<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Anna-Karina Schmitt | Health & Performance]]></title><description><![CDATA[Anna Karina Schmitt]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 20:01:04 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/en/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[From Practice — why movement deepens the breath]]></title><description><![CDATA[Recently, after a practice of slow, spacious breathing and moments of deep stillness, I guided a client through a one-hour traditional yoga sequence. What he shared afterwards was deeply insightful and made me pause with a really good feeling from the inside. Not only because it captured exactly why I had chosen this progression, but also because it confirmed something I deeply trust in my work: the ability to sense, read, and respond to the state of a person's nervous system. He said: "I...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/from-practice-why-movement-deepens-the-breath-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab6915b9a324ede4a349b36</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:22:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_dd9697532d5140f18a299402f7b49e9b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A guided Meditation: Find Your Natural Breath]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Free 20-Minute Guided Meditation for Nervous System Regulation Most people don't need another breathing technique. What many of us are really looking for is a way back to something we already have: our natural breath. Life asks a lot of our nervous system. Long working days, constant notifications, training, emotional stress, responsibilities—we spend much of our time responding to demands. Without noticing, our breathing changes. It becomes shallower, our shoulders stay slightly tense, our...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/en/post/a-guided-meditation-find-your-natural-breath</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab690fb31e876d7dd53f8a8</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:19:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_0b6b093245ee466d864e94f798539fa1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_658,h_590,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Getting Started with Freediving: Between Calm and Darkness in Lake Zurich]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sometimes new chapters don’t begin with a grand plan. They begin with individual people asking the same question again and again. Over the past few months, I started receiving more and more requests for freediving courses in Zurich. One came from a husband who wanted to give his wife a course as a gift. Someone at my gym said, “Make sure you let me know when you offer a course.” And over the years, friends and acquaintances had repeatedly shown an interest in the activity I’m so passionate...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/en/post/der-einstieg-ins-freediving-zwischen-ruhe-und-dunkelheit-im-z%C3%BCrichsee</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab68d8663d7431e330209af</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:04:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_b71ef2d88bd240b8aa085400d8643449~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Der Einstieg ins Freediving: Zwischen Ruhe und Dunkelheit im Zürichsee]]></title><description><![CDATA[Manchmal beginnen neue Kapitel nicht mit einem grossen Plan. Sondern mit einzelnen Menschen, die immer wieder dieselbe Frage stellen. In den letzten Monaten bekam ich immer häufiger Anfragen nach Freediving-Kursen in Zürich. Eine Anfrage kam von einem Ehemann, der seiner Frau einen Kurs schenken wollte. Jemand aus meinem Fitnessstudio meinte: „Sag mir unbedingt Bescheid, wenn du einen Kurs anbietest.“ Freunde und Bekannte hatten über die Jahre immer wieder Interesse gezeigt an der Aktivität...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/freediving-zuerich-wave-1-wave-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a991f70c68753896ea53396</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:22:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_b71ef2d88bd240b8aa085400d8643449~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A guided Meditation: Find Your Natural Breath]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Free 20-Minute Guided Meditation for Nervous System Regulation Most people don't need another breathing technique. What many of us are really looking for is a way back to something we already have: our natural breath. Life asks a lot of our nervous system. Long working days, constant notifications, training, emotional stress, responsibilities—we spend much of our time responding to demands. Without noticing, our breathing changes. It becomes shallower, our shoulders stay slightly tense, our...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/guided-meditation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4e17186dc32b92b8413fa8</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:17:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_0b6b093245ee466d864e94f798539fa1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_658,h_590,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mental Freedom through Competition]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most people see competition as stressful. What if they are actually liberating? Discover how competition reveals, not creates, your fears. ]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/mental-freedom-through-competition</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2945bff8e7e84c72bf322f</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:08:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_0e872d147bcb4933bfaa5cffbef59a4b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Practice — why movement deepens the breath]]></title><description><![CDATA[Recently, after a practice of slow, spacious breathing and moments of deep stillness, I guided a client through a one-hour traditional yoga sequence. What he shared afterwards was deeply insightful and made me pause with a really good feeling from the inside. Not only because it captured exactly why I had chosen this progression, but also because it confirmed something I deeply trust in my work: the ability to sense, read, and respond to the state of a person's nervous system. He said: "I...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/en/post/from-practice-why-movement-deepens-the-breath</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e10b4cc4c584cedb04e669</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:19:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_dd9697532d5140f18a299402f7b49e9b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's Up, May?]]></title><description><![CDATA[A training camp in Tenerife for four ambitious masters swimmers, exploring performance development, mindset, and the importance of reconnecting with purpose in sport. A reflection on mental coaching, presence in competition, and building authentic athletic performance.]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/what-s-up-may</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1d77c86b2e9e2b0220c6c2</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:44:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_010ac209ab644e92af4a58e7923b5b13~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Body Remembers What We’ve Moved Away From]]></title><description><![CDATA[Two weeks ago, when these pictures and videos were taken, the lake was still cold. Tuning inwards. Foto taken by Charlotte Henskens The moment I enter the water, everything fades. No noise, no overthinking—just sensation. Breath. Body. The water just above 10 degrees. Cold water has a way of bringing me back. Out of the mind, into the body. Into presence. One day later, I returned and added small hangs—staying down with a bit of weight around my neck, not moving, just holding onto a rock....]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/the-body-remembers-what-we-ve-moved-away-from</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f9a65a6d919e5ce86f7e6a</guid><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 11:26:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_1eed117ef8614493ada0a84c0a0bf4be~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Practice — Regulating the Nervous System through Access to the Breath]]></title><description><![CDATA[With one of my clients, our first session centered around one thing: sleepless nights. He shared how difficult it felt to switch off at the moment. How he wakes up in the middle of the night, active and restless. Letting go didn’t feel accessible to him. His mind kept running, even when his body was already exhausted. When he first contacted me, he wasn’t looking for a tool—he was looking for a way out of his head. A way into stillness, into something that felt like real rest. Foto Credit:...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/from-practice-accessing-what-s-already-there</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e10a9cc4c584cedb04e526</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:39:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_71ed98ed5fbd42e4985945108838d8b9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[6 Reasons Swimming Builds the Ultimate Foundation for Freediving]]></title><description><![CDATA[It took me some time to truly accept it myself—but swimming is one of the most powerful foundations for freediving performance. In my first two years of freediving, I believed the only way to improve was simple: dive more. But over time, that perspective shifted completely. Structured swimming training transformed the way I prepare—not only for depth, but also for pool disciplines. Butterfly swim into sunset, Zollikon, Switzerland Swimming provides an incredibly efficient environment to...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/6-reasons-swimming-builds-the-perfect-foundation-for-freediving</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c8f1314b5dfe0bfdb1cd7d</guid><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:26:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_5f815a81c4ea49a6b25bab6cd557f870~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_970,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Minute Breath Meditation Practice]]></title><description><![CDATA[Meditation practice and making it available in everday life is one of my favorite topics — I could speak about it for hours. Maybe that’s why this text became quite long, even though the meditation itself is very simple.

My intention is to give you practical guidance — a clear how-to — but also something more important: the encouragement to simply begin. 

Find a way that feels natural. Find a rhythm you enjoy you have pleasure with.]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/one-minute-breath</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698c5ee9e46957565bf189ef</guid><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:24:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_78ebeb8f9a2043fb817f8e5098c8beca~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Depth Actually Happens]]></title><description><![CDATA[Diving from 50 to 80 meters in FIM, a new freediving discipline for me. Documenting the method, focus, and team support that made every dive safe, mindful, and full of joy under the water.]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/how-depth-actually-happens</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697c845cb3cf8ba2384ace6c</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 18:40:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_da709e13d39441008da4847e5a8a6579~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Freediving and the Media]]></title><description><![CDATA[Yesterday, on our last flight back home to Switzerland from Dominica, the man sitting next to us was watching the documentary One Breath  with Alessia. As I glanced at his screen, I felt something deep irritating inside me. I realized that I had written this blog article a long time ago—but never published it. And suddenly, it felt like the right moment. This article is about how freediving is often perceived as an extremely dangerous sport, closely associated with blackouts and even death. I...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/freediving-and-the-media</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68fcbf7549fb0f70215fc9fc</guid><pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 16:33:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_4fe2b42d31b5470fafc61ace5a2c0510~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Choose Peace Over Competition]]></title><description><![CDATA[No matter what you aspire to, there will always be someone who is better than you. This is not the problem. This is reality. The mistake is believing that competition is about beating others.



True competition is about being present with all you got in each moment. It is about doing what you can with what you have, right now. Some days that means winning. Some days it means learning. Both are necessary. Healthy competition only exists when it is directed inward.]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/choose-peace-over-competition</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695be1257831e3f57103330d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:16:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_07ae2162fb3d473a846c49fda94a2dc2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[SWR Nachtcafé - In anderen Sphären]]></title><description><![CDATA[Being invited to a German talk show is already special. Being invited to speak about a life lived differently  — that is something else entirely. On Nachtcafé , I found myself in an incredibly diverse round of guests: people speaking about spiritual paths, encounters with a witch, psychological exceptional states, and even a lifestyle lived very consistently in the spirit of the 1920s. Every story was unique — and every single one broke out of conventional box-thinking. What connected us all...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/swr-nachtcaf%C3%A9-in-anderen-sph%C3%A4ren</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69413f9ddc60ce3ce8a096ab</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:44:02 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Movement as Medicine]]></title><description><![CDATA[Up there at 1,700 m in the Alps — surrounded by snow and sunshine — I was finding my way back into full body movement. Brought me back to a feeling of connecting again with that body part that was completly disconnected a few weeks back from the surgery,  where ligaments were fixed, bones sawed, muscles and fascia cut. Still it is incredible. I am overwhelmed by joy, just witnessing that healing every day. Every single morning during the retreat gifted me a new — even if tiny — range of...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/movement-as-medicine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691f57f30acaec313274c43c</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:03:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_85a01fd2be094bd9b4b7801eee04847f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Quiet Resilience of My Foot]]></title><description><![CDATA[The surgeon just came by and told me that there was even less cartilage left in my joint than they had anticipated. Not only was there...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/foot-surgery-recovery-journey</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68cab80d4c601ce8f4f3e434</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:37:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_1f1602f83ea546a2a95e3f1929f7c46b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[My Body, My Heart – Streaming on ARD Mediathek and German Television ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Since early August, the new documentary Mein Körper, mein Herz has been streaming on ARD Mediathek— with the premier in German television on September 15, 2025, at 22:45 on Das Erste. In the film, I join other fascinating voices to share how I use breathing techniques, nose breathing, positive thinking, and visualization to help my heart and nervous system stay balanced under the stress of competition. Through focused breathwork, I guide myself into a state of deep relaxation—conserving...]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/my-body-my-heart-streaming-on-ard-mediathek-and-german-television</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68a1c6ad81e6ee2fae56ec3e</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2025 18:28:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_45b37d631ec84fa3acaaefd77333ffbc~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_929,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Pressure to Inner Freedom: The Power of Mental Training]]></title><description><![CDATA[This blog shares the behind-the-scenes of a world record freedive, revealing how mental training, visualization, and emotional regulation made the difference — even under pressure. Tools &#38; real-life insights included!]]></description><link>https://www.annakarinaschmitt.ch/post/mental-state-for-world-record-dive</link><guid isPermaLink="false">687f5f5a56d6ad4c0eeecf38</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:03:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/79664c_aed953d068724bd081b0eb5d183c9b66~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Anna-Karina Schmitt</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>