Intro Antje
so you know who you're dealing with
Hello Dear... (what's YOUR name actually?)
Gozo, the little sister island of Gozo was my home for 18 years. In September 2022 I eventually moved (back) to Germany. It was time for a change. Yet you can still experience the beauty of this little rock under and above water if you want....
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to experience freediving and yoga holidays that survive into your daily routine
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to Fine-tune your freediving skills and your relationship with the sea by taking away the pressure to reach depth and times (your new personal best comes as a nice side effect. ;-) )
- to discover Yoga Asanas and Pranyama in their very depth - from home!
Water is the main element we are playing with, we immerse into, we discover. Our body is made up of about 70% of water. Isn’t is very natural to look into it, go back to it? Spend time in it and with it? Let’s discover together the healing effect water has on us.
Earth wonderfully grounds us before and after or instead of our water time. You'll understand better the connection of your physical body and the much more subtle, energetic aspects of yoga, that brings the actual changes.
Air is much more than the stuff we breathe 24/7. I am simply in love with breathing. Exploring it, guiding it, calming it, slowing it down, stopping it, chasing it… The effects are as immediate as fascinating. You will discover how much you can influence the way you feel, with the way you breathe.
What is in it for you?
You spend some wonderful, special, individual, easy and joyful days on the island of Gozo. You go home with fresh energy, ideas, insights, some new habits, and perspectives.
Or you step into one of the online yoga sessions straight away.
In 2023 I am available for you from 1 to 12 October. You will see more occasions and destinations from 2024 onward!
From 7 to 14 October you can join the Yoga Freediving Retreat with Andrea Tresch and myself. We look loads forward to seeing you on the rock!
Freediving Instructor, Yoga Teacher, Dog Whisperer,
fan of mediocrity and opponent of Positive Thinking
I bring my experience, expertise and passion as Freediving Instructor, Yoga Teacher and Breather into everything I do with you.
I am the first freediving instructor and the only woman who is teaching freediving on Gozo.
You benefit from more than 15 years of teaching experience in the water and on land as well as ongoing advanced trainings.
Why mediocrity?
“How long can you hold your breath?” “How deep can you dive?”
These are the first questions I hear from most people.
My standard answer: “It depends, and it doesn't matter.”
Mediocrity helps me to come back to who and where I am at the moment, and to cherish that. I stop myself running after “a better me”, “self-optimisation” “perfecting”, “performance”. Feeling balanced, centred, liking myself the way I am. Now. That’s mediocrity to me. And that’s enough work in progress. Every day anew.
My teachings are simple. Realise that you are perfect, that you are enough with what, who and where you are. Now. And then surprise yourself by reaching the goal that you are not dependent on any more.
And what about the Positive Thinking?
If we always focus on the “positive” we neglect and ignore a big part of ourselves.
The part we call “negative”. Both, positive and negative thinking are judgments that we and others put on ourselves.
With the practice of yoga and meditation we start realising that there is something beyond positive and negative, that we simply ARE. So I prefer to call it Conscious Thinking.
Sounds more constructive, more wholesome, healthier and easier, doesn't it...?
Once upon a time… or jump to the facts and figures
Back in 1970 I saw the light of day.
Not only could I swim before I started primary school, but I knew also very well how to draft and serve a perfect beer at my father’s pub before I could spell the word “Kinderarbeit” (Child Labour). A career in hospitality was a natural thing to happen. Scuba diving became a hobby.
How did I get to Gozo then?
I took a plane like most people do nowadays. And started teaching scuba diving.
Because I was curious to work in a diving centre.
I kept drawing people to me who actually did not want to dive, who were afraid of water.
And I loved dealing with these people who fall through the cracks of a normal diving centre.
Trainings in WATSU with dear Giovanni Baccarani and WATA with Arjana Brunswiler followed.
And since 2013 you can enjoy unique, breath-taking (...), relaxing, healing AquaFlow sessions.
A diving centre is like a hotel. Marketing, sales, palaver in French, English, German, managing reservations, serving customers, arranging holiday packages, group bookings – at
Calypso Diving Centre I can still play around with all of it.
Freediving crept into my life. I tasted more and more blood with my teachers Ian and
Richard from Freedive UK.
They pushed me to become an instructor. Oh, how I cursed both of them during my instructor course in 2015 with Freedive Dahab. But I managed, yeahh! And felt proud as punch!
Tickled pink! Happy as a lark!
Yoga is a vast toolbox of philosophy, life style, asanas, pranayama. It gives me guidance, solace, strength, support, questions and some answers.
Not that I was picky about becoming a teacher. It just had to be hatha. It had to be traditional.
It had to be down to earth. It had to be respectable. This quest guided me "back to the roots”
in 2017:
Arhanta Yoga Ashram is in Gelderland in the Netherlands. It is the home of my great grand-parents and only 40 km from my home town Wesel. It was the perfect choice for me.
So here I am: guiding, teaching, learning, breathing, feeling alive.
Come, soak in some of it and take it home. I am happy to share!
Wait... Why dog whisperer?
I love dogs and grew up with a Rottweiler. He was a brilliant substitute for my not-Kindergarten-time.
And I love to whisper in dog's ears while I cuddle them. The result is mostly a wet ear (mine) as the dogs whisper back to me. Not sure who benefits more from the therapeutic effect - me or the dogs.
Facts and figures in short
2023
Advaned yoga teacher training Pranayama with Yoga Vidya
2022
Hormon Yoga Teacher Training
2019
Advanced teacher training Yoga For Seniors with Yoga Vidya
2018 and 2019
Specific Meditation Course "Shortcut to Happiness / "Körperkonzentrierte Herzensarbeit" with Safi Nidiaye
2017
200 h Yoga Teacher Training with Arhanta Yoga Ashram in the Netherlands,
recognised by Yoga Alliance
2015
SSI Freediving Instructor Level 2 with Freedive Dahab
Since 2014
Management of freediving group holidays between 10 and 30 freedivers and their instructors, e.g. BLTV, Swedish CMAS freediving instructor training, GVSDK Gothenborg
2013
Shiatsu Training with introduction into meridian theory, pressure points, 5 elements, etc. with Shiatsu Austria in Vienna
2009-2012
Various trainings in Water Therapy - WATSU II Masterclass, WATA I with Giovanni Baccarani from the International School of WATSU and Arjana Brunswiler from Aquatic Body Work Switzerland (IAKA)
2004-2015
Event Management and part of Event Team of General Motors European Media Launches in Europe
2004
Career change to scuba diving instructor for CMAS and PADI, later SSI
1990-2004
Apprenticeship and work experience in four and five star hotel operation, Hotel Business Schools WIHOGA, Bachelor in hotel management, various positions in sales, marketing, event mangement
1989 / 1990
Au-Pair in Ferney-Voltaire, France, language diploma "Alliance Française"
1970