Finding Stillness Below The Surface

Text by Angie Van Der Hoogen | Images by Marc Thoresson

How Freediving Unlocks the Body’s Natural Stress Regulation By Angie van der Hoogen, Molchanov Instructor, Retreat Facilitator and DUC Freediving Officer.

It was just after lockdown when I first stumbled into freediving. I’d been SCUBA diving for many years, but something shifted when I started diving on breath-hold. I wasn’t expecting it to become such a profound internal practice – but it did. Freediving reconnected me to my body, my breath, and a sense of stillness I didn’t know I was missing.

I’ve since made it my mission to share this with others, especially those who are feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or disconnected. Because what I’ve come to learn, and continue to witness in my students, is that freediving is more than a sport. It’s a doorway to nervous system regulation and emotional resilience. In a world that constantly pulls us into stress and stimulation, freediving brings us back to centre.

STRESS IS NOT JUST IN YOUR HEAD

Let’s start with the basics. Stress isn’t just a feeling, it’s a full-body physiological response. The autonomic nervous system, which controls everything from heart rate and breathing to digestion and hormone regulation, kicks into sympathetic or ‘fight or flight’ mode when we’re under threat, including perceived threat. Whether that threat is a predator, a work deadline, or emotional pain, the response is the same: faster breathing, increased heart rate, tension, and a surge of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

While this sympathetic response is essential for survival, most of us live with it constantly switched on. We’ve normalised being stuck in ‘go mode’ – hyper-alert, overextended, and fatigued – without enough time in the parasympathetic state, also known as ‘rest and digest’.

This imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic can manifest in a range of issues, including: sleep disturbances, mood swings, digestive problems, and even chronic illness. This is where the power of intentional relaxation and breathwork comes in and why freediving can be such a transformative tool.

WHY FREEDIVING WORKS

Freediving isn’t about how deep you go or how long you hold your breath. It’s about how well you can stay calm under pressure. It trains your body to override the natural stress response and to return to safety even in the face of discomfort from rising carbon dioxide.

We do this through a combination of tools, the most accessible of which is breath. Breathing is the only function of the autonomic nervous system that we can also control voluntarily. By consciously shifting our breathing patterns, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, relaxing the muscles, and inviting a sense of peace.

A simple practice like a body scan, where you progressively relax muscle groups while breathing slowly, can down-regulate the entire system. It’s the first thing I teach new students, whether they’ve been in the water before or not.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN RELAXATION FEELS UNSAFE?

While most people feel better after breathwork or a dive session, it’s important to acknowledge that relaxation isn’t always easy, especially for those living with chronic stress or unresolved trauma.

Sometimes, attempting to relax can trigger the opposite response. This is called relaxation-induced anxiety, and it’s often caused by hyperventilation – breathing too deeply or quickly, especially when metabolic processes have already slowed. As carbon dioxide levels drop too low, the body reacts with symptoms that mimic anxiety: racing heart, dizziness, or shortness of breath. This is a common phenomenon, and one I’ve seen in many students. It’s also why we teach tidal breathing, which is slow and effortless breathing, to stay grounded.

Other rare but important experiences can also arise during deep relaxation: repressed emotions may surface, sensations may feel confusing, or a drop in blood pressure might cause temporary dizziness. These aren’t signs of something going wrong, they’re signs that the body is trying to return to balance. The key is to move gently, practise self-compassion, and understand what’s happening physiologically.

TRAUMA AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Peter Levine, one of the leading voices in trauma healing, said that trauma is ‘anything that’s too much, too fast, too soon’. It doesn’t have to be a catastrophic event – it can be small, repeated overwhelm with no time to recover. And it lives in the body, not just the mind.

That’s why freediving can be such a profound therapeutic practice, not as a replacement for therapy, but as a companion to healing. When we dive, we teach the body how to experience sensation without reacting. We learn to recognise the signals of CO₂ build-up and stay calm. We train the nervous system to return to safety, not once, but again and again. Over time, that becomes our new baseline.

A NEW WAY FORWARD

Freediving is not just for elite athletes or thrill-seekers. It’s for anyone who wants to slow down, breathe better, and live more fully. Whether you decide to hold your breath in the ocean or not, the principles of freediving – awareness, regulation, presence – are tools we can all use.

If you’re curious about how breath and the nervous system work together, I invite you to take the first step. Join a workshop. Try a guided breath session. Start noticing how your body responds to stress and how quickly it returns to safety. The more you practise, the easier it becomes.

Because your breath is your reset button. Your body already knows how to find balance – you just have to give it the chance. And freediving? It gives us that chance – one breath at a time.

AUTHOR BIO

Angie van der Hoogen, freediving instructor and DUC Freediving Officer, leads SALT Escape, offering ocean-inspired workshops and retreats.