THREE STAGES of awareness

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Our Holistic Freediving programmes are specially designed to allow beginners, intermediate and advanced freedivers to learn in a non-pressured, totally supportive environment, with a caring, qualified coach. We believe that the experience is important, rather than the numbers, and our focus is on relaxation and happiness. Our Holistic Freediving programmes are about learning, awareness and personal development, and ultimately, through a deeper understanding of self, becoming your own coach. There are no requirements to be fulfilled in order to join or complete the programme, no benchmark of whether you have 'succeeded' or not. It's about growth through awareness - at your own pace.

The journey unfolds in three stages, irrespective of your level of freediving certification or performance. The Holistic Freediving ‘Stages’ are the steps you take in your own development and awareness on the spiritual path of this unique approach to freediving; everyone may join at Stage 1 Awakening, and continue through to Stage 3 Immersion. We ensure that all students within any programme are at roughly the same level of freediving ability to optimise the learning experience for all, but we focus on the inner journey rather than any physical depths achieved.

WhY Holistic Freediving?

Over the past years we have seen a worrying increase in the number of freedivers pushing themselves too hard, too fast. And an ever larger number of 'new freedivers' either completing a certification programme but struggling to feel comfortable and relaxed in the water, or 'failing' to get certified because they are unable to reach certain depths within a fixed timeframe. Often instructors are under pressure to deliver certificates to up-sell students to the next level, or the instructors have insufficient experience to help students who may be struggling with emotional issues such as fear, control, lack of confidence, or even past trauma, which may surface in the water.

Holistic Freediving offers the mental and emotional support and guidance that lacks in the 'out-of-the-box' freediving certification and education programmes. We want to see smiles and happiness, not frustration and anxiety. And certainly no lung squeezes or black-outs.

WHAT IS HOLISTIC FREEDIVING?

Too often freedivers get stuck in their heads about numbers and lose the connection to the original joy of freediving and diving without expectations. We use our experience and expertise in yoga, meditation, pranayama and other spiritual practices, to focus on relaxation, mental training and self-awareness through developing the body-mind-heart connection. Our aim is to help you get back to the feeling of freediving and forget about the numbers as a benchmark of your diving experience. 

The holistic approach addresses each student as a unique individual. We look beyond technique to help unravel the unique emotional and mental backdrop against which each student enters the water. Holistic Freediving ensure that all factors - body, mind, and spirit - are explored through the journey of the programme. Through breathwork, meditation, and awareness, students are invited explore their inner landscape of beliefs and fears, motivations and self-sabotage behaviour. 

the holistic freediving journey

Holistic Freediving brings a completely new perspective and approach to the process of learning to freedive and understanding ourselves through the filter of the ocean. We actively and consciously take the focus and pressure away from numbers and performance-based training, and teach each student how to develop their awareness in a non-judgemental, nurturing and supportive way to encourage growth without injury, stress or burn-out. The three Stages in the Holistic Freediving journey are guided by our philosophy and experience, but ultimately will unfold uniquely according to each individual’s personal experiences and path in life.

STAGE 1 : AWAKENING

Awakening is designed to introduce you to yourself, to your deeper, more vast self, looking at freediving through the integrated experience of body, mind and spirit. Whether you are a complete beginner, or an advanced athlete, Awakening is where you create an optimal foundation for building a healthier, more sustainable and wholesome approach to freediving and life.

Awakening is suitable for beginners, intermediates and advanced freedivers. There are no pre-requisites to joining - just an open, curious, and possibly courageous heart and mind.

STAGE 2 : DEEPENING

Deepening is the stage where we encourage you to go deeper into yourself. We will guide you to explore your deeper motivations in life, both positive and supportive, as well as negative and sabotaging. This process requires a willingness to be open and to go beyond your normal reactive patterns and protective or defensive behaviours. In doing so, you will liberate yourself from some deep-seated beliefs that no longer support you, in and out of the water.

Deepening is suitable for all freedivers. Completion of Awakening is a pre-requisite to joining.

STAGE 3 : IMMERSION

Immersion is the culmination of the journey with us, and the beginning of the biggest journey; your adventure into your new, authentic life. It is a process where you will learn to self-guide, self-coach, self-direct, but always in line with your higher goals and in harmony with your True being. Through the deep understanding and love that you will have developed for yourself you will now be in a position to connect with your inner voice, your own truth to always chose that which will support and nourish you, and ultimately take you with complete integrity towards your goals in a joyful, stress-free manner.

Immersion is suitable for all freedivers. Completion of Deepening is a pre-requisite to joining.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

If you are already a freediving professional, on completion of these three levels you will be eligible to train as a DYD Holistic Freediving Coach yourself. For more information on our professional training programme, including pre-requisites for application, please contact us via email.

No matter what experience you have already with freediving certifications, training and even competition, this holistic journey is designed to take you through a process of spiritual development and create self-aware, self-coaching, self-reliant freedivers and human beings. We welcome everyone, and even run this programme for people with fear of water.

WHO IS HOLISTIC FREEDIVING FOR?

Holistic Freediving is for all freedivers, anyone curious about the spiritual aspect of the ocean, and wanting to learn how to dive in a gentler, less forced or stressful way. We limit depth to 50m, as the focus is on HOW you dive, rather than HOW DEEP. We also welcome what we call 'new freedivers' meaning you may be a complete beginner or a certified freediver with some experience, but are struggling with some aspects, particularly relaxation and/or equalisation, or want a slower, more supportive approach.

FOR BEGINNERS : Our Stage 1 Awakening for Beginners is ideal if you want to learn how to freedive for the first time, feel anxious about having to reach certain depths in order to 'pass', or have struggled to equalise or ‘pass’ in an ‘out-of-the-box’ certification programme before. It is also good for people who might have a fear of water, or feel that they need to take things at a more gentle pace. Please let us know if you have any fears, or are worried about whether freediving is right for you - we will do our best to guide you honestly to the right programme. We then invite you to continue through to Stages 2 and 3 if you feel drawn to go deeper into yourself.

FOR INTERMEDIATES : The Holistic Freediving journey is ideal for those who have already started out on a certification path, but are struggling with relaxation, equalisation, or are frustrated by the pressured approach of requirements-focused courses. Holistic Freediving has a framework and philosophy, but no requirements, meaning that each programme ensures the unique needs of each student are met, one by one. If you have struggled with certification requirements, are looking for a more supportive, personalised coaching to address specific challenges or blocks, or are just fed-up with the ego-based approach of many training environments, Holistic Freediving will help you dive in a more healthy and pleasurable way - which ultimately helps you reach your personal goals more easily and with a LOT more enjoyment.

FOR ADVANCED / PROFESSIONALS : We welcome highly accomplished freedivers, athletes and instructors from all educational bodies, to step outside of the quest for numbers and performance, and the perfectionism of technique, and back into the original joy and truth of your connection with the ocean. By taking some distance from performance-focused training, and exploring your inner landscapes, you will ultimately find your own path, and way forwards in the ocean. Greater depths, both figurative and literal, will unfold naturally and harmoniously from this place of deep understanding and acceptance within.

programme structure

Each workshop will be open to a maximum of three freedivers to ensure the quality of the teaching and personal attention for all participants. We are also happy to run our programmes as private retreats - if you are interested in having exclusive one to one coaching with us, please let us know.

Each Stage consists of our unique Core Teachings, and according to the programme, and your experience of freediving, we add extra elements to ensure you have the best, most complete learning experience.

Core Teaching days start at 10am to allow time for personal practice before we meet, which will be a core part of your development through this programme. We spend our mornings in discourse and spiritual practice. We encourage and invite open discussion, questions and sharing and ask only that each participant respects this space by committing to conscious listening and, of course, complete confidentiality. Our afternoons are spent in the water, putting the concepts explored in the morning, into active and conscious practice so that our freediving unfolds as an extended, deep meditation.

From our side, we commit to support you and give space to explore your emotions, such as fears and vulnerability, and to guide you to courageous honesty to face any resistances and blocks that would normally sabotage your progress and experience.

Stage 1 : Awakening

AWAKENING FOR BEGINNERS
If you are a complete beginner to freediving, or have not been able to equalise, we add our Awakening for Beginners days; two additional days before the Core Teachings to introduce you to the essential elements of freediving, including correct breathing and breathhold techniques, relaxation and stress management skills, and our equalisation masterclass.

FOR ALL AWAKENING STUDENTS
Before arriving in Dahab we ask each student to complete an Awakening Consultation Form. This enables us to get to know a bit about you before we start and save crucial time in the coaching process. The more information you can give us, the deeper we can go in our work together.

Each Awakening programme begins with a group welcome dinner on the Sunday night before we start, and closes with a celebration dinner on the beach, both of which are included in your package. We recommend that you take advantage of our excellent body-work therapists in Dahab to have at least two treatments while you are with us - one on arrival and one on our rest day (these are not included - around €30 per one-hour treatment).

Stage 2 - Deepening

As with Awakening we ask you to complete our Deepening Consultation Form, which is an opportunity for you to start to explore and understand your positive and negative motivators in life; your deeper belief patterns and structures that create your life. We also invite all students to join us for a welcome dinner to get to know one another before we start, and recommend body-work treatments to help you relax, destress, and get in touch with your body and sensations.

Our final two days of integration in the desert are our way of acknowledging and celebrating you and your journey so far. In the deep silence of the desert we are able to take a step back from all the work done in the Core Teachings and integrate our own individual personal truths from the journey.

Stage 3 : Immersion

Immersion is your final stage in the Holistic Freediving journey (before professional-level training). It is the least structured, most fluid and beautifully profound stage in the journey. You will learn how to bring all of your awareness and strengths together into a living, breathing practice. You will start to embody your truths, understanding the power of absolute presence moment-by-moment, turning your life into a constant meditative flow of consciousness.

Your final Immersion Consultation Form will start the process before you arrive, and as always we invite you our welcome dinner and celebratory desert integration journey.

PRICES