HOLISTIC FREEDIVING
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 no 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 what we call 'new freedivers'. We run two levels of Holistic Freediving; for complete beginners; and for those who have some experience of freediving through other certification programmes, but are still struggling with some aspects, particularly relaxation and/or equalisation, or want a slower, less pressured approach.
FOR BEGINNERS : This programme 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 also 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 will be slightly different to ensure the unique needs of each student are met, one by one. If you have struggled with certification requirements, and need extra time, or more supportive, personalised coaching to help you work through specific challenges or blocks, Holistic Freediving will help you dive in a more healthy and pleasurable way - which ultimately leads to success in terms of requirements.
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.
WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
While we of course make sure your body alignment is correct and your equalisation and finning is good, 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
DAILY SCHEDULE
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.
your holistic freediving coach
The workshop is run by Kati Tarro, freediving and yoga instructor and Discover Your Depths certified coach. Kati is an expert in beginner to intermediate freedive coaching. Having struggled with relaxation and equalisation herself, she has already walked the talk, and continues to do so with daily meditation and on-going personal development work as a DYD team member. Her patience and gentleness are noted by everyone who dives with her, and she is not just an excellent freediving instructor, but an excellent teacher and human being.
I am extremely proud to have her on board to support our beginner and intermediate freedivers to set a strong foundation of relaxation and the correct approach, to help them grow, whether with us, or further afield. I have every confidence in her.
If you want to find out more, check out her 'praise-page' with comments from her DYD clients and students.
PRICES
HOLISTIC FREEDIVING four-day programme
£400 per person (£200 deposit)
maximum three people per group
guaranteed private programme
£600 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
How to Book
We now take bookings online! 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:
OPEN 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 OPEN 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 take time out to learn and develop your freediving and awareness in a more supportive and holistic manner
PRIVATE is only available in the OPEN course dates. If you wish to have guaranteed one to one coaching for your Holistic Freediving experience, please select one of the OPEN course dates, and email us immediately so we can block those dates for you
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 below. 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.