World Champion Lidija Lijić, along with freediving instructor Vitomir Maričić, will be holding two 6-day freediving courses on Saint Klement, Palmižana; from 16th – 22nd September and 23rd – 29th September 2017.
We recently interviewed Lidija Lijić for our Characters of the Sea series and couldn’t help but be inspired. Lidija is a world champion and has won multiple medals and awards, as well as being nominated for Best Croatian Athlete several times. Vitomir Maričić also has an impressive CV, he has an educational foundation in kinesiology and computer engineering, is a qualified freediving instructor and has a passion and flair for photography.
Participants in the course will learn freediving from these two enthusiasts in one of the most gorgeous areas of central Dalmatia – the Pakleni islands while staying in the Meneghello’s beautiful Art Resort on Palmižana. For over one hundred years, the Meneghello family has cultivated the botanical garden that is now the paradise that exists today. The Art Resort villas and bungalows are nestled in amongst the tropical garden and 100-year-old pines; creating an all-encompassing, natural experience, from the sea to the land.
Conte-Adriatic.com
No freediving experience is required, the 6-day freediving course will take you from a novice to an internationally recognised SSI certified level 2 freediver. Participants will learn how to master proper breathing and relaxing techniques and learn how to freedive, pushing personal limits.
Upon completion of the course, you will be able to dive vertically up to 20-metres, horizontally up to 50-metres and perform breath holds for up to 3 minutes. On the last day, there will be a spear fishing tour where you will get the opportunity to try and catch your own lunch or if you are not much of a hunter, you can wear a fish tail and be a mermaid for the day.
This specially designed and tailored program is focused on improving general satisfaction, getting to know your body and mind, while raising energy levels, self-esteem, and mindfulness. The course combines knowledge from several renowned free diving schools, sports psychology, yoga FMS, kinesiotherapy, and training.
This course is perhaps not for everyone, but if you have a curious spirit and are looking for a way to reconnect with yourself and nature, this may just be it. When I asked Lidija in our interview, why does freediving hold such appeal, her response was:
There is just something about being underwater. I can lose myself under the water, whether it is spear fishing for hours, or free diving. When you scuba dive, you are still behind a mask (equipment) – you are like a tourist; whereas when you free dive you really feel like not only are you entering the underwater world, but you are a part of it. There is nothing between you, the fish and the deep-blue. After depths of 20 m, you no longer have to physically swim down, you enter a free fall, which is an incredible feeling, almost meditative.
Why should people learn to freedive?
It is really unique, there is a thin line, one moment you are above the surface, the next thing you know, you enter a new world. You have the opportunity to relax, to leave problems and everything else above the water. In this life, we are learning how to multitask, our attention and energy is constantly stretched, but when you are under the sea, you just focus on the world in front of you and you get to leave everything else behind. And, it’s free!
Well, the course isn’t free, but once you do the course and learn how to freedive, you get to take that knowledge and experience and recreate it whenever you like. No fancy equipment required, no classes, no special membership to any club. Just you and the deep-blue.
“The best things in life leave you breathless, right? Experiencing the sea should be one of them and there is no better way to immerse yourself into the endless blue than freediving.”
For more information visit the official Breathless Life page here
Or visit Palmizana's Facebook Page here.
Information and text reference from Breathless Life.
