Deep in the blue

Breathing and Diving

How Mastering Breath, Mind, and Muscle Unlocks the Depths Within

By Camelia

First Descent

The first time I free-dived in Indonesia, the ocean felt infinite. The water shimmered with light and silence - a vast cathedral of blue. It took several attempts before I could reach 30 meters on a single breath. Each descent was a battle between instinct and control, fear and calm.

At that depth, sensations amplify: the pressure around your chest, the pulse in your ears, the eerie quiet that swallows every sound. It’s more than physical endurance - it’s a mental practice. Freediving is the ultimate exercise in mastering your thoughts, trusting your body, and surrendering to stillness.

The Power of the Body

Strength plays a huge role in freediving performance. Building muscle and endurance improves your ability to dive deeper and stay underwater longer - but not for the reasons many think.

Stronger muscles don’t just generate power; they enhance oxygen efficiency. Every muscle fiber relies on oxygen for fuel. When trained properly, your body learns to use that oxygen more effectively, conserving energy during dives.

The deeper you go, the greater the pressure - and the more your body must adapt. Larger, conditioned muscles help stabilize movement and maintain form even as the environment compresses you. It’s not about brute force, but about harmony between strength and breath.

Yet, freediving isn’t a competition of muscle size. I’m not built like a bodybuilder - and that’s okay. Success in the deep comes from using oxygen wisely, not from having more of it. The secret lies in calmness: in learning how to slow your heart rate, relax your mind, and stretch every molecule of air to its fullest potential.

Equalization

The Science of Calm

Tension is the enemy underwater. The moment you panic, your breathing rate spikes, your oxygen burns faster, and your focus slips away.

Staying calm isn’t optional - it’s essential. It’s what allows you to read the signals your body sends: the tightening of your diaphragm, the subtle spasm that says it’s time to ascend. These cues aren’t warnings of danger - they’re invitations to listen, to trust your body’s rhythm.

With practice, relaxation becomes your greatest ally. The calmer you are, the longer you can stay underwater - not by force, but by flow.

Keep swimming

The Breath Connection

Breathing is the bridge between body and mind, and yoga is one of the best ways to strengthen that bridge. Ancient techniques like pranayama - conscious breath control - are powerful tools for freedivers.

One practice, Anuloma Viloma (alternate nostril breathing), helps expand lung capacity and purify the body’s energy channels. Another, Ujjayi breath, or “the ocean breath,” mimics the sound of waves - rhythmic, powerful, and grounding. Patanjali described the ideal breath as both Dirgha (long) and Suksma (smooth) - a perfect mantra for freedivers seeking serenity beneath the surface.

Certain yoga postures - like Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana), and Fish Pose (Matsyasana) - open the chest and expand the lungs. Combined with mindful breathing, they train both strength and control. Yoga teaches you to move with awareness, flow with intention, and breathe even when challenged - skills that translate directly into the art of diving deep.

Back to the surface

Relaxation and Recovery

Just as training strengthens the body, rest restores it. Deep tissue massages can play a surprising role in diving preparation. By releasing tension and promoting circulation, they help muscles recover faster and maintain flexibility - both key to a smooth, efficient dive.

The more relaxed your body, the more energy you conserve underwater. Think of it as fine-tuning an instrument: every release of tension sharpens your performance.

Equalization and Awareness

As you descend, pressure builds rapidly. Equalization - adjusting the pressure in your ears and sinuses - becomes a vital skill. It requires not just technique, but inner calm.

Stress disrupts equalization; relaxation makes it effortless. The best divers move slowly, gracefully, always aware of their internal signals. Awareness keeps you safe - it’s your compass when vision fades and instincts take over.

Meditation: The Mind Beneath the Surface

Freediving is as much a mental discipline as it is physical. Meditation trains the mind to stay centered, even when the body is under stress. It quiets the stream of thoughts, reduces anxiety, and cultivates focus.

Practices like mindfulness, visualization, and focused breathing are invaluable tools. Before a dive, visualizing yourself moving calmly through the depths can ease fear and boost confidence. During a dive, mindfulness helps you stay present, tuning into every sensation - the heartbeat, the drift of bubbles, the silence of the sea.

With time, meditation sharpens your awareness of when to push and when to surface. It turns diving from an act of endurance into a state of flow.

Back to the Surface

As I break through the surface and inhale that first breath of air, gratitude rushes through me. Each dive reminds me of both my strength and my limits - and how closely the two are intertwined.

Freediving and yoga have changed not just my training, but my perspective on life. Both teach the same truth: mastery comes through awareness, patience, and surrender.

Every descent is a journey inward - and every ascent, a reminder to breathe deeply, live fully, and move through life with grace.

So, dive into your practice. Breathe with intention.And remember - the deeper you go within yourself, the freer you become.

About the Author

Camelia is a lifelong surfer, yoga practitioner, and freediver dedicated to exploring the connection between breath, body, and the ocean. Through workshops and online courses, she helps others discover the transformative power of mindful movement and deep breathing - both on land and beneath the waves.