If all human beings on this planet share one thing, that would most probably be the search for meaning.
We all crave meaning, a reason to exist, something to make our lives feel that little bit important.
And subsequently – and quite sadly – a lot of us think that nothing has meaning so we fall into a depressive state where
we don’t want to do anything or grow tired of things after only trying them once and not being that good at them (because we
think that maybe if we were “meant” to do them, we’d be good on the first go).
What we’re doing wrong in this case is staying on the surface of this idea, rather than diving deep into it, trying to reach
the bottom and from then start anew. Yes, life has no inherent meaning, yes, everything you do is pointless in the grand scheme
of things and nothing matters. But give your self some time in this state, take a few breaths, relax and think. If nothing matters,
if there is no meaning, no real reason to do anything… aren’t you then free to do as you please, to find meaning in anything?
What freediving has done for me is allow me to take these breaths, to pause and look within, to quiet the body and mind, to feel,
listen, smell, touch and see the beauty of the world around me, to explore the amazing intricacy of everything and to enjoy existence
for its own sake. And yes, along the way, it has also provided me with meaning, namely to work on myself both physically and mentally,
with patience and self love and to try to pass that attitude on to willing students.
When you freedive, you abandon the surface world, both physically and mentally, but also metaphysically, philosophically. Forget the
fancy videos on YouTube, the competitions and world records. When you freedive, you dive into the essence of being, you go beneath the
surface to find yourself. Not necessarily during the dive itself, because your mind is more than likely 100% focused on the many
intricacies of the activity. But in every day life, in quiet moments or busy streets, the freediver flows beneath the surface, the
freediver can see more, feel more, be more.
That is the true benefit of freediving for me.