FREEDIVING & YOGA - The Journey Within

I'm grateful for my recent experience at a yoga retreat - three days and three nights immersed in the Australian bush, breath, and silence. No outside contact, no internet, no electronics. Just me—my breath, nourishing food, fellow yogis, and five to six hours of daily yoga from dawn to dusk, guided by my incredible yoga teacher, Steve. Meditation, pranayama (breath-extension exercises), asana (postures), and  - satsang, the sacred gathering where yoga philosophy comes to life.

Once my mind caught up with my body—after a long drive and the rush of daily life—I felt my senses shift. As my inner world quieted, the truth and connections around me emerged, like wild flowers blooming after the rain.

By chance, I discovered yoga and freediving at the same time, about 16 years ago. Both were completely new to me, yet both challenged me in similar ways. In the early years, my focus was purely physical - learning to open my body, softening, adapting to the discomfort of asanas, and navigating the resistance that came with holding my breath. There was no space to go deeper— or so I thought.

But something started to shift after years of consistent practice— both on land and in water. As my body opened, so did my mind. I realised that both freediving and yoga are not just physical practices; they are tools for self-transformation and self-reflection. They strip away distractions and reveal a simple, profound truth: there is no destination, no quick fix, no instant gratification, and no record that will bring lasting happiness. Only the journey of self-discovery.

Both freediving and yoga are practices, that at their core, offer a rare opportunity: to experience what it truly means to be human—fully present, raw, and aware. With all our flaws, hopes, desires, and the undeniable urge to breathe.

So next time you hold your breath, don’t see it as just a test of endurance or something to “push through.” Instead, feel the prana—the life force energy, the breath—deep within you. Let it resonate in your cells, your organs, and the very core of your being.

Set your intention, then simply observe and allow it to happen. Easier said than done, of course—it won’t feel perfect on every dive. But what is perfect, anyway?