then, yeah, playfully dive into a breathing exercise and they're tired and they're kind of over breathing in a way. And then, OK, relax, lie down and then still connect to the breath and then slow it down and it'll collapse and like, oh, this is nice.

11:58 Oh, that's cool. Yeah. So. I love the bang of the drum to disguide it a little. Bit yeah, I love doing those kind of things. That's cool, probably felt tribal and sure, some of the boys loved. Loved that. Yeah, for sure.

12:07 Yeah, that's. Cool, I think you've already answered this question, but I'll ask it anyway. Was there a specific teacher experience or life moment that shaped the way that you are facilitating or teaching now? Yeah, for sure. When I did my training at the Wimhof Academy, Wim was there it.

12:24 Was yeah. Oh cool. But there was this other guy called Kaspov on the Mohler, Dutch guy, and he has a background as a science teacher also in high school. And his approach is very super grounded, scientific. And obviously there's more to breathing and cold exposure than science and what it does it for our body physiologically. And he's a beautiful, bland and also energetic emotionally and spiritually.

12:57 So yeah, for me, that was a very important figure. That and one of the other trainings I did after the Wim off is his only his own training and just talking about what what, what is the breath and how do we breathe and how does breath influences actually every single thing we do in life.

13:19 So yeah, it's not learning one skill or one trick or one modalities, understanding what is it and how can it serve us. So yeah, this is an important figure for me. Yeah. And how would you now describe your, let's say, teaching style? Let's let's give it 3 words.

13:37 If you were to give the way in which you facilitate now, whether it be breath work, maybe even yoga, 3 words in which. Come to mind educational as in people understand what is it and feeling. So let's elaborate a little bit.

13:59 Safety. Why? You can overwhelm yourself with the breath and your next breath can be opportunity to start your healing journey. And if you do it correctly, you stay somewhere in the parameters of what is helpful for the person in front of you.

14:18 So if you teach to a group of 20-5 people that you don't know, it's very important what choices you make. Where do you invite people into? So yeah, the luckily there are many people who understand this, but in the field also the other thing is true. So for me, it's very important to make choices that you cannot serve anyone in your classes, but you don't want to hurt one single person.

14:51 So safety for me is very important. And many people are so overwhelmed by all the things that happened to them and they think they have to do and have to meet up to and even their own bodies isn't, isn't safe anymore. So reconnecting to your breath and landing your own body and feel grounded, that brings safety. And if people understand that happens through very gentle work, they reclaim their their own power actually. So therefore safety is the first

15:23 thing that I mentioned. Yeah, that's great. I mean, you definitely have a very permissive field already, which is creates a lot of room for empowerment or people feeling more empowered. So awesome. I kind of figured that was the answer, but I wanted to hear it from you. Second one was education, you know. It's educational, yeah.

15:41 So tell me more about why that why that word? If people have some background information about what's happening when when breathing through the nose or mouth or a lengthening the exhale or have certain breath holds or pauses.

15:56 And they kind of understand if they have a sensation where it's coming from. And especially in the Western world, many people also want to understand why they do things. So if you connect the feeling to the understanding with some background information, some yeah, actually high school biology classes, basic stuff, yeah, that brings more framework to to the to the field so people can take things home and understand. OK, I feel kind of this way.

16:28 What do I have in my toolbox to. Yeah, kind of manage the state that I find myself in I. Think understanding or knowing why we're doing things, I mean, whether people know that how powerful that is or not. But anytime you understand why you're doing something, you're usually more likely to subscribe to it or commit to it or be more, you know, yeah, putting energy into it. So.

16:54 And you don't want to make it the biology class, so you have to be wise in how much information you want to send. Sometimes I catch myself sorry, sorry, one more thing and then we get started again. But I get a lot of feedback from people think, oh wow, this is also breath work.

17:10 So thank you for showing this part to me because I thought I hated it so yeah. And I continue doing it this way if there's so many people liking it so. Third one was feeling. Feeling so? You touched on a little bit more, but let's expand on it a bit. Yeah, feeling is the part of the understanding. And like I told you before, many people got disconnected from their feelings from a very early age on. When you fall on your on your face, I stand up and you don't have to cry.

17:45 Nothing wrong, no scratches, wipe it off and and go. So OK, if I fall down on my face, I'm not allowed to feel sad. Those kind of things. And obviously in many different families is different, but also in cultures. So meeting people from all over the world over here, really look how they respond to certain things and sometimes don't have a clue if they're I didn't, I think they understand that they breathe in and out, but what is moving accordingly? They don't have a clue and what

18:20 sensations come after for example, a box breathing or something that longer breath pauses. They don't have a clue looking around like, yeah. So the feeling part for me is very, very important because if you truly connect to the internal world, you kind of are able to tap in what do you need? That comes from all the information that's constantly sent to you.

18:47 And luckily we don't feel all those things. But to be totally disconnected from it, it's it's problematic for your health. Yeah, you say feeling, I hear connection basically, but reconnecting, yeah, which is great. I love that.

19:02 And I think the previous one, like you said, the educational or the reason why helps to kind of like almost tease out that reconnection, that feeling a bit more. So that's awesome. So you might have answered this one already as well, but like what do you feel you uniquely bring to the studio or your classes?

19:25 Hopefully authenticity, so there's only one me and you have your own audience. So if people dig it, they'll come back. So the, the approach, like I just said, is obviously important, but also the fact that people feel seen. And so allow no more than 30 people in my classes right now. And we do it.

19:48 I do that with a, with an assistant and I see everybody before we get started. So I introduce myself, ask how do you feel today? And 99 people. Yeah, awesome, very good. And that's the easy answer. But beneath the surface, there's so much going on.

20:08 But sometimes people say I feel sad or very tired. And for those people, it's important that they felt seen before we get started instead of come in and also ask if there's any things I need to know before I get started.

20:22 But. Some things that are contraindications and even though my sessions are not very intense, certain people should avoid doing breath holds, for example, when they have problems with the eyes. For example, people who are pregnant should avoid longer exhales for for for a long time. So you kind of want to know beforehand. And so I don't see that a lot with different teachers. So I think that people feel seen before they get started. You create a a container that

20:56 kind of starts in a Safeway. I think that's one of my unique selling points, yeah. If someone's ever tried breathwork before, what would you? What would you say to them? Congratulations, you're already breathwork professional because you breathe the whole day.

21:15 And yeah, most of those breaths are unconscious. So I, I bring people on a, on an adventure to connect to their own breath. And every next breath is a new one. You've never taken that before. And although they look similar and they're different because you feel different in, in every moment and being able to tap into that, there's where breath breath work start.

21:39 Breath work starts for me. So it's not, not a modality. It's not a fixed rule or a fixed set of things. Yeah, if you do this, this is going to happen for people to find out what works for them. So if you bring them to kind of a journey with quite often basic stuff, basic stuff is the most powerful actually, because there is where you can connect it with in every single moment. So you don't need a guru or a teacher or yeah, you become your own Yeah, healing guru, whatever

22:14 you want to call. It guide. Baby Guide. Yeah, so Breathwork encapsulates all that potential for me. That's cool. So it's almost feels like an exploration. To some degree it is, and you're just kind of holding space for that. With so many people in the world, we all have our own need of approach.

22:33 So for you, you know, I mean, the unique thing about you is that you haven't really talked to many people that have come in for the podcasts on things outside of just like the yoga itself. Now, obviously yoga breath, breath work, you know, you can kind of like put it into the, it's a, in a similar category to some degree, but it's also a uniquely different experience. You know, people hear yoga, they might not even think about breath.

22:58 They might just think physical exercise. People hear breath work. They think, oh, I'm breathing. It's a breath work. It's a breath exercise of some sort, maybe a meditation. They might even think it's a meditation using the breath. So I also know that because you just did a yoga teacher training.

23:14 Is there other elements or is breath work really the thing that you feel most passionate about? Or are you potentially going to explore other things? The second, yeah. Yeah. As a, as a P/E teacher, I'm very used to cue people into whatever they hold, a baseball bat or doing a cartwheel, those kind of things. So it makes so much sense for me to, to do this with people. And yeah, the strong relation with the breath. The breath is such a powerful anchor in every pose and every stance that you're making.

23:51 Yeah. I shared this during the, the end of the training, actually, when I'm looking back into my whole history of, of teaching starting 1618, my approach was actually always a yogic way to, to be in nature and to connect to the beauty of the nature and feel.

24:10 Yeah, overwhelmed. Like, wow, there's so much beauty and power in everything that's surround us. So there's, it was always this underlying need for me to connect people not to, to learn the cartwheel or a double flip, whatever. And that, that wasn't not important for me. So also we, we stopped marking people for their learnt tricks in a very early time.

24:36 So we're, we're one of those first schools in the Netherlands to stop marking people for those kind of things. We just try to draw people into having fun and learning, connecting to their own bodies and the limitations and see how they can grow. And actually that is kind of a yogic approach to to life, to to growth, to non judge mental yeah, in a dialogue. So yeah, I'm looking forward to to continue this working with us and us as well and and connecting those two worlds. But obviously the breath work

25:15 that we do right now has a background in paranayama. But yeah, if you take it into modern life and, and being able to connect it to every single thing that we do in life, not only as preparation for your meditation or to support yourself of coming into a certain pose.

25:37 And then it's kind of set into a new light. And for many people, that's that's why they step into it, because it doesn't have this old kind of dusty sensation to it. But yeah, we need to pay respect to these old yogis from 5000 years ago who came up with this beautiful connection with with the breath. And I truly think that way before that time, there were shamanic traditions who were working with the healing powers of the breath.

26:06 So I think as long as human beings, whatever that might be, are on the surface of this earth and people connect to the breath consciously understanding the power of it, It's it's it's something that we lost over the last few 100 times, thinking that other things are more important than our well-being and our connection to source and other people.

26:28 Yeah. Yeah, the breath is super powerful. I can't. It is. It's such a simple, simple thing, but it's so profound when you give it a chance to actually be explored more and also appreciate it. Yeah, for a reason. It has so many in so many cultures. It has a name as a life force, source, spirit. So it's one of the most important things that we can connect to.

26:57 Yeah, I agree. Agreed. Agreed. So when someone walks into your class, whether it be breath work or a combination of breath work and movement, what do you want them to experience or feel after they walk out? Or what would you hope that they? What?

27:15 Yeah. What I want is not important. Yeah. I hope that they have a safe journey. And that's before I get started. I always had this small mantra. I hope. I want to get my agenda outside the dorm, as much ego outside the door as possible, to open space for people to have their journey. They have their experience in the most pure way that they can receive it.

27:43 So the less wanting of needing from the facilitator is there, the better it is for them to to to receive it in the in this pure way. What I wish for everybody to experience is that they carry a powerful weapon or Ally has a better word with them all the time.

28:06 And if they understand how it can help help them. Yeah, there's some kind of a superpower, and I want to give people their superpower back. Cool. I love it. OK. I got one more question for you. Rein in. What are you currently exploring or refining in your own practice right now? Yeah, I was talking about non judge mental behavior before and when I started with yoga, I wanted to impress the teacher. See, I'm, I'm bendy, I'm strong.

28:45 And it was very nice to see that. And when I did the training with you guys, there was hardly anything left or dead. I thought I need to take care of this, this body. It's my temple. So in my own practice, I'm very aware of of that movement inside of me and there's always rugged pieces inside of of us, but I'm so willing to, to look at them and shine a light on those things that were in the darks for such a long time.

29:20 And it's an ongoing process, but I'm very grateful for the position I find myself in these days. Growing all the rest is nice. Yeah, if you do it in a, in a, in a conscious way. Right, Right. That's great. I love it. Well, those are basically all the questions that I had for you. Is there anything else that's coming through that you'd like to share or something maybe you'd like people to know about you?

29:46 No, I'm super grateful for this opportunity. I'm super grateful for people, even though there, there's some new ones need to be made in, for example, the Wim Hof method with those kind of people who brought breath to to a bigger audience.

30:04 So many people benefit from it. So I'm so grateful for all these people who are making themselves visible. And yeah, for example, what you guys do over here with this platform, Yeah, it makes it makes the world a better place.

30:20 So I'm very grateful to be part of of, of that journey that that movement, so that in movement. That inward movement. Full circle. Yeah, that's that's pretty much it. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for coming in. I really appreciate you spending the time, especially coming away from the family after being in the training for three weeks.

30:44 I'm sure that they missed you a bit. And thank you everyone for tuning in this week. If you have any questions, of course, you can reach out to us. If you wanted to connect directly with Dirk, what's the best way to? Do that e-mail, Instagram Derek Harm link. Cool.

31:00 We'll make sure to have that in the show notes and then people can kind of if they want to connect with you, maybe they have a question or who knows. Yeah. Cool. Thank you so much. Thank you very much and enjoy the rest of your day.