By Tracey Howes, Freediver and resident Functional Breathwork Instructor

Step into a sanctuary where time slows, the senses soften, and your entire system is invited to exhale. In this unique 90-minute journey, Tracey Howes, Freediver and resident Functional Breathwork Instructor, and Rich Hale, Gong Master and Musician, combine the gentle power of breathwork with the transformative resonance of live gongs. This experience is designed to nourish your body, soothe your mind, and awaken the deep, instinctive calm found in water-based practices such as freediving.

Your session begins in our studio with Tracey, who guides you through subtle yet profoundly effective techniques rooted in functional breathing principles. These practices echo the foundations of breathwork used in aquatic disciplines, where slow, efficient breathing is key to calming the heart rate and preparing the nervous system for immersion. As you attune to this steadier rhythm, your body naturally begins to activate the parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and restore” state central to freediving’s renowned ability to quiet the mind and settle the body.

This initial phase is less about effort and more about attunement. Through gentle guidance, Tracey helps you harness your breath as a stabilising anchor, encouraging a physiological shift known to reduce stress hormones, soften muscular tension, and support cardiovascular ease. With each inhale and exhale, you create internal spaciousness, preparing yourself for the sensory immersion that follows.

As you transition to the hydrotherapy pool, the atmosphere of the space deepens the theme of aquatic calm. Warm, shimmering water surrounds you, inviting your system to tap into the ancient mammalian dive response – the body’s innate reaction to water that gently lowers heart rate, conserves oxygen, and fosters profound internal quiet. Even without full immersion, simply being close to warm water has been shown to encourage relaxation, emotional regulation, and a deeper sense of safety.

The acoustics of the pool environment accentuate the rich harmonics of the gongs, creating sound waves that feel almost tidal-rolling, enveloping, and deeply resonant. Much like drifting just beneath the surface of the sea, the experience becomes both grounding and expansive. The sound seems to suspend time, inviting you into a state similar to the meditative stillness many freedivers describe when descending into blue quiet.

Rich’s intuitive playing guides you through layers of shimmering overtones and low, rumbling vibrations that move through the body like currents. Combined with the soothing warmth of the pool, the gong bath encourages a sense of buoyancy –physically, energetically, and emotionally. Many guests find that this pairing of breath, sound, and water-inspired calm allows insights to surface, tension to dissolve, and the mind to drift into restorative dreamlike states.

As the final gong tones fade, you will emerge grounded, refreshed, and noticeably lighter. Whether you are new to breathwork and sound or a seasoned practitioner, this experience offers an accessible yet deeply immersive route to nervous system restoration.  

Join us and rediscover the quiet brilliance of your own breath, the meditative spaciousness of water, and the time-bending power of sound in the unique and luxurious environment of The Herb House Spa.

Explore upcoming Sonic Freedive workshops at Herb House: Event Details | Lime Wood