HOLISTIC FREEDIVING
All Holistic Freediving courses are run by Sara in person
Our Holistic Freediving programme is specially designed to allow beginners and intermediate 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 therefore there are no requirements to be fulfilled in order to complete the programme, no benchmark of whether you have 'succeeded' or not. It's about growth - at your own pace.
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 most '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 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.
WHO IS HOLISTIC FREEDIVING FOR?
Holistic Freediving is for all freedivers, anyone curious about the spiritual aspect of the sport, 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 particularly 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 : Level 1 is ideal if you want to learn how to freedive for the first time, but feel anxious about learning in a group environment, or having to reach certain depths in order to 'pass'. 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.
FOR INTERMEDIATES : Holistic Freediving is ideal for those who have already started out on a certification path, but are struggling with relaxation, equalisation, or simply want to take more time than is allowed in most 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, need extra time, or more supportive, personalised coaching to address specific challenges or blocks, Holistic Freediving will help you dive in a more healthy and pleasurable way - which ultimately helps you reach requirements.
LEvel 1
Level 1 Holistic Freediving is the entry-level programme for anyone who has not dived with us before. In it we take freedivers on a journey into themselves, giving them a direct experience of diving in a fully integrated and aware way, in absolute harmony with themselves and Nature. It is essential to complete a Level 1 programme before continuing on to the other, more advanced levels.
level 2
Level 2 Holistic Freediving takes freedivers beyond the understanding of their relationship with water, and builds on the deeper understanding they gained of themselves as an integrated being, and part of Nature. In Level 2 we delve deeper into personal belief structures and thought patterns, to understand our (often unconscious) drivers and motivations that lie behind all we do. Level 1 is a pre-requisite for joining this course.
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.
LEVEL 1
While we make sure your body alignment is correct and your equalisation and finning is efficient, our approach goes way beyond technique. We truly believe that in order to freedive well, we all need to address our fears and negative beliefs as, whether we are aware of them or not, they will surface when we are holding our breath metres below the surface of the ocean.
This programme looks at the three primary facets of us as human beings; body, mind and spirit; and helps each student individually understand and overcome his or her mental challenges in the water.
Beginners
- Day 1: Freediving Essentials for beginners
- Day 2: Wisdom of your body
- Day 3: Day off to rest and reflect
- Day 4: Peace of your mind
- Day 5: Bliss of your soul
Intermediate
- Day 1: Wisdom of your body
- Day 2: Peace of your mind
- Day 3: Day off to rest and reflect
- Day 4: Bliss of your soul
- Day 5: Diving into your truth
LEVEL 2
In Level 2 we continue to correct technique and body posture but only in as much as it is improves efficiency, relaxation and overall experience. Primarily we are interested in the emotional and mental landscapes. This programme takes a deeper, more personalised approach to coaching, working with each student and their unique challenges, gifts, and life situations (in both one to one or in small groups of maximum three).
Everything that we do in life is driven by our beliefs and thoughts and the unique strength of the Discover Your Depths approach is that we help you to gently uncover, understand and unravel deep motivations, that hold us back or sabotage us. In doing so, we go beyond the usual approach of ‘practice makes perfect’, and help freedivers to identify, target and tackle their blocks and difficulties at source, resolving subconscious levels of action and reaction.
Level 2
- Day 1: Mapping the journey, and in-water analysis
- Day 2: Mental games 1 : polarity and neutrality
- Day 3: Day off to rest and reflect
- Day 4: Mental games 2 : resistance and acceptance
- Day 5: Mental games 3 : control and surrender
DAILY SCHEDULE LEVELS 1 & 2
09:00-13.00 : Theory, yoga practice, meditation and pranayama
14:00-16:00 : Dive session at the Lighthouse, followed by feedback, questions and discussion
If you are a complete beginner, please let us know so that we can run our special programme to cover the essentials for your safety and wellbeing in the water, as well as the core of our Holistic Freediving programme.
PRICES
HOLISTIC FREEDIVING five-day programme
£800 per person (£200 deposit)
maximum three people per group
exclusive private programme
£1000 per person
Included
- four full days of personalised coaching
- mornings : theory, yoga, meditation, pranayama
- afternoons : personalised freedive coaching, feedback
- all transfers to and from dive sites
Not Included
- freediving equipment - please bring your own, or you can rent full kit for €12/day
- accommodation
- travel
- meals and drinks
dates
This season there are two options for booking your Holistic Freediving course with us:
FIXED DATES : where we already have a student booked on a course, who wants to share the experience with another freediver of a similar level, you can book yourself to join on that specific course in the dropdown menu below
OPEN DATES : we are also offering some open dates - periods in our calendar where we can take clients for Holistic Freediving coaching, and where we will set the course level to either Beginner or Intermediate, based on the level of the first person to confirm their place and dates within these slots. If you wish to join us during the times indicated in the dropdown menu below, please email us to confirm dates and your level and we will then either remove the booking option for those dates if you wish to have private coaching, or will specify your level and dates for a maximum of two other freedivers to join your Holistic Freediving course.
LEVEL 2 : these courses are only open to students who have already completed a four-day Holistic Freediving programme with us. Please contact us if you’re not sure.
2020 : We have set some dates for 2020 for Holistic Freediving, levels 1 and 2. If you don’t see dates that work for you, we are happy to discuss moving our calendar to fit your needs - please contact us to let us know what you’d like.
We suggest that you look at the available dates in the dropdown menu below, and if you see something that might work for you, drop us an email to discuss your requirements with us further.
How to Book
In the drop-down menu below, you will see course dates that are available. Please read instructions to ensure you book the right course for you, and email us if you have any questions regarding dates, the booking process, or your requirements:
ALL LEVEL signifies that this course can be run as EITHER beginner or intermediate and can also be booked as a private Holistic Freediving programme. If you wish to book any of the ALL LEVEL course dates, please ensure you email us immediately to specify whether you need the course to be beginner or intermediate level, or private
BEGINNER means that you have no freediving certification with any organisation
INTERMEDIATE signifies that you have one or more certifications with any of the education agencies, but want to learn a more spiritual approach and develop your experience and awareness in a more supportive and holistic manner
PRIVATE is only available in the ALL LEVEL course dates. If you wish to have guaranteed one to one coaching for your Holistic Freediving experience, please select one of the ALL LEVEL course dates, and email us immediately so we can block those dates for you
LEVEL 2 is open only to those students who have completed Holistic Freediving, or had private coaching with us already
If you don’t see any scheduled courses or dates that work for you, please email us and we will discuss when we can add a course that works with your schedule
How to PAY
Once you have selected your preferred dates and the correct course, you will be able to make your deposit for your course directly online. The deposit for ALL courses is £200, with the balance due one month before the start date of your course.
We suggest that you read our Holistic Freediving Agreement, which we will ask you to sign and bring with you to the course, in which we outline the terms and conditions of this booking.
Once all three places are booked on any of our programmes, you will be unable to book for those specific dates, and we ask that you look at other dates, or contact us by email to discuss your requirements.
We look forward to welcoming you to your Holistic Freediving experience
For any questions or enquiries, please do not hesitate to email us to discuss your specific requirements. We are always happy to design bespoke programmes if you feel that our four-day Holistic Freediving programme isn't quite right for you, or you might want to look at our Private Coaching options.