Freediving and yoga are tools for exploring one’s body and spirit. During free dives with breath-holding, the leading role is played by concentration, body control, and awareness of all processes occurring in an unfamiliar environment. Yoga techniques for freedivers and swimmers help develop control over the body.
Alexander Dudov
Apnea Yoga for Breath Training
This technique was created specifically to develop the endurance of freedivers at depth. The methodology’s author, Alexander Dudov, developed the exercises for personal use, tailoring them to his own needs. Individual Apnea Yoga asanas allowed the practice’s creator to dive deeper. His personal records became the foundation for working with students, yielding excellent results.
Apnea Yoga Training:
Apnea Yoga is based on breath control and chest expansion. Breath-holds during workouts are short and follow a specific rhythm, while the workout cycle has a clear structure. Over years of practice, several significantly different programs have been developed, aimed at improving the duration of breath-hold, breathing rhythm, concentration on the body’s internal reactions, and clearing the mind.
The practice includes numerous dynamic exercises that provide a surge of energy and free the mind from unproductive distractions. This type of yoga brings clarity instead of focusing solely on meditation; the sessions actively shield the mind from excessive meditative seclusion.
The technique is not highly publicized and remains relatively new. The author is preparing a comprehensive book about the methodology titled “Practice Constructor,” covering all programs within the Apnea Yoga system in detail.
Plavita-Sadhana by Sidorsky
This is a unique yoga technique for swimming, used by Olympic athletes in their training. Plavita-Sadhana can be described as a breath-focused exercise in water that incorporates various swimming styles both underwater and on the surface, with different breathing rhythms.
Examples of workouts aimed at breath control in Plavita-Sadhana:
Endurance workout examples:
Plavita-Sadhana pool training session:
The system was created by A.V. Sidorsky, based on “compression” or Plavini Pranayama, meditative focus, and classic swimming methods—competitive, underwater, and freediving.
Plavita-Sadhana sessions are conducted over various distances with varied workload, incorporating breath-holds, depth changes, and breathing rhythm adjustments. Mastery of swimming techniques is essential before learning swimming yoga—one must first become a competent swimmer and feel comfortable in the water, after which they can focus on breathing.
The table below shows the general elements of a training session:
Swimming yoga training table
Breathing practice in water develops endurance, teaches comfortable breath-holding, and relaxes non-essential muscle groups during strokes, thereby reducing oxygen consumption. From the very first sessions, divers learn to suppress the panic caused by air deprivation, thus conserving oxygen.
Pranayama in Water, Plavini Pranayama
Complete mastery of breath can be achieved through water-based Pranayama—a breathing practice aimed at lung development, gulp breathing, diaphragm control, body awareness, and mental regulation.
Pranayama is the most efficient and safe way to alter the oxygen and carbon dioxide balance, preparing the body for the unfamiliar aquatic environment during a dive.
Pranayama and breathing techniques:
Plavini Pranayama is a unique practice involving swallowing air through the esophagus to create an air reserve. This form of Pranayama is practiced infrequently due to the scarcity of qualified instructors and its specific purpose—maintaining buoyancy on the water’s surface.
Diaphragmatic breathing technique:
Recognized by professional athletes, the practices of yoga are a serious science. It is very important to find a competent instructor who will guide you and help you follow the correct path in physical and spiritual practices. The main thing is to start correctly and always adhere to safety techniques.
