Emily Merrell  0:04  

Welcome to the sixth degree Podcast, the podcast where we grill our guests about the things that make them tick and find out how human connection plays a role in their life. I’m your host, Emily Merrill.

 

I’m your host, Emily Merrill. And today I am thrilled to have my dear friend, Christine sang breathwork coach and intuitive guide and founder of read with teen on the podcast, but I’m calling her teen. So teen, welcome to the show.

 

Christine Singh  0:35  

Thank you so much for having me here. Emily, I have been so excited to speak with you. I feel like we, we have to make a note that this might be like a four hour show, but condense it into a more digestible amount of time to be listening. 

 

But just a little back on this relationship, and it’s such a I think one of the best parts of having a podcast is being able to interview your friends. And teen was truly my first friend. When I moved to San Francisco. She was my friend before I moved to San Francisco, and bless her heart. And I say this in the nicest way to put up with me. I was such a pain in the ass New Yorker, stubborn New Yorker when I moved from New York City to San Francisco. And I was so grateful because teen had also lived in New York and got it but also humored me and with did everything with kindness. But her husband and my husband are best friends.

 

You’re poor. And so what that looks like is, you know, when I lead sessions is usually about 20 to 25 minutes of active breathing, you actually take in, it’s all done through your mouth, you breathe in through your belly, and then you breathe in through your heart, and then you exhale, for, again, about 20 minutes or so. And it’s all paired with a playlist that I curate, based on the intention of the session for the person that I’m working with, or perhaps is with a group that’s usually tied with a theme. And then we have the playlist that goes and it kind of starts a bit slow to kind of get you, you know, acclimatized to the breath. And then I kind of prefer windows. And it leads up to a moment where I invite people to let out a primal release, whether it’s a big sound, or yell, or hoot or a holler. I also love to incorporate laughter into it as well. Because you know, a lot of the times we think about healing and spiritual journeys, and a lot of it can feel really heavy, you know. And so it’s like, actually, we can bring a lot of light, a lot of love a lot of laughter into this.

 

Emily Merrell  1:34  

Yeah, I mean, it’s kind of wild to think about how long we’ve known each other. And I just love it anytime, like I meet people through six degrees, or, you know, other people that you connect me with. And I get to tell the story as well.

 

Christine Singh  1:48  

And Tim gets like an, she gets the inner circle view of our lives. She’s always, always hosting us with the hostess with the mostest, especially when we now visit San Francisco, which is wild to say, but we’ll dive more into our personal stories and how they play into each other as we get going. But before we dive in teen, can you ever notice that you’re my friend? Everyone knows that you’re an intuitive guide? But can you introduce who you are? And what what that means? And then maybe we can kick it off with a guided meditation? What do you think?

 

Yeah, sounds great. Um, so let’s see, what can I tell you, um, I am a breathwork, coach, and intuitive guide, and I am Chinese Canadian, as well. And I really believe in the power of our breath to help us strip away the layers of shit that we’ve just kind of carried on from our childhood, probably old stories that no longer fit anymore. And I really love using the breath to help us get closer and remind us of who we are at the core, our magic within our gifts, our talents. And my whole purpose and passion is helping people just slow down and really rediscover who they are so that they can lead their lives with flow, ease and joy. And I’ve been on this path for the last couple of years, and my personal life has really changed. And I feel like even the people around me. And so yeah, that’s what I’m here to do and, and how I want to really help people.

 

I love that. And I completely agree about the breath. And it’s actually back onto the same. In the same vein of moving from New York to San Francisco. I remember a moment walking in Alamo Square Park, where I took a deep breath. And I didn’t feel pain in my heart. And I end up that sounds weird, but I thought that heart palpitations, were part of daily life. I thought everyone had them. I just thought that’s how your body was. And I noticed that I hadn’t been breathing deeply. Just because most I don’t want to breathe in the fumes and the trash and the summer smells of people who don’t use deodorant, and all the

 

energy of all. You really, yeah.

 

And being an hour outside open space. And just like taking that big restorative breath and realizing I was just shallow breathing. And then fast forward to breath work. When I stumbled upon breathwork tene it was like the most transformational experience. And for those that aren’t familiar with breath work, I’m going to not describe it well so to what breathwork actually is.

 

Yeah, sure. So it is a form of active meditation and you follow a conscious connected technique or breathing to allow you to again really kind of just drop into

 

And it still is a very effective way to help you release a lot of this energy that you’re building up through the practice that you’re doing. And then at the end, I invite you to bring go back to your normal breathing in through your nose, and I usually pair it with Reiki, where I send universal healing energy to your body, your energetic body, and the energy will travel to where it’s needed the most. Wow.

 

That sounds like a spa weekend, basically. It sounds so wonderful. And the first time I did breathwork, thank you. We’re the second year the second or third class I ever did the first time I ever did one. I had no idea when they said have you done breathwork before, right? Totally bullshitted and was like, Yeah, of course I’ve done yoga. Right. That’s, that’s one thing. And so I was I was amazed with the way that my body reacted, and it felt and my hands curled up like little lobster claws. I was felt so contained and cozy, but simultaneously, like exactly what you said, I felt primal. I was hysterically crying but laughing and I felt I felt purged, I felt with lighter and start afterwards. I was so like, Please drink water I need to eat. But same experiences. You need unique, right?

 

Yes, yes, exactly. And that it’s a I had a very similar experience for my first time as well. I walked into the class and it was like breath work. And I was like, okay, cool. We’re just going to do a little inhale, exhale, like at it. And then they’re like, you’re here to do work. And I’m like, what, and then during the, during the breathwork, it is it can be tough, you know, there’s so much resistance, I can come up because we’re not used to breathing in this way. And our brains, like go right into protective mode, or like, hey, like, you’re doing something new, this feels scary. And so you might just want to, like, it’s just kind of hard to keep up. And that’s okay. You know, you don’t need to have any experience when you do it. But going back to my first time, I just remember at the end of the session, I just felt this like intense, twisting and pulling that it was in my belly. And I’ve never experienced anything like it. And I asked the teacher, and she was like, you know, that’s your creative spirit that’s within and she wants to say something, and this is your opportunity to listen to her. I was like, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Like this was way before, like, you know, I knew anything about soul versus ego versus, you know, just even being on the spiritual path all. But really, there was a seed that was planted that day, and you just have more and it has been probably the most powerful healing modality that I’ve experienced to date. And that’s why I want to be able to share this with as many people as I can. Oh,

 

I love it. Well, we saw it here, folks, you know, before she is the Soul Cycle of breathwork or times where we we saw it here first you much further because I have 1000 questions for you. And this conversation has made go in like nine different directions. You want to give people a taste of meditation, and we can do like a one minute meditation or so.

 

Yes, let’s do it. All right. So just from where you are, I’m going to invite you to find a comfortable seat. If possible, you can find a way for your feet to be planted firmly on the ground and I invite you to Lower your gaze or close your eyes if that feels good. I’m gonna start by taking a deep breath filling our bellies.

 

And then exhaling, oh. Another deep inhale in, filling our hearts, exhaling to release. Another inhale in here, just filling our belly and our

 

exhaling to let something go let’s continue those deep breaths at your own pace, not forcing, just allowing

 

we’ll take a moment here to just call back the pieces of ourselves that we’ve given out today. calling ourselves back from an email perhaps a conversation our phone or laptops or any devices imagining breathing those pieces of yourself back into your body feeling where your body is making contact with the surface beneath you imagine a tree that is growing with its roots the base of your spine into the floor supporting you imagining these roots growing deeper and deeper into the soil until it reaches the core of Mother Earth. feeling connected to tether so supported. So love

 

and from here I’m going to invite you to just for a moment as you’re listening to this podcast take a moment to put down anything that’s been feeling heavy. Perhaps any deadlines I need to do is on your list that you need to get back to. Let’s just all put that down

 

at the feet of Mother Earth and allowing her to receive you to hold you knowing that you’re always supported we’ll take a couple of final deep breaths here just feeling into the love feeling held

 

knowing that you have everything that you need in this moment everything is being taken care of outside of the four walls that you’re in so that you can show up here in presence and in the moment. Take a final deep breath in here just inhaling this nurturing light and energy from Mother Earth all the way up through your body through your roots, your feet, your legs, your hips up there through your belly and your heart and then exhaling letting your breath take away something you no longer need to hold on.

 

When you’re ready, you can wiggle your fingers and wiggle your toes. You may open your eyes.

 

It was very much needed, especially as my son is crying in the background. The contrast of you’d like to stay focused and all the quiet back into him for naptime.

 

Well, that’s the reality right of being a working mom.

 

That is the reality. And you are also a working mom. Yeah. Amazing daughter, or yeah, my little. I know, you probably don’t even have like a, I want to say my granddaughter, but that’s very good daughter, basically, I love her so much, you know, teen with you and your motherhood journey? How was it for you? Balancing your calm and your intuition and like your business while also supporting your daughter and watching watching over her and making sure she was okay.

 

Oh, I love this question. And thank you so much. Um, so I think it has to go back to even my pregnancy. You know, I think it’s something that I really, it was such a deep and sacred experience. And, you know, I really had to rely on my tools that I’ve picked up with meditation with Reiki actually, I picked up Reiki when I was pregnant with her. You know, pregnancy is different for everybody. But one of the things that I experienced was a lot of anxiety. And some insomnia, it was hard for me to sleep at night. And so I would give myself Reiki every night before I went to bed, and it just made me feel so good. It’s like the description that I would, how I would describe it is like being wrapped up in a warm quote, cozy blanket, or like having like a heating pad on. And I would literally give myself Reiki to either if I’m having a headache to my head or to my heart, and I would wake up and my hands would be still in the exact same position. It’s wild, that happens every single time I give myself Reiki and, you know, I move in my sleep. So I don’t know how that works. But, um, yeah, so just having the most beautiful experience when I was pregnant with her, and I was continuing to lead breathwork classes and do my work up until about the seven month mark. And I remember very vividly, I was doing a breathwork event. And we had like over 111 people on the call, which was wild. And that’s a lot of energy to hold, you know, and but because it was like a pandemic, and it was online, like nobody ever really knew that I was like pregnant, it’s not something that would come up, you know, when I’m doing a class. And for some reason that day, I just felt called to, like, make her presence known. Just like she was like, kind of like, nudging me from inside being like, hey, Mama, like I’m here. And so I mentioned it, and it ended up being like, she was part of the experience. And it was one of the most powerful breathwork group events I think I’ve hosted to date and, and that I knew was the last class that I was going to do. And it was like this door close. And it was like, Okay, this is now time to focus inward. And, yeah, and then so I think from the seventh month mark, I was really like, okay, like, my whole focus and attention and energy is going to be on my daughter. And, you know, being Canadian, I had told myself, I’m gonna give myself one year mat leave, because I’m like, That’s what I deserve. And I felt like I was going up against, you know, the American Standard of like, work six weeks and be back at work. And I’m like, That is insane. And so I kind of went into my maternity, you know, thinking I would take about a year off and think around the four month mark, I started feeling an itch again to start, you know, holding space for people and start healing. And then I was really led and drawn to doing a breathwork training. And I decided to do it when she was about six months old. And it was you know, again, a bit of a challenge right? Because it’s like previously if I wanted to leave for a week and do training and you know fly from San Francisco to New York no big deal you know of a now there’s like all these things to think about and all these layers and so I ended up bringing the whole family to New York with me.

 

You had the dog we had the dog we were watching.

 

Yes and this was right when you went into a fever oh my goodness, you were

 

at my house in Connecticut. And I was with your dog in San Francisco. So

 

my goodness, I love that this is coming up right now this is like I felt like that needed to be said that was

 

that sidenote, she’s texting me like from my bedroom texting various in high school pictures and being like, look at these pictures. It’s like, like someone reading your day. I’m sorry, if you would have quoted my diary I would have totally understood to, but

 

oh my god, it was the best also the most gorgeous house. I was like, I would never leave if I lived here. Um, but yeah, so did the training. And you know, it was just, I think just that was like a really telling experience, I think, to see how I would make it work with my family. And of course, I have the most loving and supportive husband ever and so, but I do have to kind of throw him under the bus. Because when I first told him about this, I was like, it’d be so beautiful. We can like spend a week in upstate New York, he’s like, What am I gonna do? You gonna drag me to the woods for what? And then the end, he ended up loving it.

 

It’s, it’s hard. It’s hard to make that case, I think especially when you’re like, I haven’t been working. I get it. You know, I’ve been doing the childcare, but you need the whole family there to sustain yourself. And you can’t be away from her because you’re also feeding her. And I feel like you were still pumping. Yeah, you’re saying? No, you weren’t at that time? No,

 

yeah. Yeah. But but still like it, she’s so young at that point, you know, and to leave for a week is just like, unthinkable, you know, and I’m sure, like, people have done this before, and all of that, but you know, I, it was my first time. So, but it was great. It was like, you know, it was like we prove to ourselves that we could do it, and we can make it work. And it’s wonderful. It was so wonderful to have her there. You know, I would have my training from nine to five, come home, and she would be there and just, you know, she brings me so much joy. It just, you know, is lights up my world and is my world you know, so? Yeah, it’s just been all the emotions. I think being a mother becoming a mother has been such a great initiation into this new woman that I am now. And it’s still evolving continuously. But you know, at the same time, when I was pregnant, I was also invited to share my story in and publish and co author a book. And so that was wild. And it was almost like I was giving birth to two babies at the same time. And the book came out the day before she was born.

 

That’s insane. Well, and it’s interesting that you say that, like you know, as you become a mother, or you became a mother and like, have become this new version of yourself, or this new person, this new person that you’re still getting to know, I have to say that as a friend. First and foremost, it’s been wonderful watching you grow and watching you really step into you your confidence and stuff. Like this presence, this all knowing presence. But also, teen was the first person I had seen as a mom, as appear, you know, you have friends that had kids before you and there’s always so much anxiety or if so much, you’re never going to ever fill in the blank again. And seeing you take ARIA with you to this retreat or take her with you to Hawaii was like a permission granted for me to be that Mom where like, I choose not to be an anxious mom, I choose to, to bring my kid and integrate him into my life versus me altering my whole life for this. This little person. Yeah, did a really beautiful job of that.

 

Emily Merrell  23:22  

Thank you. And I mean, you are doing the same now. Jackson’s got so many stamps on his passport. Now, you know, I’m sure that it’s it’s just been really beautiful to see you also, as you transform and evolve after being a mother and I think we all like inspire each other, you know, you know, of course, like when I see other moms doing their thing, I’m like, oh, okay, I can do it too. And like you said, it doesn’t have to be the stressful, you know, anxious thing. And so I think the biggest thing is just like, knowing, like, and finding the community around you. Because I’ve learned so much from other moms who are also in the trenches at the same time.

 

Christine Singh  24:08  

Yeah, community is is key for this. So with your motherhood, you know, you took the time off, you started feeling the itch around four to six months, American Way got to you somehow. And then it was time for you to launch yourself. Like there was a moment I remember. You just said you’re like I’m ready. And what did that feel like? And how how did you do it? Yeah,

 

well, I’m feeling call to share too is that you know, one of the things that I really work with in my in my work and when I do readings for people, when I lead people through breathwork sessions is I really work with my intuition. And so what that means is like tapping into this inner knowing and this inner wisdom that we all have within, but I really exercise it and for example, when I give Reiki to people I can often receive messages. It might be a visual, it might be something I hear, it might be just this inner feeling like this inner knowing. And around the same time again, around the seven month mark, when I was pregnant, I could not hear anything anymore. I remember I was doing Reiki sessions, and I’m like, Oh, my God, have I lost my gift, like what happened, something changed, you know, but just as that door had to close, so that I could focus inward on my daughter, it opened again, you know, when, just like, when you were saying around the four to six month mark, and it was like, wow, you know, because just as I was like, birthing and creating this baby, it was also like reading this new version of myself. And I was like, ready to step out into the world, as her. And it’s, it’s such a, I would say, subtle thing. It’s not like I like woke up. And I was like, okay, like I have, you know, I’m going to do XYZ, it was just like this feeling. It was this feeling of like confidence, it was this feeling like I have something to share. And I’m ready for it. However, it shows up whatever shape or form, you know. And so I remember just like really diving back deep into my work, I started hosting sessions again, and again, just like really being still online, right, because we’re still like, in the pandemic, but really working with a lot of people. And, you know, I got a lot of downloads when I was pregnant to have like, ideas that I had. And then afterwards, when I felt like I was ready, you know, it just one thing kind of leads to another, I think a lot of the times is like when we have our businesses or you want to create something, but you don’t know what you can, like, get really caught up in the, in the what. And so my whole thing that I’ve always done is just follow what gives me joy, and follow what lights me up. And so after the training, I started partnering with a lot of different communities to start hosting events again. And then of course, in January, I joined your ReadySet coach program, which was incredible in terms of, you know, learning so much of like, how to step into being a coach, and I’m still applying those learnings now and integrating it. And of course, so much of what you shared with me, then, you know, it’s like you don’t I feel like the first time you hear something was only gives you advice, or like, I’m not really ready for it, you know, but I’m seeing that now. And I’m seeing it unfold. And I’m you know, it’s it’s pretty incredible. So yeah,

 

you’re a projector too, aren’t you?

 

I am yeah, yeah.

 

It’s it’s funny. It’s like when someone I think the thing with the projector with human design, if you’re familiar with? Yes, sure. It’s basically you need to be invited in. And so a lot of times we can, we love to share our gifts. But if the gifts fall on deaf ears there, it’s not going to be valued, and we’ll leave frustrated and the person will be like, whatever I don’t, I’m not interested. But when they ask for that gift, or they asked her that, that wisdom, then you feel that much better. And they feel that much better. But it’s sometimes also takes time to sink in. And oh my gosh, I get this all the time from clients, like months later. They’ll be like I did the thing you told me to do. Yeah, that they had so much resistance to it. Yes. And it worked. Oh, and they’re like, and I actually liked it was like, oh, that’s sad to hear. So there’s it means so much to share. But then it means so much to hear back like that. It was implemented and actually successful. Whatever that thing was that happened. Yeah, totally. you for sharing that course. So motherhood, I love this. I love the fact that you you are like a walking, which I imagine if you were like you would be like a human crystal, I think is who you are. You’re human crystal Jakey radiate energy. You’re beautiful, you know much to share with the world. Some people just need to learn how to access you. And so but before you were an intuitive, I know you’re probably always intuitive. But before you put that in your title and breathwork coach, you were just a girl working a corporate job. And how did a girl worked in PR, who, you know, had the same ambitions of probably a lot of our listeners, make that that shift or give herself permission to then become this person that you are now like, what did this happen? I’m asking you like a six part question.

 

Yeah, no, I

 

got it. Is this an overnight thing or was this something that compounded over time,