Anna-Karina Schmitt

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....

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:...

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...