This workshop integrates two ancestral lineages of breath science: the Amazonian practice originating with the Yanomami tribe, and Tibetan teachings on the vital winds (lung) and subtle channels. Both lineages recognize breath as the primary regulator of life force, influencing physical health, emotional balance, and states of consciousness.
What the Practice Involves
Primordial Breathwork trains the mind to rest in the heart, supporting the integration of life energies encoded in the cellular memory of the human organism. By combining continuous, intentional breathing with sound, rhythm, and awareness, the practice helps to:
Regulate the autonomic nervous system (shifting from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest states)
Release repressed emotions and psychosomatic tension stored in the body
Improve circulation, oxygenation, and vagal tone, supporting resilience and stress recovery
Activate and balance the body’s energy centers through the elemental archetypes of earth, water, fire, air, ether, space, and infinity
Support trauma resolution by engaging the body’s innate healing reflexes in a safe, contained way
While cathartic experiences can occur, the aim is not dramatic release but a gradual cultivation of receptivity, coherence, and heart-centered awareness. This distinguishes Primordial Breathwork from modern methods such as Rebirthing (Leonard Orr) and Holotropic Breathwork (Stanislav Grof). Its foundation in ancestral Amazonian and Tibetan lineages brings a focus on reciprocity, ecological consciousness, and integration into daily life.
Ceremonial Cacao
The session begins with an optional cacao invocation. Ceremonial cacao is known to increase blood flow to the brain by up to 30–40%, support heart coherence, and enhance emotional receptivity. Taken in moderation, it helps participants access deeper layers of presence during the breathwork.
Preparation
Do not eat for at least 2 hours before the session.
Please inform us if you are pregnant or in case of health conditions – taking pharmaceutical medications, have a history of mental illness, a heart condition, or other concerns. These questions will be included in the intake form.
Contribution-Living Reciprocity
Proceeds from this workshop go toward the Non-profit initiatives of Paititi Institute (501c3) and the Yahua Ancestral School initiative in the Peruvian Amazon, supporting children and elders in preserving their culture and wisdom traditions. This initiative, seeded through my book Beyond Ayahuasca (Hay House 2025), will extend to other tribes of the rainforest as part of a larger movement for Indigenous empowerment and cultural continuity. Sliding scale $45-100 cash at the door.
Roman Hanis has been working closely with the indigenous Peruvian cultures in the Amazonian rainforest and Andean mountains since 2001. During this time he has devoted this life to learning the ancient healing ways of these cultures while seeking possibilities for creating ecological sources of sustenance for local populations and working to preserve the rainforest and its spiritual heritage of sacred medicinal plants.
Seeing the vital role that ancient cultural practices can play in today’s world, Roman honors and shares their value and wisdom through his work in community projects, healing retreats and educational workshops in both Peru and the U.S.
He is a certified Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner in Peru, and studied the fundamentals of TCM and acupuncture as an apprentice under the director of the Open International Institute of Oriental Medicine, Myriam Hacker, in Iquitos, Peru.
In 2002, Roman was fortunate enough to be cured of a terminal genetic illness , Crohn’s disease. In 2004, he was pledged as a healer-curandero by the Whitoto and Yahua tribes and has served the international community as a medicine man ever since. He has also practiced physical trauma rehabilitation, medical massage therapy and Eastern bodywork, having earned his degree from New York’s Swedish Institute of Health. With these tools and concentrated efforts, he has been able to help numerous individuals overcome many health issues and pathologies on physical, mental and spiritual levels.
Race Brook Lodge is a rustic and unique getaway destination, perfect for weekend getaways, workshops, weddings, hiking, biking and more, in the natural beauty of the southern Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. Race Brook hosts musical performances and other cultural events in the Down County Social Club speakeasy, Barnspace and the Pine Grove Porch. Click here to see a schedule of upcoming events.
On all Hallows Eve, an evening lit by oil lamps and the dying light of the season, as we set out to hear the old songs of mayhem.