Flow of Breath

Starting to work with breathing without a prior understanding of the meaning in the complex contexts that take place constantly in the body can lead to the deepening of unhealthy habits and the strengthening of muscle imbalances in functional chains, and thus the emergence of functional disorders." (PhDr. Petr Šifta, Ph.D. - General kinesiology)

I enjoy talking to people about the possibilities of movement, introducing them to the technique and the complexity of linking movement in individual exercises. I like to see their shift towards themselves, when they slow down, breathe and let the movement affect them. I look forward to seeing their progress as they begin to believe in themselves more, discover and explore what they can actually do.

Through movement, they rediscover the joy, playfulness and ease of movement.

The therapy I offer is mainly about a better understanding of the basic principles of movement, a kind of pillar with which we can build what we want.

I like simplicity in movement, the difficulty of exercises increases more mentally. I gradually add more and more details to the exercises, through which we get to experiencing the present and truly relaxing the mind.

Sometimes seemingly simple movements are the most difficult, because they are also simple in execution technique, which does not give room to escape into original movement patterns. I like to combine different techniques so that the movement does not lose variety and playfulness, but these attributes only come with the acquired technique. In the beginning it is drill, discipline and patience.

I teach clients to stick with the exercise, even if it is not easy to do, they cannot wait for a change. I want them to immerse themselves in the breath and keep breathing, so that they don't succumb to inner panic, defiance, so that they don't run away just because it's starting to feel uncomfortable. It is discomfort that is the beginning of a change in survival, the involvement of muscles and, above all, a change in breathing.

That change will always come if we can wait. And I like to wait with clients. We need to mature on some of them, hear the same instruction a thousand times, in order to finally reach the "aha" moment. We usually remember this moment well. It is something like discovering a secret, a deeper understanding based on our own experiences that no one can take away from us.

The topic of breathing, its process and impact on the human body has fascinated me for a few years from the point of view of a physiotherapist. I decided to build my next direction on breathing and concentrate on it.

The first impetus for me was the Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) course in 2013, thanks to which I became more clearly aware of the importance and connection of the internal muscles participating in the so-called deep stabilization. Applying the knowledge from the course in practice, I gradually verified the importance of "correct" breathing for the progress of the set physiotherapy, support for changing movement habits and permanent improvement of health.

In 2015, I found myself on the Sinai Peninsula in the city of Dahab, where I tried freediving for the first time. Full of new ideas and experiences, I started deepening my knowledge about breathing from the environment of freedivers within this unique sport. Many of them use various breathing exercises taken from the yogic area of pranayama.

As part of building my own movement culture and self-development, I started Asthanga yoga in 2016, which is one of those with a traditional approach. Under the guidance of teacher Matej Mlčuch, I gradually acquired (and still continue with a moderate intensity) more and more experience and knowledge in this area, I learned the basic techniques of pranayama and how to work with them.

Fascination with breath and movement, exploring one's own possibilities of expression led me to the theater hall, where I devoted one year to contemporary dance. This environment later developed into the first Breathing in Movement workshop in collaboration with the dancer Barbora Brezinová.

Through the acquired experience and information, I perceived much more clearly how much importance breathing has for our life both physically and psychologically, but above all I realized that without the necessary information and the given understanding of the issue, we remain at the level of self-deception and deepen our own patterns . To be guided only by one's own emotions without the necessary study is, in my opinion, dangerous for health in a long-term context. I refer here to the opening quote, which describes and confirms my education.

Professor Karel Lewit, who constantly encouraged students to continue their education, has been a long-term inspiration for my studies, as well as "thinking" about life. He himself said that a mistake is necessary for progress, but it is more important to admit a mistake.

Another inspiring person who just held up a mirror to me about my own mistakes and rekindled my thought process is Dr. Jiří Čumpelík from Prague. His view of the issue is unique.

Since 2017, I have been cooperating with the Plejs meditation center (which will reopen in its live form). Back in Slovakia, I led educational workshops and courses, I had the opportunity to share my knowledge from practice. I managed to fulfill the idea of a complex approach from the point of view of the body (physiotherapy) and from the point of view of the mind (meditation, mindfulness) together with my colleague Maya Nováková. We currently collaborate online, you can find me in some courses and workshops.

In the fall of November 2019, I went to Dahab for 4 months, which, with a small break during the first wave of the pandemic, turned into more than 2 years. During these years, I mainly devoted myself to freediving at the Blue Hole, which provided me with above-standard conditions for training (the possibility of year-round diving without currents and thermoclimate is simply a luxury that only a minimum of places in the world meet). I got to know the community of freedivers from all over the world and was able to learn from the best, which gave me the opportunity to find my way to work with myself.

However, this period was also very demanding and exhausting. In addition to training, I was still working, online and live. Combining training and work under normal conditions is a matter of good time management, and in Dahab, where time passes arbitrarily, this often caused complications in everyday life.

After 2 summers in the desert, my partner and I said that we could no longer handle this demanding lifestyle and decided to leave Dahab and moved to Tenerife.

We have been in Tenerife since April 2022.

It's nice to be back in civilization with running drinking water.