‘‘THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO PLANT TREES UNDER WHOSE SHADE YOU DON’T EXPECT TO SIT’’ - Nelson Henderson
I'm Ana, a certified breathwork facilitator and movement teacher with a practice rooted in both personal transformation and professional expertise. Since 2020 I have guided hundreds of individuals through transformative experiences: from clinical breathing rehabilitation to profound spiritual exploration.
In 2025, I opened my Breathwork school and started offering a Breathwork Instructor Training.
Nowadays I make sure I learn another related disciplines to continue to deepen my expertise through ongoing studies in somatic and also, myofunctional therapy for children.
My own history with chronic breathing difficulties was not a limitation but the foundation of my expertise. Having navigated these challenges personally, I bring genuine understanding and lived experience to my teaching. I specialise in clinical approaches for managing conditions such as asthma, insomnia, and sleep apnea, as well as spiritual breathwork for expanded states of awareness, apnea training, and performance optimisation for athletes and freedivers.
Grounded in Nature, Guided by the Elements
My approach is grounded in a profound connection with the natural world. As a person who has spent years immersed in wild landscapes, I understand that we do not simply practise in nature. We are nature. This connection to the wildness extends into my commitment to conservation. Caring for our bodies and caring for our planet are, to me, inseparable practices.
Breathwork for Everyone
I am passionate about breathwork as an inclusive, accessible practice. It requires no special equipment, no particular background, no specific body type. Breath belongs to all of us. This is why I see my work as aligned with social justice since breathwork breaks down barriers and welcomes every body, every background, every story. In a world that too often excludes, the breath includes.
Everything I have learned and practised has come together in TRIBU, a project I created to offer transformative experiences that connect breath, movement, music, nature, and community.
Over the past two years, I have organised immersive retreats across Australia, workshops in 3 different continents, bringing together free diving, movement practices, somatic, breathwork, and deep nature connection.
I would be honoured to guide you on this journey. Let's explore what breath and movement can unlock:
for your health, your wellbeing, and your connection to life itself.
WHO WE ARE?
Ana Balbuena- Breathwork Master Instructor, Somatic facilitator, Yoga Teacher, passionate freediver and the founder of TRIBU space.
Pablo Laverde (Byron Shire and Northern Rivers)
Born in Colombia, and raised in Chile, Laverde's music has strong South-American influences and musical flare. His love for music was also greatly influenced by his family, which inspired him to pick up the guitar
A couple of years after his family moved to Australia, Laverde followed, quickly falling in love with the magical country and its people. It was here that he was introduced to one of his favourite instruments, the Didgeridoo (Yidaki), including it in most of his performances.
Through mix of looping and the powerful electronic beats, Laverde incorporates didgeridoo and a flamenco guitar, making the captivatingly stylish and unique Laverde sound.
With Influences such as Bill Withers, The Beatles and Buenavista Social Club, he creates a blend of Latin/Folk/Electronic music, fusing the qualities of his favorite genres and artists.
A deep yearning for creating music and artistic expression has seen him play up and down the East Coast of Australia, performing heavily through the Central Coast to the Northern Rivers.
With an untamable nomadic heart, and passionate love for music and connection, his story continues to take him wherever the music calls him.
James Thomas (Whales and U.K.)
James R. Thomas is a Welsh fingerstyle guitarist whose passionate, emotive and intricate playing enchants his audience with intimate stories told through the guitar. His original music, which simultaneously weaves beautiful harmonies, enthralling melodies, tribal guitar percussion and tasteful use of harmonics, takes listeners on a unique and thought-provoking journey.
Having travelled with his guitar for a number of years, James has been influenced by a number of cultures and styles: modern and classical finger style guitar in many different forms, the folk aspect of his strong Welsh background, the multicultural music hub that is Australia and, of course, the ancient sounds developed by the indigenous Aboriginal people of the land using instruments such as the Yidaki (didgeridoo). This, combined with inspiration from traveling and finding his authentic expression, has inspired James' uniquely crafted style of playing that creates epic,
cinematic and powerful music.
James' travels around Australia during the last three years have led to him being seen all around the country busking and performing; cultivating James' artistic expression and style, through which audiences are visually and sonically captivated by his virtuosic performances.
Witnessing James' music first-hand is a transformational experience that will leave listener's souls nourished and spirits lifted.
Luciana Blanco - Freediving instructor, yoga teacher and breathwork instructor (Mainly Beach, Sydney)
Meet Luciana, a multifaceted teacher who has seamlessly woven the ancient wisdom of yoga, the transformative power of breathwork, and the exhilarating art of freediving into a harmonious tapestry of holistic well-being. Hailing as a beacon of guidance, Luciana's teachings radiate support and encouragement, acting as a steady pillar for her students' journeys of self-discovery and self challenge.
With a heartwarming touch, Luciana goes beyond instruction—she cradles her students when needed and instills confidence when they're ready to push limits, thriving beyond comfort zones.
The boundless ocean is her muse, drawing her to Julian Rocks, where tranquil underwater moments and graceful leopard sharks ignited her calling. Amidst Australia's waters, she found her destiny, nurturing her profound connection with marine life that captured her very soul.
Jack Webb - Australian Deepest Diver and Owner of FREEDIVE FNQ (Cairns)
Hey, I'm Jack Webb, and I run the freediving side of things with tribu. I have a freediving school in Far North Queensland called freedivefnq.
I really enjoy holding my breath underwater, and equally so, teaching other people how to hold their breath underwater.
I'm a molchanovs freediving instructor, and a freediving athlete in training.
I've been freediving since my early teens, either on a line or with a speargun in my hand sourcing food, in various locations around the globe. These days, my spare time when I am not teaching freediving, revolves around - you guessed it - training my own freediving. I can't imagine my life another way. I am continuously receiving coaching from other athlete's in the freediving world, I intend to keep diving deeper and sharing the things I learn along the way.
I am in love with the constant challenges and growth freediving presents. There are so many aspects of it that you can work on that translate to how you live everyday, it's a lifestyle. It's a great tool for tuning into the body, learning to respect it, and with that, carefully listening to when it's the right time to lash out and go for it! (In the most relaxed way)
Whether someone's a complete beginner or an advanced freediver, I enjoy being underwater with them, guiding them to relax deeper and longer, and most importantly - safer.
Watching people persevere, gradually increasing their confidence and relaxation, their love for their underwater life, the whole time being immersed in the elements - are the constant rewards of my lifestyle choice.
It's like that. Every time. So good.
Whatever aspect of Freediving you want to learn or improve on, the freediving sport itself, spearfishing, freediving for meditation, healing water trauma, trying something new, and much more - I've got your back and I'm proud to.
Hopefully get to cross paths with you one day and share some amazing under water moments.
If you want to know more, please visit www.freedivefnq.com
Ash Mines - Filmmaker and Photographer (Mullumbimby, NSW)
Hey, I’m Ash Mines and I am a passionate storyteller. Through my adventures so far I have developed a deep appreciation for travelling, exploring new places and meeting new people. Growing up, there were a lot of people who shared their captivating stories of adventures and life experiences. This was the seed that planted my passion for filmmaking and storytelling.
I like exploring sustainability and conservation, spirituality, mens work, surfing, playing music, nature and connecting with community. These passions naturally integrate into my filmmaking work and creative expression.
WHY TRIBU?
*tribu means tribe in Spanish.
One of the key aspects in healing is the collective dimension. A dimension of walking together, encounters, affection and mutual learning (from the healer and from who wants to heal). The importance lies in the potential of the political transformation of the collective and what is connected with the current problem that we hold: the path from the pain to the health and strength of human relationships.
The intellectual achievements of human culture evolved during a revolution based on living systems in the natural world, rather than one of rapid industrial growth and resource consumption. Now, is a time to focus on experiencing interconnectedness instead of division during the social and ecological crisis of current.
A nature-focused revolution embracing humans as an integral part of the Earth’s natural systems would have instilled a deeper understanding of the wonders of the human body as a living system imbued with inner intelligence, as well as the intelligence of the non-human living world. This perspective, held by Native Americans tribes, would have helped to create sustainable human communities that flourish by connecting, collaborating, cooperating and communicating.
OUR MISSION
All healing modality’s when practiced in groups emit a sense of shared commitment and values of accountability, authenticity, compassion, generosity, integrity, respect, leadership and multicultural awareness, along with a shared vision pointing us in the direction we want to go together.
Having experiences of fellowship and communion with like-minded people who care about holistic and natural health, and who breath together can lead to experience a sense of wholeness. In an environment such as this, there is a space that allows for healing naturally on many levels.