Stig Severinsen
Encyclopedia
Stig Åvall Severinsen is a four-time World Champion freediver
and holder of two Guinness World Records
. His lifetime passion for water and breath holding lead him to write the book “breatheology – the art of conscious breathing” which appeared in Denmark in 2009 with the title “Træk Vejret – mere energy, mindre stress”. It quickly became a bestseller and was subsequently translated and published in English in 2010 by Idelson-Gnocchi.
where he soon excelled and became part of the Danish national team. During his university studies in Barcelona, Spain (1998–1999), he played Underwater Hockey
on the Spanish national team. The fascination of long breath holds under water drew him to the world of freediving.
Combining yoga
and his knowledge of physiology
in freediving, Stig Aavall Severinsen became a record holder of four AIDA
Freediving World Records. Forever challenging our perception of the physiological boundaries of the human body, Stig continued to challenge science and performed two impressive Guinness World Records in 2010. In March 2010 he swam 236 feet (72 meters) under ice wearing only swimming trunks and goggles adding 47.6 feet (14.5 meters) to Wim Hof's
record from March 2000. Later that year in April 2010 Stig held his breath after inhaling pure oxygen in a tank full of shark
s for 20 minutes and 10 seconds emphasizing the enormous potential of human mental control on the body.
Aavall Severinsen has developed the concept of breatheology presented in his book. He proposes that by working with your breath you can create a link between your body and mind and thereby control stress
, gain more energy, perform better physically and mentally, alleviate pain and become more healthy. He has set up a web-community (www.breatheology.com) to create a common ground for people interested in learning more about the benefits of breathing and breath holding.
Freediving World Records>
Date Record Discipline Location
19 July 2003
166 m
Dynamic Apnea without fins (DNF)
Aarhus, Denmark
28 Sept 2003
61 m
Constant Weight without fins (CNF)
Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela
16 June 2007
225 m
Dynamic Apnea (DYF)
Aarhus, Denmark
7 July 2007
186 m
Dynamic Apnea without fins (DNF)
Maribor, Slovenia
Free-diving
Freediving is any of various aquatic activities that share the practice of breath-hold underwater diving. Examples include breathhold spear fishing, freedive photography, apnea competitions and, to a degree, snorkeling...
and holder of two Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
. His lifetime passion for water and breath holding lead him to write the book “breatheology – the art of conscious breathing” which appeared in Denmark in 2009 with the title “Træk Vejret – mere energy, mindre stress”. It quickly became a bestseller and was subsequently translated and published in English in 2010 by Idelson-Gnocchi.
Background
His experience with breath holds began when he as a child played at the bottom of his parent’s pool. He started swimming at the age of 6 and was awarded National Champion four years in a row at the age of 9, 10, 11 and 12. In the years 1993-2003 he played Underwater RugbyUnderwater rugby
Underwater rugby is a sport that has its origin in the physical fitness training of German diving clubs and has little in common with rugby football except for the name....
where he soon excelled and became part of the Danish national team. During his university studies in Barcelona, Spain (1998–1999), he played Underwater Hockey
Underwater hockey
Underwater hockey is a global non-contact sport in which two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into goals.-Play:...
on the Spanish national team. The fascination of long breath holds under water drew him to the world of freediving.
Combining yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and his knowledge of physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
in freediving, Stig Aavall Severinsen became a record holder of four AIDA
AIDA International
The International Association for Development of Apnea is the world wide rule- and record-keeping body for competitive breath holding events . It aims to set standards for safety, comparability of Official World Record attempts and freedive education...
Freediving World Records. Forever challenging our perception of the physiological boundaries of the human body, Stig continued to challenge science and performed two impressive Guinness World Records in 2010. In March 2010 he swam 236 feet (72 meters) under ice wearing only swimming trunks and goggles adding 47.6 feet (14.5 meters) to Wim Hof's
Wim Hof
Wim Hof is a Dutch world record holder, adventurer and daredevil, commonly nicknamed the Iceman for his ability to withstand extreme coldness. He holds eighteen world records including a world record for longest ice bath. In 2007, he attempted, but failed , to climb Mount Everest wearing nothing...
record from March 2000. Later that year in April 2010 Stig held his breath after inhaling pure oxygen in a tank full of shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s for 20 minutes and 10 seconds emphasizing the enormous potential of human mental control on the body.
Aavall Severinsen has developed the concept of breatheology presented in his book. He proposes that by working with your breath you can create a link between your body and mind and thereby control stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
, gain more energy, perform better physically and mentally, alleviate pain and become more healthy. He has set up a web-community (www.breatheology.com) to create a common ground for people interested in learning more about the benefits of breathing and breath holding.