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<\/p>\nDOZENS of metres beneath the ocean\u2019s surface, with scarcely any light and no source of oxygen, Torquay chiropractor Michael Cheesman made a discovery \u2013 he found his inner peace.<\/p>\n
For Michael, freediving offers an experience that cannot be replicated on land or in the shallows.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the opportunity to be still and go deep, that\u2019s what I really enjoy. It\u2019s like another realm,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get to maybe 25-30 metres, and that point you are negatively buoyant, so you\u2019re basically just falling. You tuck yourself in for what\u2019s called freefall, and you fall towards the bottom.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that time, you\u2019re just focusing on the sensation, on the equalisation, just keeping yourself tuned in to that aspect.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re just really still, you\u2019re mentally focused and you just tune right into what you\u2019re doing and it\u2019s all about what I\u2019m doing right here right now. I really love that experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
It has been a journey for Michael to find this serenity.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said he first developed an interest in freediving when diving for crayfish for a friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne day I went diving with Greg Pickering (an elite freediver) and I was just blown away by what he saw. He just disappeared into a cave for forever, it seemed, and came out with a crayfish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael\u2019s interest was piqued and he proceeded to book a course in freediving.<\/p>\n
He said it was crucial to not simply dive in the deep end.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnybody who wants to freedive, you do need to do some training, you do need to have had some instruction. That\u2019s the safe way to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael quickly discovered a knack for the sport. At one stage, he held the Australian record for freediving, having plunged 106 metres underwater.<\/p>\n
He says there is greater nuance to freediving and achieving such a feat than it may appear from the surface.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really is a physical expression of art, like dancing or ballet.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, if you said it was 90 per cent mental, I reckon you would be hitting the nail on the head.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evidence of this is in the diversity of the people Michael has trained with and learnt from.<\/p>\n
He said the best divers varied greatly in their physicality and how rigorous a training schedule they set.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to work out what\u2019s best for you and who you are. That\u2019s the beauty, really, like every art there is an arena for expression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freediving competitions are not simply a case of who can dive the deepest.<\/p>\n
Before their dives, competitors state how deep they think they can go. To ensure participants\u2019 safety, this can be no more than three metres below what they have previously done in training.<\/p>\n
Competitors will then have to collect tags at the depths they have listed. This adds a strategic aspect to the competition, as divers look to outbid each other while still ensuring they will reach their targets.<\/p>\n
Despite this, Michael the people he competes with are \u201cthe most wonderful and supportive group\u201d.<\/p>\n
He says he has also found freediving helps him in his interactions with his patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat freediving is really about is moderating your stress response and its manifestation in your body.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says the breathing exercises freedivers do before going under are particularly useful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith freediving, you use your breath to really dial back and slow your heartrate down so you\u2019re in a super-calm, super-relaxed place, and anybody can do those things.\u201d<\/p>\n
To Michael, freediving is than not about exhilaration as much as it is meditation.<\/p>\n
\u201cUmberto Pelizzari said: \u2018The scuba diver dives to look around. The freediver dives to look inside.\u2019 And I think that pretty much sums it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
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DOZENS of metres beneath the ocean\u2019s surface, with scarcely any light and no source of oxygen, Torquay chiropractor Michael Cheesman made a discovery \u2013 he found his inner peace. For Michael, freediving offers an experience that cannot be replicated on land or in the shallows. \u201cIt\u2019s the opportunity to be still and go deep, that\u2019s […]<\/p>\n