Meet Marina Castelló Rigo, freediving instructor and circular breathing teacher. Together with “Humans of Mallorca”, we’ll dive deep into understanding what brings us purpose and how we can reconnect with who we truly are.
Where were you born?
In Palma de Mallorca.
Where did you study?
At the Academy International School, in Marratxí. Then I went to the UK for boarding school. But when I graduated, I remember looking at the university degrees and thinking: What I want to do isn’t here. It’s something else; it doesn’t exist yet.
So, what did you do?
My school offered internships to teach English at their Wellington College in Shanghai. I wanted the challenge and the travel, and needed time to think about what I wanted to do. So I went. Big city, Asian culture, culture shock. It was really, really cool to be that independent and live abroad at 18.
How did you become a diving instructor?
After saving up in Shanghai, I went to the Philippines and discovered the underwater world of coral reefs and tropical biodiversity. I just wanted to go diving. My father is a sailor and a scuba diver, so I was used to it. Then, in Bali, I met a Spanish diving instructor, Patricia, and thought, I want to do that. I spent two years there, getting my divemaster and learning to guide people underwater.
How did you come to work with Cleanwave?
Coming back from Bali, I had a strong awareness of ocean pollution. Sometimes, I’d be diving in huge swamps of plastic. I once saw a beautiful manta ray eat a piece of plastic, knowing it would die because it couldn’t digest it. When I got back to Mallorca, I wanted to help, so I joined Cleanwave for a year.
Was it challenging to return to Mallorca?
Living in Bali was absolute freedom: bikini life, coconut water, mango juice. I lived in a villa with a pool that cost me €250 a month and a scooter that took me anywhere. Coming back from a two-year-long summer was a reality check. After being away so long, I didn’t really have friends. I had to deal with the constant social pressure of “What are you doing with your life?” And I didn’t know. My life in Bali was gone. I went into a really dark period of six months, into a black hole—I call it that—of not having a purpose in life.
How did you move past that?
I was looking for everything, trying absolutely everything. I went to a psychologist, but it was really painful. I was going to women’s circles, to sweat lodges. Once I hit rock bottom, people who could help me started to arrive. One of them was Shirayan, a beautiful Brazilian woman who is a therapist. We did this one session together. She helped me unstick myself from a thought I had. A thought that I had damaged my brain.
Tell me more about that thought.
Basically, I was depressed, so I couldn’t think quickly. I was always super good at school—A’s and A-stars all across. Suddenly, I couldn’t even remember what I had for breakfast.
Who else helped you?
That year, I also came across this lady called María Gómez. She does a course on personal branding which is actually 95% self-awareness. We did this exercise to help me identify what fills my battery—freediving, being in the sunshine—and afterward, I decided to go to an ecstatic dance. That day I met Andrea. This Italian, happy, bouncy, curly hair. He had a yellow sweatshirt, difficult not to notice him.
Is this how you discovered circular breathing?
Yes. We talked and I was like, I’m a freediving instructor. I teach breathing. And he said, I’m a circular breathing instructor. I teach breathing, too. He came to a freediving class and I went to his circular breathing workshop. From that first session, I felt extreme understanding, liberation and relief. It gave me so much clarity. I started helping Andrea and assisted him in many conferences and courses. Then went to Italy and did the same circular breathing master course.
You also help organize diving retreats, right?
Yes, with Freediving Menorca, twice a year. And last year, I started organizing Egypt trips to swim with dolphins. Then, over the winter, I work with Andrea on the Breathing Circular program, which runs in 10-week cycles. Then we take a break.
What makes you happy about teaching circular breathing?
The people, their stories and testimonies. I really have no idea what’s going on inside them during the session. We teach them the technique. We accompany them. If they need to scream, we hand them a tissue. If they’re crying, we wipe their tears. But afterward, when they open their eyes, I see this light in them. We always ask them to share one word after each session, and it’s always something like… Wholeness. Self-love. Infinity. Peace. Through circular breathing, you begin to empty your mind so much that you can connect with who you truly are. And I feel it—after a session, I feel so much joy. I feel so full: It fills my battery.
Text by Olga Alonso
