Live Free Dive Free

By Jennie Miller

From the USA

Lived in Taiwan for 20 Years.

Handpoke Tattoo Artist / Breathwork and Sadhu Board Facilitator / Clothes Designer

I wanted something more. I wanted to live in a vastly different culture with a vastly different language, preferably Mandarin. My requirements were: warm climate, Mandarin language and the income/cost of living gap being large enough to pay my monthly school loans. Through entering my info into databases, a Taiwanese agent contacted me and piqued my interest by advertising my exact requirements. At the time, I didn’t even know Taiwan was its own country! I sold my belongings and motorcycle and moved to Taipei. I lived in

Taipei for 8 years teaching English, and surfing on the weekends. Life in Taipei wasn’t ideal for me, and surfing was my passion, keeping me sane and healthy. On long vacation surf trips to Taitung every month, I realized this was the place to be “normally”. So I then most happily moved to Dulan and stabilized my dream of surviving from my arts and skills and have enjoyed living and surfing in Taitung for almost 12 years now.

Freediving

It wasn’t until the winter of 2016 that I finally made a trip to Gili Air, Indonesia to properly take freediving classes with an AIDA School (International Association for the Development of Apnea). I meant to do what a friend had done and take Level 1, 2 and perhaps 3, but found myself zooming through these smoothly and confidently, so I went on to 4 and then on to the Instructor Course, all within 5 weeks. I ended up extending my trip and changing my flight! However the instructor course didn’t go as smoothly for me: the tests were intense and I had already been training hard for a few weeks, so I didn’t complete one performance requirement and therefore didn’t become an official instructor who could issue licenses. However, I still taught a few people in Taiwan for trade, like fruit, boat tickets, or freediving equipment.

There are a variety of places where you can freedive in Taitung, but Lanyu (Orchid Island) is my favorite. During the late spring, summer and early fall the water is beautifully blue and clear. You can see sea turtles, fish and other coral life and there are plenty of underwater caves and tunnels to swim through. I have never been to Green Island, but have heard it also has amazing diving. Back on the mainland, Sanxiantai has depths past 40 meters, but often has a lot of currents - one side of the island might be choppy, the other calm, so it really depends on the weather and ocean conditions.

“How deep can you dive?”

When they hear that I freedive, this is the question that everyone asks. I did complete the required 40 meter dive, which many people tend to focus on. Someone asked me what is it like to dive to 40 meters and then look up. Since I have only dived this deep once, I was focused on looking straight ahead at the rope I was following and maintaining my technique in equalizing and finning properly. My instructor told me you can look up and where you are going, but then come right back to looking straight ahead….it keeps your technique smooth, makes equalization easier and puts less stress on your body and compressed lungs. Perhaps someone who often practices at 40 or even 50 meters could look up as they fin because they are so used to it, but I’m not there yet!

Freediving as part of a Meditative Life

Freediving is considered an extreme sport, however, unlike most others, for this one it’s necessary to calm oneself down, almost like falling asleep and then gently take a breath and meditatively fin down into the depths, with no exhaling the whole dive. Slowing down the heartbeat and calming the mind are the tricks for freediving. As such, freediving fits nicely into my life since I not only enjoy quality aquatic time, I also love meditative, “going inwards” practices. When I’m not freediving I practice Intuitive Freehand Handpoke Tattooing, design and make one-of-a-kind upcycled patchwork clothing and eco-bikinis, facilitate standing on Sadhu Boards (or helping people stand on nails), and run breathwork sessions for therapeutic purposes. All of these practices involve slowing down and being more aware of breathing, which in itself is very healing. Many freedivers say that they get a little high from the breath-holds and oceanic pressure on the body, which is like Mother Ocean giving you a hug!

Why Taiwan? Why Taitung?

Many people still ask me this question and the answers are many and might differ depending on the day. Taitung’s environment and the people attracted to living in such a place feed a slower, more aware and intimate pace of life. I love the life my partner, Aguang, and I have designed here in Taitung. We have both picked up so many handy skills, become closer to the community, breathing more fresh air, absorbing more sunny weather and getting closer to the earth and nature. Freediving is just one part of my life here, but perfectly encapsulates what it means to live free, selfsufficient and at one with nature!