In this episode I talk to Renee Taylor, a speech-language therapist and freedive instructor who founded Salt Aotearoa in Aotearoa, New Zealand.  Renee shares her personal journey to experiencing freediving as rongoā Māori and its role as a healing practice; with the ocean supporting a deep level of mind, body and spiritual well-being. If you’re stressed and burnt out, keep listening! We chat about the kaupapa of Salt Aotearoa and creating a safe space for wāhine to transform their lives by learning to freedive, spearfish, and collect kaimoana.Today we’ll find out just how easy it is to get into freediving, and how good it is for us. And you’ll hear Renee’s beautiful baby during this episode, who wanted a wee chat too! Join a freediving or spearfishing course with Salt Aotearoa and experience more life underwater. Connect with Renee on Instagram @saltaotearoa Connect with Saltwater Journal @saltwater_journal Website: Saltwater Journal EPISODE NOTES | Renee Taylor 01:00 Family and motherhood 2:06 Speech therapy and the toll of death in daily life 04:06 Unsafe cultural spaces and journey into freediving 05:50 Being wāhine in the freediving world 11:26 Joy of the beginner experience 14:09 Being underwater: scuba and freediving 14:43 Benefits of freediving  16:21 Supporting reconnection  20:20 Dangers of freediving 23:50 Collecting kai  25:12 Addiction of spearfishing 26:00 Shore diving 27:30 CPR 33:00 How to get involved 35:10 Freediving and pregnancy Te Reo Māori  Aotearoa - New Zealand Hauora - health Kai - food Kaimoana - seafood Kaupapa - purpose Kōrero - conversation Moana - sea, ocean Māoritanga - Māori way of life Taiao - natural world Wānanga - meeting to share learning and knowledge Wāhine - women Whānau - family