I know exactly how it feels. I have just experienced burnout in my job to finally get it that I need to quit and that I’m not going to just die when I quit. Anxiety attacks all over. But this mermaid community and especially you are so inspiring and encouraging and thank you for being so real. I’m really happy you managed to do this and I hope to do the same for myself. Overcome this crap and just realise that it’s not the end of the world. I hope to one day feel just as free of anxiety. Any kind of diving really helps bringing you back into your body. I’ve got my open waters (scuba) diver license (up to 20meters of depth) but I also wish to do the free diving course one day. Awesome! 👌🏽🧜🏻♀️
This is so weird just before I watched this video I was having some negative thoughts about a project I am working on and I pushed those thoughts away and then started texting my boyfriend about it and then you were talking about similar things to what I was just dealing with in your video! You definitely do have the outward appearance of having everything together. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your reality with us. My conclusion to that negative voice in my head lately has been, "Well, at least I am trying! I would rather try and fail then never even try and look back and regret not trying." You are amazing Courtney and you are not alone in your struggles, but I know you will continue to get better! Congrats on getting your level 1!
Thank you so much for saying that! I remember this being one of the most difficult things I've ever done and feeling so much more ME on the other side of it. I'm sending love!
Hey Courtney! I just got the finis luna monofin and: • I love the flop • I love the design • I love that it’s comfortable • and I love the color I guess I’m a luna girl now
We are so similar. I just started mermaid swimming this summer and I love watching your videos because you remind me of me. My depression and anxiety are really bad and I also have the voice in my head telling negative things. I've learned that swimming and being underwater really help with my head. And I'm really curious about trying a free diving course. Thank you for being honest about it all so I don't need to feel so alone 💕
I know you posted this a long time ago, but I wanted to tell you how amazing you are. You help so many people, and even through all that you fight with every day, you always, ALWAYS uplift those around you. I think you faced your fears that day. YOU ARE an amazing person, and you ARE an incredible mermaid. Please keep being you!
As you were talking for the first part of the video I keep thinking, "She has anxiety." I am the saaaame waayyyy. It's so frustrating and limiting and one of the reasons I haven't taken a free diving course yet. But this gives me hope for sure. Swimming has been my anxiety cure. Having to mindful and taking those meditative breaths help soooo much.
Wow Courtney, what an incredible video (love the sparkly light background and the aside conversations with your bird btw - too cute). You did so well in the class, moved so beautifully under water, had such a good breath hold, that we had no idea you struggled with so much! And we are both very happy that we could be a part of facilitating this experience for you. I believe water people are healed by water, and you are most certainly a creature of the water! Like I said in the class, freediving is a crash course in meditation and meeting that inner voice. May you continue on this wonderful journey toward silencing yours - or at least putting her in her place! Thanks so much for your kind words, it was a pleasure freediving with you. xo Roberta & Matt
Thank you so much for watching the video! I honestly can't say it enough, this course was the best thing I did for myself this year and I will never forget how amazing and soul-opening this experience was for me. You two are amazing people and I am so glad I got to meet you and learn from you.
Both depression and anxiety are lying liars. I'm so glad you found a way to shut that voice down. And it may happen you lose that again, for a little while, because it's like a new muscle that you're learning to use, but now you know the secret about how to get it back! :) Congratulations on this life changing moment! I'm so happy for you :)
So proud of you, I really feel this is so incredibly important to take these courses. we learn so much! Congrats on level 1! Maybe don't go for level 2 yet! haha I enjoyed level 1 so much, and then failed level 2 (video coming soon! lol)
I was planning on holding off for a bit. I might want to in the future, but I have a lot of health crap to sort out before I get there hehe! Much excite for you video!!
The more you talk about your anxiety the more i feel i relate. I had a really bad social anxiety experience a week or so ago. Really freaked me out cuz I didn't think I had this problem. Somehow its consoleing hearing some one else express the same things i feel or go through. Also really enjoyed this video nd hoping to take a free diving course at some point!
That's largely the reason I want to share these experiences. I wish I had had someone to relate to like this growing up, but I was always put down for my anxiety and my "issues" as everyone loved to call them. Well I'm all grown up now and I'm going to sing it loud and proud! I am not my anxiety, I have anxiety and I live with it. If my stories help even a few of my little fishes then it is worth putting myself out there you know?
I want to do both free diving and scuba diving but my anxiety is so bad that I think about it but then I think I can't do it. Then I think about well if I have a migraine attack before or during i can't do it either. Not to mention I don't have any friends that would go with me to these kind of classes. So I want to say thank you for this video because it inspired me to try and push pass my nerves and at least try the free diving class. I just hope the instructor/s are just as nice as the one you had were.
Bless your heart and well done for getting through it. I know how you feel about letting people down but good on you for making it through to the end 💜💜💜
You did so well, well done Courtney! Freediving classes are definitely a bit scary at times especially for newcomers, I still haven’t done the open water portion of my current level yet but am looking forward to it one day soon. Well done on doing such a good breath hold so early as well because at least for the courses I’ve been on 2 minutes was the minimum static time to pass AIDA 2. There’s a lot of theory to learn the further on you go, but I swear it’s a lot of fun too. And god I hate wetsuits XD the one I used in AIDA 1 was a zipless two-piece and we had to use hair conditioner to make them slippy enough to get them on XD
Very moving and inspiring. Thank you for being so genuine and honest, it really is beautiful and helpful. I also have anxiety, and seeing that represented is really nice.
I understand what your saying here 14:59, I really loved swimming and because of that voice along with things going on In my life I was too insecure to go in the water that is until recently my boyfriend got me back in the water and man, I forgot how relaxed with that voice not being as strong and loud anymore, still there but not loud enough to be important. Thank you, Courtney, for telling us about this really don't feel as dumb and strange anymore. Keep up the great work.❤
I needed this today. I have anxiety (which I've been working on and its getting easier to control) but never in water. There's something about the weightlessness of neutral buoyancy that is just so calming. Hearing you talk about your inner voice and having someone I can relate to so much is awesome ^_^.
Omg you're so amazing!! 👏👏💖💖 I've been doing breath work and following freediving breathing videos, plus the mermaid swimming, and you are so right! Something has significantly changed within me from breath holding, so much more less intensely anxious 💖💖🙏🙏 I can't wait to take a free diving class now, hope I get the same instructors as you!
That is so awesome! And what an Inspiring and fantastic lesson you learned from it (other than to Free dive)! I’m glad you got through the anxiety and spiraling to do it! It sounds like such a great thing to learn! And just because: SO MERMAID!! 🧜♀️ 😁
cooooooooool! I've done a bunch of cold water diving in two layers of 6mil wetsuit (in winter too, in Pennsylvania), and have no idea how I did it. I'm fairly claustrophobic and hate tight clothes (do NOT ask me about bras). So I relate to your wetsuit battle. Getting them on is precisely like wrestling a kraken from the inside...
"Well hot diggity!!"Hahaha! I love your channel, and you. Congratulations!! I'm about to book my free diving course, but unsure whether to do a combined Mermaid & Free Diving Course, or just Free Diving. Any thoughts? Much love! x
3yrs late for this video, but that's ok. :) It's a beautiful experience, isn't it? Meeting yourself in the moment like that? I've not yet had the opportunity to do the mermaiding thing (working on getting myself healthy enough to learn to do it safely between saving up money), but I've come to this realization in other areas of my life while learning different things. It's (repeating myself) beautiful when you experience it, and just as beautiful to experience precisely how much it impacts the rest of your life for the better. I'm so happy for you. 💕 :)
I have similar anxiety problems but it’s with driving instead of swimming. But I have experienced a similar ‘zen’ type of state when I’m swimming and in doing so I held my breath for 1:30-2:00 minutes without my knowledge lmao Side note: you look great in a wetsuit Courtney btw Also a fun fact: certain shark species have a special part of their organ systems that grant them the ability to stay still and neutral in the water like a diver wearing weights
I used to use a weighted blanket for about a year before it actually started having the opposite effect on me. For a while it was great and then I started getting extreme anxiety. So I have it in storage for now.
@@CourtneyMermaid Oh gosh. That's super unfortunate. I'm really sorry you had that experience. Hopefully you will find some way to find peace within your mind again 💖
Hi Courtney. I absolutely 💙 how you were able to conquer the free diving class despite all the anxiety and mental deamons. I would absolutely 💙 to take up free diving course that is near me and with a mermaid friend that lives near me and is like Mermaid Bjossa and by watching your video I can kinda get a idea of what to expect. If I ever could I would absolutely 💙to be able to meet you and swim with our tails on because you are one of my mermaid inspirations on how I would like to be as a fabric tail wearer since I know how heavy full silicone tails are and how expensive they are also and I have been a huge fan of yours since I first found your channel from the beginning. When I’m able to I would 💙 to be able to find and get those fake gauge earrings in each of my 7 favorite Element colors when I know how much money I would need to save up for and I know how much the shipping would be to wear I live. 😃😀🧜♀️💛💙❤️💚💖💜🖤🧚♀️😀😃
take 2 or 3 (3 maximum) deep respiration. relax and don't move, at the third inspiration, keep your breathe and wait. count the seconds in your head and don't think about bad thing
Iv started swimming 25m under water and was thinking of doing a Freedivers class the problem is I don’t ever just do laps on top of the water of the pool it makes me uncomfortable do you have to swim laps to be able to do it?
Lexie Cassel I think if they ask you to swim laps you can do them under the surface rather than on the surface. At least this is how the swim test at my local pool works
Can you talk about COLD WATER swimming? I'm determined to continue mermaiding through the winter where the pool is unheated and only 55 degree's. I wear a wetsuit and get serious brain freeze when I try to swim under water. JUst love your video's!
I know exactly how it feels. I have just experienced burnout in my job to finally get it that I need to quit and that I’m not going to just die when I quit. Anxiety attacks all over. But this mermaid community and especially you are so inspiring and encouraging and thank you for being so real. I’m really happy you managed to do this and I hope to do the same for myself. Overcome this crap and just realise that it’s not the end of the world. I hope to one day feel just as free of anxiety. Any kind of diving really helps bringing you back into your body. I’ve got my open waters (scuba) diver license (up to 20meters of depth) but I also wish to do the free diving course one day. Awesome! 👌🏽🧜🏻♀️
This is so weird just before I watched this video I was having some negative thoughts about a project I am working on and I pushed those thoughts away and then started texting my boyfriend about it and then you were talking about similar things to what I was just dealing with in your video!
You definitely do have the outward appearance of having everything together. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your reality with us. My conclusion to that negative voice in my head lately has been, "Well, at least I am trying! I would rather try and fail then never even try and look back and regret not trying."
You are amazing Courtney and you are not alone in your struggles, but I know you will continue to get better! Congrats on getting your level 1!
Thank you so much for saying that! I remember this being one of the most difficult things I've ever done and feeling so much more ME on the other side of it. I'm sending love!
Hey Courtney!
I just got the finis luna monofin and:
• I love the flop
• I love the design
• I love that it’s comfortable
• and I love the color
I guess I’m a luna girl now
YES! Team Luna!!
YAY
We are so similar. I just started mermaid swimming this summer and I love watching your videos because you remind me of me. My depression and anxiety are really bad and I also have the voice in my head telling negative things. I've learned that swimming and being underwater really help with my head. And I'm really curious about trying a free diving course. Thank you for being honest about it all so I don't need to feel so alone 💕
I know you posted this a long time ago, but I wanted to tell you how amazing you are. You help so many people, and even through all that you fight with every day, you always, ALWAYS uplift those around you. I think you faced your fears that day. YOU ARE an amazing person, and you ARE an incredible mermaid. Please keep being you!
As you were talking for the first part of the video I keep thinking, "She has anxiety." I am the saaaame waayyyy. It's so frustrating and limiting and one of the reasons I haven't taken a free diving course yet. But this gives me hope for sure. Swimming has been my anxiety cure. Having to mindful and taking those meditative breaths help soooo much.
Wow Courtney, what an incredible video (love the sparkly light background and the aside conversations with your bird btw - too cute). You did so well in the class, moved so beautifully under water, had such a good breath hold, that we had no idea you struggled with so much! And we are both very happy that we could be a part of facilitating this experience for you. I believe water people are healed by water, and you are most certainly a creature of the water!
Like I said in the class, freediving is a crash course in meditation and meeting that inner voice. May you continue on this wonderful journey toward silencing yours - or at least putting her in her place! Thanks so much for your kind words, it was a pleasure freediving with you. xo Roberta & Matt
Thank you so much for watching the video! I honestly can't say it enough, this course was the best thing I did for myself this year and I will never forget how amazing and soul-opening this experience was for me. You two are amazing people and I am so glad I got to meet you and learn from you.
Both depression and anxiety are lying liars. I'm so glad you found a way to shut that voice down. And it may happen you lose that again, for a little while, because it's like a new muscle that you're learning to use, but now you know the secret about how to get it back! :) Congratulations on this life changing moment! I'm so happy for you :)
Interesting story, informative and well done
So proud of you, I really feel this is so incredibly important to take these courses. we learn so much! Congrats on level 1! Maybe don't go for level 2 yet! haha I enjoyed level 1 so much, and then failed level 2 (video coming soon! lol)
I was planning on holding off for a bit. I might want to in the future, but I have a lot of health crap to sort out before I get there hehe! Much excite for you video!!
The more you talk about your anxiety the more i feel i relate. I had a really bad social anxiety experience a week or so ago. Really freaked me out cuz I didn't think I had this problem. Somehow its consoleing hearing some one else express the same things i feel or go through. Also really enjoyed this video nd hoping to take a free diving course at some point!
That's largely the reason I want to share these experiences. I wish I had had someone to relate to like this growing up, but I was always put down for my anxiety and my "issues" as everyone loved to call them. Well I'm all grown up now and I'm going to sing it loud and proud! I am not my anxiety, I have anxiety and I live with it. If my stories help even a few of my little fishes then it is worth putting myself out there you know?
Thank you so much for being the amazing and strong person you are! So inspiring and helpful 😁
I want to do both free diving and scuba diving but my anxiety is so bad that I think about it but then I think I can't do it. Then I think about well if I have a migraine attack before or during i can't do it either. Not to mention I don't have any friends that would go with me to these kind of classes. So I want to say thank you for this video because it inspired me to try and push pass my nerves and at least try the free diving class. I just hope the instructor/s are just as nice as the one you had were.
Bless your heart and well done for getting through it. I know how you feel about letting people down but good on you for making it through to the end 💜💜💜
You did so well, well done Courtney! Freediving classes are definitely a bit scary at times especially for newcomers, I still haven’t done the open water portion of my current level yet but am looking forward to it one day soon. Well done on doing such a good breath hold so early as well because at least for the courses I’ve been on 2 minutes was the minimum static time to pass AIDA 2. There’s a lot of theory to learn the further on you go, but I swear it’s a lot of fun too.
And god I hate wetsuits XD the one I used in AIDA 1 was a zipless two-piece and we had to use hair conditioner to make them slippy enough to get them on XD
Very moving and inspiring. Thank you for being so genuine and honest, it really is beautiful and helpful. I also have anxiety, and seeing that represented is really nice.
I understand what your saying here 14:59, I really loved swimming and because of that voice along with things going on In my life I was too insecure to go in the water that is until recently my boyfriend got me back in the water and man, I forgot how relaxed with that voice not being as strong and loud anymore, still there but not loud enough to be important. Thank you, Courtney, for telling us about this really don't feel as dumb and strange anymore. Keep up the great work.❤
That's so exciting! I'm working on my scuba certification right now!
Okay so I wanted to free dive before and take the courses but now you really really got me excited to take that next step
I needed this today. I have anxiety (which I've been working on and its getting easier to control) but never in water. There's something about the weightlessness of neutral buoyancy that is just so calming. Hearing you talk about your inner voice and having someone I can relate to so much is awesome ^_^.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and can relate!
Proud of you Courtney~! ♡
Omg you're so amazing!! 👏👏💖💖 I've been doing breath work and following freediving breathing videos, plus the mermaid swimming, and you are so right! Something has significantly changed within me from breath holding, so much more less intensely anxious 💖💖🙏🙏 I can't wait to take a free diving class now, hope I get the same instructors as you!
It has been 4 years since this video was posted, but I wanted to say that I'm so proud of you for doing it!
Sounds like you finally managed to tap into a meditative state. I am so happy for you concurring your fears
That is so awesome! And what an Inspiring and fantastic lesson you learned from it (other than to Free dive)! I’m glad you got through the anxiety and spiraling to do it! It sounds like such a great thing to learn!
And just because: SO MERMAID!! 🧜♀️ 😁
YES! Thank you so much!
cooooooooool! I've done a bunch of cold water diving in two layers of 6mil wetsuit (in winter too, in Pennsylvania), and have no idea how I did it. I'm fairly claustrophobic and hate tight clothes (do NOT ask me about bras). So I relate to your wetsuit battle. Getting them on is precisely like wrestling a kraken from the inside...
Diving masters being THE most zen and stable people on the earth seems to be a universal fact. I'm always in awe in their presence.
"Well hot diggity!!"Hahaha! I love your channel, and you. Congratulations!! I'm about to book my free diving course, but unsure whether to do a combined Mermaid & Free Diving Course, or just Free Diving. Any thoughts? Much love! x
3yrs late for this video, but that's ok. :)
It's a beautiful experience, isn't it? Meeting yourself in the moment like that? I've not yet had the opportunity to do the mermaiding thing (working on getting myself healthy enough to learn to do it safely between saving up money), but I've come to this realization in other areas of my life while learning different things. It's (repeating myself) beautiful when you experience it, and just as beautiful to experience precisely how much it impacts the rest of your life for the better.
I'm so happy for you. 💕 :)
I have similar anxiety problems but it’s with driving instead of swimming. But I have experienced a similar ‘zen’ type of state when I’m swimming and in doing so I held my breath for 1:30-2:00 minutes without my knowledge lmao
Side note: you look great in a wetsuit Courtney btw
Also a fun fact: certain shark species have a special part of their organ systems that grant them the ability to stay still and neutral in the water like a diver wearing weights
Ps I need 22lbs of weight in my silicone tail to sink, lol. and 17 to sink in a wetsuit
22lbs?!?!?!? DUDE! Mermaid tails for the win eh?!
I love the mermaid kick (as opposed to the flipper kick)
You had the same flippers I have as my makeshift tail!
I wonder if a weighted blanket or lap pillow to be calming out of the water since it seems like everything clicked when you had the weights on
I used to use a weighted blanket for about a year before it actually started having the opposite effect on me. For a while it was great and then I started getting extreme anxiety. So I have it in storage for now.
@@CourtneyMermaid Oh gosh. That's super unfortunate. I'm really sorry you had that experience. Hopefully you will find some way to find peace within your mind again 💖
Hi Courtney. I absolutely 💙 how you were able to conquer the free diving class despite all the anxiety and mental deamons.
I would absolutely 💙 to take up free diving course that is near me and with a mermaid friend that lives near me and is like Mermaid Bjossa and by watching your video I can kinda get a idea of what to expect.
If I ever could I would absolutely 💙to be able to meet you and swim with our tails on because you are one of my mermaid inspirations on how I would like to be as a fabric tail wearer since I know how heavy full silicone tails are and how expensive they are also and I have been a huge fan of yours since I first found your channel from the beginning.
When I’m able to I would 💙 to be able to find and get those fake gauge earrings in each of my 7 favorite Element colors when I know how much money I would need to save up for and I know how much the shipping would be to wear I live.
😃😀🧜♀️💛💙❤️💚💖💜🖤🧚♀️😀😃
HOW TO CALM DOWWNN !
i manage to do static 15seconds.. then got panic.
but i can mermaiding far underwater
take 2 or 3 (3 maximum) deep respiration. relax and don't move, at the third inspiration, keep your breathe and wait. count the seconds in your head and don't think about bad thing
@@onyx_the_water_dragon3889 need to be in water again to test that ~ huhuhuhu
thankiuu!
@@HyperSleepyFox you’re welcome 😉!!!
Iv started swimming 25m under water and was thinking of doing a Freedivers class the problem is I don’t ever just do laps on top of the water of the pool it makes me uncomfortable do you have to swim laps to be able to do it?
Lexie Cassel I think if they ask you to swim laps you can do them under the surface rather than on the surface. At least this is how the swim test at my local pool works
Can you talk about COLD WATER swimming?
I'm determined to continue mermaiding through the winter where the pool is unheated and only 55 degree's. I wear a wetsuit and get serious brain freeze when I try to swim under water. JUst love your video's!
Another video!!!
Ninth! You got this girl!
READ THE WHOLE THING!!!!
You are not OK.
You are not GOOD.
YOU ARE GREAT!!!!! :)
Will there be free diving mermaid footage coming soon?
I will have two new mermaiding videos with Mermaid Bjossa coming out in September!
😲I no longer want to try neoprene, I didn't realize I'd float
I am only 13 yrs old a i can dive (without any help) 24 feets deep with mermaid tail😁
is you bird doing better
She is stable for now, we are going in for a vet visit tomorrow and hopefully we get some good news. Thank you so much for asking!
first