Sébastien Zappa, PhD
Born and raised in France, near Paris, I moved to the United States in 2005 and to Canada in 2019 in order to pursue my career as a scientist. I am a microbiologist and a biochemist with a PhD related to those disciplines. As such, I prioritize facts- or evidence-based knowledge and rigorous methodology.
My personal interest in the use of conscious breathing and cold exposure arose when I was in the process of treating a 10 years long chronic fatigue syndrome, that was associated with Lyme disease, depression and fibromyalgia. After spending thousands of dollars in both medical and alternative therapeutic approaches, I found out that I had good results by breathing air and soaking in icy water. This was my encounter with the Wim Hof Method.
This very encounter, while very beneficial by itself, soon became a gateway to a broader approach involving the different aspects of functional breathing, from its biomechanics, to its influence on physiology, emotional state and mind. The SomaTraining system, the Oxygen Advantage and the REBO2T method have enabled me to achieve great theoretical and practical knowledge about the many uses of breathing.
These tools and methods have been gradually putting me back on the right track, brought my happiness back and is slowly but surely bringing me back to the active lifestyle I enjoy by rock climbing, running, mountaineering, hiking, doing yoga…
This search for happiness and vitality is what I want to share with you.
From my first ice bath...
In April 2017, after a few months of independent practice of the Wim Hof Method, following the online course, I have the opportunity to attend my first workshop. Under the guidance of WHM instructor Jesse Coomer, I take my first ice bath. And I think to myself, “What the heck? So this is the present moment!”
More importantly, I was gaining valuable first victories over depression at that time.
... to training with Wim Hof, the Iceman...
In September 2018, about two years after I started practicing, I trained with the Iceman in Los Angeles and then in Oregon to become a certified instructor. During these years of practice, I confirmed my progress on managing depressive episodes and chronic pain.
I am proud to have contributed to the development of this practice in Quebec. I am currently the only WHM certified instructor with level 2 in Quebec.
... then with Patrick McKeown, founder of the Oxygen Advantage...
A decisive step was taken when I met the author of the Oxygen Advantage, The Breathing Cure and Atomic Focus. Between 2021 and 2022, I became first an “Advanced Instructor” and then a “Master Instructor” of the Oxygen Advantage method. This method is based on functional breathing and simulation of altitude training.
At this point, breathing becomes more than a formal practice. It becomes a goal of excellence in every moment of the day.
I am currently the only Master Instructor of this method in Quebec. This allows me not only to teach the method but also to certify future trainers.
... and Yvan Cam, PhD, founder of the REBO2T method.
While studying the Oxygen Advantage, I also immersed myself in the REBO2T method of Yvan Cam, author of La Maîtrise du Souffle. This method is not only complete and demanding but also offers a unique theoretical framework in the world of conscious breathing: refocusing posture and movement around the respiratory mechanics, working on physiology, mastering the emotions and finally the mind… always using the breath as the main tool.
Today, breathing is for me an art of living, which accompanies me in the management of stress, emotions, pains, efforts, concentration.
I am currently the only REBO2T breathing instructor in North America.
connected to science
Teaching these tools and methods is not my full-time job.
Since 2002, when I obtained my PhD, I have been working as a researcher in the field of microbiology. If you like the details of my research, I have been (and continue to be) interested in extremophilic microorganisms, the genetic regulation of photosynthetic bacteria and biofilm-forming bacteria.
Although I enjoy my coaching and mentoring activities, it never occurred to me to quit my full-time job and become a full-time coach.
Why not? Because not only do I love my job as a scientist, but it also gives me more independence and freedom from my coaching activity.
WELLNESS TOOLS WITHOUT PSEUDOSCIENCE
Let’s be honest: the realm of wellness/personal development is a fertile ground for exaggerated claims, when not false, whether it is well-intended or profit-driven.
I have always been doing my best to avoid the pseudoscientific trap and always took great care of avoiding selling miracle pills.
I am not a guru.
