TATIANA MENDES
ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m Tatiana.
I discovered freediving six years ago and, having only learned to swim in my mid-twenties, I’ve since become a seven-time national record holder for Cape Verde.
As an athlete, I’m passionate about pushing boundaries, exploring the ocean, and sharing the transformative power of freediving. I’ve hosted over 20 freediving and spiritual retreats, and I also work as an addiction recovery and psychedelic integration coach.
Beyond the sport, I’m a mental health advocate, a protector of the ocean, and an artist, expressing the beauty of the underwater world through photography and video making.
Let's dive together into Freedom.
THE Ō METHOD™
Breath · Safety · Performance · Belonging
Founded by Tatiana Mendes
WHAT IS THE Ō METHOD™
THE Ō METHOD™ is a breath-led, science-informed, and culturally aware methodology designed to help people regulate fear, build calm under pressure, and reclaim access to water, physically, psychologically, and socially.
THE Ō METHOD™ applies equally to:
Non-swimmers and water-fearful adults
Wellness and mental performance communities
High-level athletes
Institutions and organizations operating under stress
The method is delivered online, in person, and in institutional formats.
Rewriting the relationship with water.Origin explores how fear is learned through history, culture, and personal experience , and how it can be unlearned. This pillar restores agency, safety, and the right to belong in aquatic spaces.
Oxygen
Breath as regulation, not force.Oxygen teaches how breath directly shapes the nervous system. We learn to calm panic, understand air hunger, and build physiological safety through efficient, science-informed breathing.
Ocean
Protection through understanding.Ocean builds water literacy as a form of safety, advocacy, and stewardship. We learn to understand aquatic environments, move with awareness, and develop respect for the ocean as a living system, not something to conquer. This pillar reframes access to water as both a right and a responsibility.
My Coaching
All Coaching is One on One
ONLINE COACHING PROGRAM
Foundations of Freediving, Breath & Safety
Format
4 private video coaching sessions per week
Post-session theory recaps
Structured homework and guided self-practice
Ongoing feedback and progression tracking
Who It’s For ?
First-time learners with no freediving background
Non-swimmers or water-fearful adults
Athletes seeking understanding before exposure
Anyone preparing for their first freediving course
What You Learn
Freediving foundations and safety principles
Breathwork for nervous system regulation
Basic respiratory and circulatory anatomy
CO₂ vs O₂ dynamics and urge to breathe
Breath hold awareness (dry practice)
Equalisation theory and preparation
Outcome
You don’t arrive at your first freediving course guessing or forcing.
You arrive informed, regulated, and confident, ready to learn safely and sustainably.
This program is the bridge between curiosity and certification.
IN-PERSON COACHING PROGRAM
Applied Freediving, Breath, & Water Integration
The O Method™
Ocean · Oxygen · Origin · Ownership
Format
5 coached sessions per week (2 on, 1 off rotation)
Depth sessions (open water)
1 pool session
1 dry session (land-based breathwork, mobility, and nervous system awareness)
One-on-one or small group coaching
Progressive, safety-led exposure
Real-time guidance, feedback, and session planning
Who This Is For
Students transitioning from online theory into water
Beginners and athletes seeking calm, structured progression
Individuals wanting skill, safety, and confidence under pressure
Anyone ready to deepen their connection with water and themselves
Learning Philosophy
Freediving is as much an inward journey as a physical one. Mastery comes from mindful repetition, where breath and movement become natural.
Once grounded, gentle challenges invite flow, presence, and deeper connection with yourself and the ocean. Each session becomes a meditation in motion, guiding you into the water with calm, purpose, and full awareness.
INTO THE MAYA
Freediving & Sailing with Dolphins in the Red Sea May 30th-June 5th
INTO THE MAYA
Freediving & Sailing with Dolphins in the Red Sea May 30th-June 5th
7-Day Freediving & Red Sea Adventure Retreat
Immerse yourself in a week of breath, presence, and ocean connection. This is not just a retreat, it’s a journey inward, a soulful adventure, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience in some of the most beautiful aquatic environments on Earth.
Duration & Accommodation
7 days / 6 nights of total immersion
3 nights luxury glamping, grounding nights under the stars
3 nights on a sailing boat in the Red Sea, drifting with the tides and marine life
Group size: 8 participants only, ensuring personalized attention and intimate connection
Freediving & Ocean Experience
Introductory freediving sessions for all levels, guided by expert coaching
Breathwork, nervous system regulation, and water confidence
Safe and mindful progression into the water
Excursions & Adventures:
Fun diving at Marsa Alam, exploring vibrant reefs with turtles and dugongs
Red Sea sailing and diving, swimming alongside marine wildlife in their natural habitat
Once-in-a-lifetime dolphin sanctuary experience, encountering 100+ dolphins, a magical, heart-opening encounter that inspires awe and connection
Retreat Highlights
Connect deeply with the ocean and yourself, through mindful freediving and immersive marine experiences
Personalized coaching and guidance throughout the week, supporting your growth, breath, and inner calm.
Intimate, small-group setting for meaningful connection, shared energy, and transformational experiences
Soulful encounters with wildlife, including dolphins, turtles, dugongs, and Red Sea marine life, moments that stay with you forever
THOSE WHO CHOSE THE SEA, The Film
THOSE WHO CHOSE THE SEA, The Film
By Jack Lawes,
An Outlawes Films Production.
A poetic freediving film inspired by the legend of Igbo Landing, where history, resistance, and rebirth meet beneath the waves.
Black freediver Tatiana Mendes dives into the depths of her own struggles, seeking liberation through the vast, silent embrace of the ocean.
Captured entirely on breath-hold, this visually stunning journey echoes a powerful historic tale of defiance, in 1803 Igbo captives chose the sea over slavery.
A timeless symbol of freedom and resilience.
Thank you to our safety divers
RIA XI, EUGENIO BATTAGLIA, ANDREA MARENGO, CLARA KATZ, DINIS GERALDE, PIETER NAVNEEV. NOEMI BERECZ