mindfulness freediving
frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Mindfulness Freediving program and a normal freediving course?
The goal of a normal freediving course from any reputed freediving organizations like AIDA, PADI, SSI, or Molchanovs is to teach people the skills related to freediving as an underwater activity, for recreational or sport purposes only.
These courses are often performance-based, with certain physical requirements like having to hold the breath for a certain length of time or diving to a certain depth to be certified as a freediver.
Even though the Mindfulness Freediving programs contain some of the knowledge taught in a normal freediving course, topics you won’t find in a normal freediving course, like pranayama (yogic breathing and breath holding techniques), concentration techniques, meditation, philosophy, psychology are also covered in these programs.
Unlike a normal freediving course, the Mindfulness Freediving programs offer a deeper insight of the capabilities of the breath both in and outside of water, to help unlock the potential of the mind.
why should I do Mindfulness Freediving Instead Of Other Breathwork methods?
The breath cannot be quantified. Everybody breathes at different rhythms and every breath a person takes is different. Factors like how well you have slept, what food you have eaten, and how relaxed or stressed you are, are going to affect your breathing rhythm.
Most breathwork methods are either teaching breathwork in groups where everybody is following the lead of an instructor or through prerecorded lessons where the length of the breath is kept uniform. Video and audio recordings are not going to take into consideration your breathing rhythm and personal abilities. This is like consulting a doctor who is prescribing the same treatment for ten different persons who suffer from ten different diseases.
Many of these breathwork methods also function too much on a sensorial level, relying primarily on the use of external stimulations like music or cold water for progress. It is not uncommon to see practitioners of these methods struggle to reach the same mental state on their own, when devoid of music or cold water. These external aids often turn into dependencies in the long run and keep a person from reaching what yogis called, Pratyahara, the withdrawal of the senses, which is an important step towards achieving meditation. Simply put if your senses are still at work, you are not actually meditating.
Freediving has also a longer history with both pranayama and a more developed scientific understanding of breath holding than most modern breathwork methods. Jacques Mayol, the legendary freediver portrayed in the movie “The Big Blue” was among the first Westerners who went to India to study pranayama in the 1960s, and brought it outside of India to integrate it into freediving, at a time when most modern breathwork methods did not even exist.
If today most freedivers have moved away from techniques like hyperventilation because of the dangers associated with it. Hyperventilation is often common practice in many breathwork methods, often used as a trick to make beginners hold their breath for a long time and impress themselves. On the other hand hypoxia and its symptoms like dizziness, convulsions, and fainting are being passed as some kind of spiritual occurrence.
Because these breathwork methods often completely ignore the safety part when it comes to doing breathing and breath-holding exercises, more than a dozen of people have already died from drowning after using hyperventilation to extend their breath-holds in water.
Compared to these breathwork methods, Mindfulness Freediving is a method that is taught face to face, respecting your breathing rhythm and personal abilities. Not only are you going to be taught in a way that will make you be able to progress on your own without having to rely on a teacher, a recording, or any external sensorial aid to achieve a state of meditation, you will also be trained in safety protocols and rescue techniques so as you do not end up losing your life over a breath-hold.
Is Mindfulness Freediving backed by Science?
If your definition of science is the testing of theories against the evidence obtained, then yes Mindfulness Freediving is backed by it.
Through their practice, yogis and freedivers have been putting scientific theories to the test for a very long time now. With the results they obtained, they have proved some theories to be right and others to be wrong.
For example, many scientists used to believe that breath-holds of over three minutes could cause brain damage. Today there are thousands of yogis and freedivers worldwide who can hold their breath for more than three minutes consistently with no sign of brain damage whatsoever. On the other hand, scientists were right when they said that hyperventilation has adverse effects. In the past many freedivers have died from shallow water blackout from using hyperventilation, and today most freedivers have stopped using hyperventilation to extend breath-holds.
Why are the prices of the Mindfulness Freediving programs higher than other breathwork training around?
Usually, when people ask me this question, they are comparing what I am charging for a private breathwork training program to what other breathwork instructors of other breathwork methods are charging for a group class or a prerecorded course.
What I offer is face-to-face teaching, a more conscious and personal approach to breathwork, backed by close to 15 years of combined teaching experience in yoga, pranayama, and freediving, that will make you autonomous with your practice.
Apart from that and without wanting to cause prejudice to other breathwork instructors, I am confident that the value that I bring in my teachings and the quality of my pedagogy is simply incomparable to others.
It took me thousands of hours of practice to truly comprehend the intricacies of the breath on a personal level, and thousands of hours of teaching to different persons to understand how unique the breath is so that I could ensure that my students receive proper guidance and a safety-oriented training, minimizing the risks associated with breath-holding techniques, and allowing them to tap into their inner potential without compromising their health.
Compared to my experience, do a quick search on Google for the term “breathwork teacher training” and you will see by yourself that it takes an average of 50 hours, which can be completed in just a couple of days to become a certified breathwork teacher. Some breathwork methods even take pride in delivering the fastest breathwork teacher training certification on the market.
Would you consult a pulmonologist (a doctor who specializes in lung conditions) who has had only 50 hours of training? Probably not.
Maybe the more appropriate question to ask is why are the other breathwork instructors charging less than I do.
Do I need to have prior experience in meditation or freediving to start Mindfulness Freediving?
No, you don’t. Actually the less exposure you have had, the easier it will be to teach you.
Do I need to know how to swim to learn Mindfulness Freediving?
No, you don’t need to know how to swim. The water practice is done at standing depth.
Is there an age limit to start learning Mindfulness Freediving?
There is no minimum age requirement to start as long as one is mentally mature to understand the teachings and discuss some of the deep topics involved.
There is no maximum age limit as long as a person is relatively in good health.
Can I do Mindfulness Freediving even if I smoke?
Smoking does not affect your ability to hold your breath but more the general well-being of your lungs. So you can still learn mindfulness freediving even if you smoke. Of course, if you want to progress faster and be healthier, some changes in your lifestyle are recommended. It is quite common for people to give up on smoking once they start some form of breath training as they start to value their health better.
How fit should I be to start learning Mindfulness Freediving?
You do not have to be in Olympic conditions to start learning mindfulness freediving but only be in good health generally speaking.
Is It Possible To Do The Mindfulness Freediving Programs Online?
Yes it is possible. Most of the content of the programs are covered on dry land with only one session done in the water.
If you decide to do it online, the price of the in-water session will be deducted from the original price.
Why can’t I find any information about Mindfulness Freediving or yourself on social media?
The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century but has also become its biggest source of distraction. Social media in particular has been associated with a variety of issues when it comes to people’s emotional well-being, mental and physical health, and many other areas of life.
According to studies, the average person spends around 1-2 hours daily and will spend more than 6 years using social media in their lifetime. Considering how time-consuming and mentally dangerous it can be, I find that staying away from social media is more beneficial to what I am trying to achieve in my practices.
While I am aware that social media can be a powerful tool to use for brand awareness and get the attention of the masses (as short-spanned as it may be), avoiding its use to achieve peace of mind is to me, an easy sacrifice to make.
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