Max is a Registered Dietitian and yoga instructor who has shared his original thoughts on yoga and meditation before—using every descriptor a 13-year-old kid pulled off the basketball court to practice breathwork would use.
Luckily for Max (and the impressive followers he shares with his partner, Liz), the universe had bigger plans than a pick-up game for him.
Finding a space beyond words
Okay, it might have just been his yoga-enthused mom who pulled him off the court, but who’s to say. Was I just searching for a deeper meaning during our interview? Maybe. I admit—the rooster crowing in the background and Max’s deep, soothing tone and affirmative words did leave me feeling more than a little zen. But whether intentional or not, Max’s vibes travelled through the internet airwaves from Costa Rica all the way to downtown Toronto, filling me with a relaxed sense of calmness as he spoke about a life-changing experience that sent him on a seven year journey to find answers.
“After college, I was doing my teacher training for yoga. At the time, it was mainly for exercise. It was there that I had a profound, wakeful experience that none of my teachers could explain to me. It shook me to my core, but I couldn’t put it into words, and no one really understood what I had gone through.”
This was Max’s first entry point into a space beyond words. Trying to explain and describe the experience, he went in search not just of what it was, but what it meant. From reading different scriptures to learning about plant medicine and using mushrooms for health, he went in search of answers and explanations.
Breathwork's impact on the mind
Answers came to Max in the form of breathwork. “In breathwork, I found its power and its ability to get people past their thinking mind. We all think we’re our thoughts, but we’re not. We’re not in control of our thoughts, yet we associate with those thoughts as though they are us. This leads to suffering, and breathwork is really a profound way to get past the mind.”
“In my yoga and meditation teachings, I use breathwork exercises to help people - wherever they are - access their deeper states of consciousness. It’s not about going towards a goal; instead, it’s about opening your heart and getting past your mind to remove the suffering that comes with our connotations of what an experience should or should not be. It allows us to be more present, enjoy the journey, and discover the meaning of life.”
If a breathwork session with Max is anything like a 15-turned-40 minute interview, the journey will be more than just enjoyable—then again, that could just be my thoughts talking, and if I’ve learned anything from Max, it’s that I am not my thoughts. Nonetheless, I think I’ll trust these ones.
Max's 7-day breathwork program
You can find breathwork sessions with Max in a Maloka program called, “Change Your Breath, Change Your life.” Use the breath to access greater states of calm and happiness while melting stress and tension. Learn the tools and develop the practices to begin to choose how you feel as opposed to letting external circumstance dictate your reality. These techniques can also be used to integrate peak states, access greater intuition, and kickstart healing.
What you’ll find in the 7-day program:
- Small, actionable steps to build your practice
- Alleviate physical stress with proper breathwork
- Improve blood oxygen saturation and increase immunity
- Get the tools to dissolve tensions in the moment
- Reduce anxiety in the moment
Find the tools and space to practice your meditations to live your clearest, best, most authentic life. Access this program from the Maloka mobile app on iOS or Android, or on the VR app on Meta Quest.
Discover more from Max on his Instagram and website, and share your thoughts with Maloka on his breathwork sessions.
